Summer Highlights with Possum Pete

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6 February 2023

Another amazing January of activities has come and gone! The Education team has had one of their busiest Summers to date, engaging with over 1,200 campers across our eight associated campgrounds and caravan parks along the Great Ocean Road.

Unlike previous years we weren’t washed, boiled, or smoked out of any sessions. In fact, the weather was perfect for people to join us in the tremendous coastal outdoors. Be it on a nature walk checking out the local bush tucker, exploring local reefs on a guided rockpool ramble, getting up close with amazing beach treasures during presentations or taking part in nature craft mandalas and collages. There was plenty on offer for all!

It is so enjoyable for me to welcome families to the coast for their summer holidays, and an honour when they take a moment from their holiday to explore the fantastic coastal environments with us. There are always interesting things to find and learn about, and the opportunity to share our passion for caring for our coast is always rewarding. The rain this year has also meant the coastal vegetation is booking, with seaberries creating their unique dye-making for some fun hand-painting opportunities (see pics), and the bearded heath is extra sweet and tangy.

Travelling to the central zone each week with my fellow Education Coordinator Mel was a fun journey – some of our best sessions were team-taught, taking turns to share our knowledge and experience with the groups we lead. The rockpools at Marengo are full of lie, from young abalone to seastars, anemones, a variety of seaweeds and thousands of by-the-wind-sailor.

We were also lucky to happen across a research team about to fly a drone over the Marengo Reefs Marine Sanctuary to survey the local seal colony who live there. They were looking at whether thermal imaging could help determine if seals were entangled in fishing lines. This has the potential to help out any animals that are in distress and need life-saving care.  To find out more about this project and how you can get involved, see this link SealSpotter Citizen Science Portal.

Finally, I’ve been called many things over the years, but the pre-school boy who kept calling me “teacher, teacher” was very adorable, as was the cheeky girl who insisted on calling me “possum-head”. Another summer of fond memories, this time even more special as I head off for 6-month long service leave. I look forward to catching up with teachers and their students when I return in August. Until then, have a great year!

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