The Friends of Mt. Hallowell-Kooryunderup and the Denmark Bird Group last month hosted a bird walk and launch of an official birds of Mt Hallowell-Kooryunderuup list.
This aims to help identify and count birds in the A-class environmental reserve.
About 30 environmentalists and bird enthusiasts from Denmark and Albany spent a Sunday morning observing habitats and identifying 18 of the many bird varieties that call Mt Hallowell home.
They also examined nuts that had been eaten by the endangered Carnaby, Baudin and forest redtail cockatoos.
Friends of Mt Hallowell convenor Steph Tchan said the data gathering was a first step in the Friends assisting with the updating of the Mt Hallowell management plan.
Steph said the Friends had been established for people who loved the special pocket of land where tall forests overlooked the sea.
Through discussions with the Shire they had understood how they could be important in gathering the much-needed environmental data in the area.
Kirsty Anderson from the Denmark Bird Group said the benefit of working with the Friends group was in supporting education and awareness of birds in the community.
The Mt Hallowell bird list will be available as a PDF so people can take it with them when they walk.
Steph said there was a global movement whereby the people, who inhabit and use environments, gathered data for policies and plans to care for the environment in the future.
For example, the King Island Friends group’s data had been recognised as scientifically accurate as ornithologists’.
The value of ‘citizen science’ was recognised and used by governments worldwide.
By activating those that inhabit and observe environmental regions most, the quality of data was stronger and more thorough, and timelines were fast tracked due to the ‘all hands on deck’ approach.
Decision makers had better data than ever before.
Denmark had environmentally conscious population and a Shire which recognised the value of groups such as Friends of Mt Hallowell-Kooryunderup and the Denmark Bird Group.
The last Mt Hallowell Management Plan was written in 2008.
With an increase in use of the trails, the Shire decided late last year that further environmental assessment was required before any new trails would be approved.
Steph said the Friends had been blown away by the membership and interest in Friend of Mt. Hallowell- Kooryunderup in fewer than two months.
“For the last 30 years I have walked the trails of Mt Hallowell with my daughter and now explore the paths and listen to the birds with my grandchildren,” she said.
“We have been overjoyed by such an interest in people signing up to join us on bird and tree walks and weeding activities on Mt. Hallowell.
“We will work to protect and celebrate such a globally-relevant biodiverse region.”
There will be short Wednesday afternoon bird walks and monthly Sunday bird walks using the newly launched bird list.
Follow Friends of Kooryunderup-Mt Hallowell on Facebook, check the Denmark Bird Group webpage https://www.denmarkbirdgroup.org/ Or check the My Community Events Calendar on the Denmark Shire website.
This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 1 June 2023.
