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Environmental Education – hatching new projects!
Regent Honeyeater on a twig on a tree

Published On

08/04/2025

The Environmental Education Team have been working hard just like our mascot, the Australian brushturkey (Alectura lathami), to deliver an engaging and informative biodiversity education program for Central Coast residents.

What we do (uncovering tasty treats in the leaf litter) 
Experiencing nature firsthand with locals is our favourite thing to do and we have educated thousands of people with face-to-face activities in our beautiful environment from Patonga to Gwandalan. We have learned so much about some of our hidden gems such as Mt Alison and Elaroo Road Reserve and love sharing them with Coasties! Some of our most memorable experiences have been searching for platypus at dusk whilst kayaking down Ourimbah Creek, spotlighting for nocturnal critters on Kincumba Mountain and discovering rockpool residents and whales at Bateau Bay. We have had so many incredible experiences and can’t wait for more this year!

Figure 1. Looking for platypus, Ourimbah Creek

Have you participated in one of our environmental education events such as Platypus Day at Woodbury Inn Park and National Tree Day events at Killcare and Wyong? These events attract hundreds of people and it is so rewarding to watch them grow bigger each year. See below for details on this years events.

Figure 2. Tree planting for National Tree Day, Wyong

What we have done (building mounds) 
Along with our outdoor activities, we have built a large body of work across the Central Coast with a wide range of resources and signs.

If you have visited Council reserves recently at Phegans Bay, Umina, Woy Woy and Springfield, you may have noticed new interpretive signage. These signs celebrate our wonderful biodiversity (e.g. flying foxes, turtles), endangered ecological communities (e.g. Umina Coastal Sandplain Woodland species) and the importance of our reserves (e.g. Elaroo Road Reserve). We have also designed new signs to assist our wonderful environmental volunteers and increase visibility of the important work undertaken at their sites.

Figure 3. Turtle information sign, Springfield Wetland
Figure 4. Interpretive sign at Elaroo Road Reserve, Phegans Bay.

Figure 4. Interpretive sign at Elaroo Road Reserve, Phegans Bay.

While you’re online, check out our mound of resources available to download and explore, including colouring books, Muti-Touch Books, virtual tours and short films. See below.

Figure 5. Regent Honeyeater by Daniel McKeon

We are incubating!

We are currently incubating a large clutch of environmental education activities and resources. If you have your own chicks looking for an outdoor adventure, we have a huge variety of activities coming up including:  

  • Easter school holiday activities from 14-24 April 2025
  • National Volunteer week Monday 19 – Sunday 25 May 2025
  • Platypus Day for Harvest Festival on Saturday 7 June 2025
  • Schools Tree Day on Friday 25 July 2025
  • National Tree Day on Sunday 27 July 2025
  • New signage for Kincumba Mountain Reserve to help you uncover biological wonders on your adventures
  • Swift Parrot Search citizen science project.
    • Round 1: Saturday 26 April – Sunday 8 June 2025.
    • Round 2: Saturday 18 July – Sunday 31 August 2025.

Learn more

This article was written by Nick Carson and Carlita Dhillon, Environmental Volunteer Officers

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