Forum told of dry spell recovery efforts as Margaret River region braces for new summer season
Residents have been urged to adapt and make a difference amid serious concerns about the region’s drying climate experts say includes an 800-year low in groundwater supply.
The concerns were shared at a forum convened by Nature Conservation Margaret River Region last week as part of an ongoing seminar series exploring key environmental issues across the Capes.
While the most dramatic takeaway from the night was data from scientists studying local caves who confirmed groundwater recharge volumes were at the “lowest level in the last 800 years,” the October 2 forum also offered some hope.
Nature Conservation general manager Drew McKenzie urged residents to act rather than feel overwhelmed by the long-term effects of the record seven-month dry spell which devastated flora and fauna.
“Significant areas of vegetation have been highly stressed and it’s important that we give them the best chance to recover by minimising disturbance,” he said.
He said residents could download Nature Conservation’s Fieldbook weed-mapping app to report invasive species and other tangible actions included looking out for distressed and recovering animals, converting gardens to use less water and volunteering to reduce endemic weed species.
The effects of the dry spell on native animals was also flagged by FAWNA president Suzi Strapp who outlined the consequences from a “bloody awful summer” for frontline animal care workers.
Volunteers had witnessed adult swans abandoning their cygnets and Western ringtail possums receiving burns while sheltering from the heat under solar panels.
But Ms Strapp said residents could make a difference by providing clean water for wildlife, planting wildlife and waterwise gardens, and keeping pets contained.
Speakers at the event included Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation researcher Pauline Treble and Murdoch University forestry science expert Joe Fontaine, who outlined the consequences of the record heatwave on the region’s environment.
Dr Treble was part of a group studying declining water levels in the region’s caves.
The isotope paleoclimatologist said 20 years of data studying the effects of climate change on groundwater supplies showed recharge from rainfall across the Margaret River region was the worst in centuries.
Dr Fontaine said one of the greatest risks from the die-off of native plants and trees was more robust weed species could thrive.
The region’s custodians would have to plan for the reality of climate change to reduce the worst effects of future heatwaves, he said.
“These extreme events are happening more often and that has consequences for how the ecosystems we know and love are going to be changing,” he said.
However, Dr Fontaine said the dry spell had not increased total fuel loads and many plants were showing signs of regrowth.
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