Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Teaching tourists at Shark Bay
It's one thing to be placed on the World Heritage List, but quite another to satisfy all four natural criteria for the prestigious listing, as Shark Bay in Western Australia has done.
Shark Bay is one of few places in the world to have it all - major stages of the world's evolutionary history (living stromatolites), geological and biological processes (late Cretaceous limestone), natural beauty (pristine inlets) and threatened species (about 14,000 dugongs).
Funding
To educate the 150,000 annual visitors about these values, a community education program was funded with more than $150,000 from the Australian Government plus support from the State Government, through the Rangelands NRM Coordinating Group.
Community Education Officer Rory Chapple has been working with the local community, businesses and tour operators to better promote the values of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.
Activities
"With the new Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery Centre officially opened in March 2006 we've been busy sourcing artefacts, images and information to display," Rory said.
"A series of interpretation panels can now be found at Cape Peron, Monkey Mia Walk Trail, Skip Jack Point and the Wanamalu (Cormorant) Walk Trail, which lies at the northern tip of Francois Peron National Park.
"The signage enlightens visitors about the values of the area and in doing so helps to foster appreciation of and caring for these values. Messages have a strong environmental focus and aim to encourage appropriate and environmentally sensitive behaviours. At Skip Jack Point we cover dolphin feeding, local geology and two aspects of local marine life."
Achievements
At Skip Jack Point visitors are taught about the use of the beacon for navigational purposes by commercial fishers, as well as commercial fishing in Shark Bay and Aboriginal involvement in the local fishing industry. At Cape Peron there are lessons to be learnt about the Gudrun shipwreck and the Leeuwin Current, salinity gradients and their effect on marine life.
"This project has had a high level of involvement by local groups such as the Malgana people, who were consulted when determining appropriate Indigenous messages and use of language," Rory said. "The naming of the trail and many of the terms used in the signage are in Malgana language.
"Local fishermen, divers, artists, a marine scientist, the construction industry and photographers were involved in the project, which has encouraged a sense of ownership and a greater level of knowledge and interest in the local area."
More information
- Cheryl Cowell, WA Department of Environment and Conservation: (08) 9948 1208 or cheryl.cowell@dec.wa.gov.au
- Shark Bay World Heritage website: www.sharkbay.org
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