This newsletter is your go-to for all news about the Cooks River catchment, from the Yana Badu Wetland in Chullora, to Kamay Botany Bay.
Wurridjal Festival
Wurridjal Festival takes place between 29 March and 12 April this year. The festival marks the start of a season when thousands of mullet – known locally as ‘wurridjal’ – enter the river during their pre-spawning migration along the east coast.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of this year’s events:
🐸 Green & Golden Bell Frog Sanctuary Open Day- 29 March
🐢 Yana Badu Wetlands Tour– 30 March & 6 April
🛶 Community Paddle– 30 March
🌱 Bushcare at Landing Lights Wetland– 03 April
We Want To Hear From You!
We need your feedback for the Cooks River Catchment Coastal Management Program (CMP)!
The final CMP will include management actions that are to be implemented by councils and government agencies to improve the health of the river, with a focus on the coastal zone. To help us draft these management actions we need you, the Cooks River community, to show us where the risks to river health are. We also want your ideas as to what councils and agencies can do to reduce these risks.
Find your favourite patch of the Cooks River catchment, drop a pin and let us know your thoughts!
Get The Site Right
Get the Site Right is a joint taskforce of local councils, catchment groups, NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water (DCEEW). The program targets erosion and sediment control on commercial and residential building sites across NSW.
During the Get the Site Right March Blitz, councils across NSW will inspect building sites to make sure proper erosion and sediment controls are in place. Anyone can contact the EPA at any time if you see a building site that is causing harm to the river.
Celebrating 20 Years With The Mudcrabs
If you’ve spent any time on the river, you’ve likely seem them in their iconic team shirts. The Mudcrabs are a dedicated group of Cooks River locals who have been reintroducing native vegetation to the banks and removing rubbish from the river for 20 years.
On Saturday 15 March, they will celebrate 20 years of Cooks River bushcare with the launch of their new book. Come down to Marrickville Golf Club from 2pm on March 15. This is a free event but registration is essential.
Cooks River Community Collective
The Cooks River Community Collective is a working group made up of community representatives across the catchment, who are actively working to improve the river and its community.
The Collective meets six times per year to share information and discuss challenges to and opportunities for the river. The group is driven by the community and supported by the Alliance.
Interested to learn more about the Community Collective and to join the next meeting? Get in touch at info@cooksriver.org.au.
CRA & Regen Sydney for World Water Day
Come celebrate World Water Day with us and our friends at Regen Sydney and Pocket City Farms on 20 March, as we discuss the question: “How can we restore living waters in Sydney?”
Grab a ticket, share a delicious meal and great conversation about the intersection between social and ecological systems.
When: Thursday 20 March, 7-8:30pm
Where: Pocket City Farms
Cost: $25. Purchase Tickets HERE
Kamay Community Fishing Haul
Experience cultural fishing practices that have taken place for generations at the Kamay Community Fishing Haul.
You’ll hear from the Gamay Rangers and learn about the mullet run, which typically happens from March to May each year – when the fish make their yearly migration from rivers and estuaries to the open ocean along the east coast of Australia.
When: Sunday 23 March, 11am-2pm
Where: Kyeemagh Beach
