Theme 4: Taking Action

Topic: In the Community

Why take action in the community?

Water is a precious resource and as a community we must all be committed to using it wisely. There are a number of things the community can do to become involved in protecting and restoring our catchments. Almost everything about the way we live has an impact on our precious natural resources.

There are some simple tips for protecting water quality and some fun and interesting ways that we can all get involved, as a community. For examples, go to: www.watercare.net/community.php

Water Quality Tips

There are so many simple things we can do to improve water quality. For example:

• Ensure waste and rubbish are not disposed of in the stormwater system.
• Use a broom to clean driveways and footpaths instead of hosing them down.
• Planting native plants in our gardens because they need less water.
• Use leaves and lawn clippings for compost.
• Pick up dog droppings while walking the dog.

For more tips on improving water quality, visit: www.watercare.net/water_cleaner.php

There are also so many ways that landholders in rural communities can help protect our water resources and catchment areas. Some of these include: undertaking weed removal, revegetation and managing stock access to waterways.

Ways of taking action within your community

• Water monitoring - Keep an eye on your local creek, river or stream and become involved with a local water-monitoring program such as Waterwatch or Our Patch.
• Revegetating local creeks and rivers - Improve water quality and enhance local biodiversity by helping to revegetate along local creeks and rivers. You could also participate in, or organise, a clean-up day for your local waterway.
• Growing and planting trees - Become a volunteer tree-grower or planter and help revive local environments and enhance biodiversity. You could also set up a seed bank of native flora by collecting indigenous seeds from native flora for local revegetation programs.
• Drain stencilling - Become involved in protecting our waterways and stormwater systems by stencilling environmental messages in and around your local area. This will help educate the community about good stormwater practises.
• Autumn sweeps - Autumn leaves fall from trees, and then end up in our creeks and rivers, choking our precious water environments. You could sweep a street to help stop leaf pollution entering the stormwater system.
• Estuarine monitoring - Discover more about how to protect our unique estuarine environments. Become involved in a monitoring program using special estuarine monitoring equipment.

Student Activity Ideas

• Students to design a poster showing water quality tips for the community. Display the poster in the school, in homes or a local business.
• Conduct a sticker design competition. The sticker design to incorporate an important water quality message or tip.
• Team up with a local community group and become involved in one of the many environmental programs that are on offer.
• Students to become involved in one of the various environmental events or special days e.g. Clean Up Australia Day or become Gutter Guardians, where students sweep streets to combat stormwater pollution.
• Visit a local business and talk to them about ways they might assist with water conservation and improving local water quality.
• Research some of the environmental projects that would be happening in your local area. Contact your local council or catchment board for more information.

Enquiry Learning

• Why is it important for your local community to care for the environment?
• What can we do as a community to protect the environment?
• How do local environmental programs help the environment?

Internet Resources and Activities

Description	Resources and Activities
Get involved in the Waterwatch program. Contact your local Waterwatch officer.	Waterwatch www.sa.waterwatch.org.au
'Our Patch' and 'Catchment Care'. Contact your local Our Patch or Catchment Care Officer from either the Patawalonga, Torrens, Onkaparinga, North Adelaide or Barossa Catchment Water Management Boards.	Northern Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board www.nabcatchment.net Our Patch - Patawalonga and Torrens CWMBs www.ourpatch.on.net Our Patch - Onkaparinga CWMB www.onkaparinga.net
Local Action Planning Committees. Contact your Local Action Planning Committees in the River Murray Catchment Water Management Board region.	River Murray Catchment Water Management Board www.rivermurray.sa.gov.au/ lapgroups
Urban Forest Biodiversity Program. Contact your local Urban Forest Biodiversity Officer.	Urban Forest Biodiversity Program www.urbanforest.on.net
Saltwatch. The snapshot is an excellent opportunity for rural and urban communities to learn about salinity and develop an awareness of local water quality issues.	SA Waterwatch www.sa.waterwatch.org.au/ saltwatch.htm
Wastewater reuse links page. Lots of links to different sites describing strategies for wastewater reuse.	Murdoch University wwwscience.murdoch.edu.au/ teaching/m234/recycle07.htm
Lots of information about products that save water.	Savewater.com www.savewater.com.au/default.asp
The Murray Urban Users Committee. Get involved in the Murray Urban Users Committee. Lots of catchment care activities, including water conservation strategies at home, in the community and at school.	River Murray Urban Users Committee www.murrayusers.sa.gov.au
Coast and Clean Seas. Commonwealth Government's marine and coastal conservation initiative that encourages community involvement in the protection, management and rehabilitation of our coastal and marine environments.	Coast and Clean Seas www.ea.gov.au/coasts/ccs
Coastcare. This is a major component of Coasts and Clean Seas, the Commonwealth Government's marine and coastal conservation initiative that encourages community involvement in the protection, management and rehabilitation of our coastal and marine environments.	Coastcare www.ea.gov.au/coasts/coastcare/ index.html
Greening Australia. Get involved in vegetation management to protect and restore the health, diversity and productivity of our unique Australian landscapes.	Greening Australia www.greeningaustralia.org.au
Trees for Life. Get involved in growing indigenous trees.	Trees for Life www.flinders.com.au/trees.htm
PIRSA Fishwatch.	Primary Industries and Resources SA www.pir.sa.gov.au/dhtml/ss/ section.php?sectID=266&tempID=16

Who Can Help?

Organisation	Who Can Help?
Catchment Water Management Boards	Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): North Adelaide & Barossa Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): Torrens Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): River Murray Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): South East
Conservation Council of SA	Conservation Council of SA (CCSA) Conservation Centre
Gould League	Gould League
Greening Australia	Greening Australia (GA)
KESAB	Keeping South Australia Beautiful Inc (KESAB)
Marine and Coastal Community Network	Marine and Coastal Community Network (MCCN)
Trees for Life	Trees for Life
Urban Forest Biodiversity Program	Urban Forest Biodiversity Program
Waterwatch SA	Waterwatch State Office Waterwatch: Broughton Wakefield Waterwatch: KESAB Patawalonga & Torrens Waterwatch: North Adelaide & Barossa Waterwatch: River Murray (Upper) Waterwatch: River Murray (Lower) Waterwatch: South East Onkaparinga Waterwatch Network

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