Upper Murrumbidgee Recovery Reach
Native Fish Showcase Webinar Series
2023 Showcase Recordings now available below
Dive into three highly informative webinar recordings and hear from experts involved in recovering our native fish and other species in the Upper Murrumbidgee River.
Webinar 1
Upper Murrumbidgee River Discovery Tour
Speaker: Antia Brademann (Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach)
This presentation will take you on a journey of discovery along the upper Murrumbidgee River. Antia will talk about the work being undertaken by landholders, researchers and community to get the river on the road to recovery so that native fish like the Macquarie perch can thrive.
Information links:
- Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach Facebook page: Like our page to keep up to date with UMDR activities and upcoming events.
- Finterest: Finterest is your go to place for all native fish information and the Upper Murrumbidgee Recovery Reach project.
- The Forgotten River: Find out more about water flow issues in the upper Murrumbidgee River and how you can help raise awareness on this issue.
- Rivers of Carbon: RoC is the UMDR’s preferred river restoration partner. Find out about the great river restoration projects in the upper Murrumbidgee which are helping to improve the health of our river.
- Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch: UWW is a key partner of the UMDR. The fantastic team of waterwatch staff and volunteers in our catchment monitor water quality, macroinvertebrates (waterbugs), riparian health and platypus and this data supports river programs and projects. UWW also publishes an annual Catchment Health report (the CHIP report).
- Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment Network: The UMCN is is a strong and diverse community-based network of individuals and representatives from agencies and groups taking a coordinated approach to creating quality natural resource management outcomes for the Upper Murrumbidgee Catchment. Head to the UMCN website for recordings of webinars and forums including UMDR erosion projects helping to reduce sedimentation in the upper Murrumbidgee post bushfire.
Webinar 2
Caring for Platypus and Rakali
Speaker: Geoff Williams (Australian Platypus Conservancy)
Geoff will talk about the biology and key conservation requirements of these two fascinating species, and how work to improve environmental conditions in the upper Murrumbidgee River and its tributaries can help create habitat for these aquatic mammals to prosper. Geoff will also provide us with some tips about how to spot these often elusive mammals in the wild, as well as explaining how you can be involved in keeping track of local rakali and platypus numbers.
Information links:
- Australian platypus Conservancy: The APC is Australia’s leading organisation for platypus and Rakali. Australia wide sightings can be reported on the website.
- Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch Platypus Survey program: Find out more about UWW’s Platypus Month program (August) where community volunteers can assist to survey for platypus in the ACT and region.
- Platy and ratty portal: Portal for recording platypus and Rakali sightings in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment.
- Australian Platypus Monitoring Network: The APMN recruits volunteers to adopt a site and monitor for platypus and Rakali on a weekly basis which helps to contribute to gathering important data on the species.
Webinar 3
Post-fire recovery of the Mountain Galaxias
Speaker: Isobel Booksmythe (ACT Government)
Mountain galaxias (Galaxias olidus) have been monitored in the Upper Naas River catchment pre and post the devastating Orroral Valley fires of 2020. Annual autumn monitoring with bait traps has found fewer fish classed as young-of year ( < 50mm total length) post-wildfire, compared to pre-wildfire and non-fire impacted sites. This presentation will discuss what these results mean for the Mountain galaxias in the upper Murrumbidgee, and outline future research priorities as well as efforts to incorporate a citizen science component to the monitoring program.
Information links:
- Stocky Galaxias webinar: Find out about the ‘Saving Stocky’ project which is assisting to safeguard the critically endangered Stocky Galaxias (a cousin of the more widespread Mountain Galaxias) which lives only in the upper Murrumbidgee catchment.
- Saving Stocky video on Youtube
This webinar series was held as part of The Native Fish Recovery Strategy, which is funded through the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and supporting communities across Australia to bring back our native fish. The Upper Murrumbidgee Recovery Reach is one of these communities, working hard to raise awareness and share knowledge about our amazing native fish.
Acknowledgement of funding
This project was funded by the Native Fish Recovery Strategy.
The Native Fish Recovery Strategy is funded under the joint programs and coordinated by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority.
The joint programs promote and coordinate effective planning, management and sharing of the water and other natural resources of the Murray-Darling Basin.