By Callum Ludwig
The very first event celebrating the entirety of the Birrarung (Yarra River) is set to kick off next week with various activities and opportunities to learn about the crucial waterway.
The Birrarung Riverfest is being hosted by the Yarra Riverkeeper Association (YRA) from World Rivers’ Day on Monday 24 September all the way through to Sunday 22 October.
Yarra Riverkeeper Charlotte Sterrett said the event is something the YRA and very proud of and hope to be an annual celebration of the river.
“There will be 20 events starting up in the Don Valley below the reservoir, all the way down to Port Melbourne where the river meets the sea, three events are ticketed and the rest are all free,” she said.
“We’re really encouraging people of any age to come along as a way for communities to celebrate, connect and care for our beautiful river, the lifeblood of Melbourne.”
Close to home, the YRA is holding a Nature Discovery event beginning at Haining Farm from 10.30am to 12pm on Thursday 28 September while Melbourne Water is jumping in to host a platypus spotting session at Pound Bend in Warrandyte on Friday 6 October from 5pm to 7pm.
Acting Regional Coordinator of Interpretation, Information and Education at PArks Victoria Louise Buggy said Parks Victoria is thrilled to be part of the Inaugural Birrarung Riverfest.
“Haining Farm is a special site, with many fascinating creatures and features to be found once you begin exploring, activities like this one are a great way to learn how to appreciate and take care of our wonderful natural places,” she said.
“Getting into nature improves your physical, mental and social wellbeing. Spring is the perfect time to explore the outdoors, and to discover all that the Birrarung provides for both humans and the natural environment.”
The Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater (FOHH) group is also getting involved, holding a planting and information session at the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Area to teach attendees about the importance of floodplains for the critically endangered bird and others like the Leadbeater’s Possum.
FOHH President Virginia Wallace said she hopes the event is successful and goes on to be held regularly.
“We’re very happy to support and be involved with any efforts to encourage people to get engaged in their local habitat,” she said.
“Our waterways are really important for the health of the environment, not only up in Yellingbo, but also for the whole of Melbourne and Victoria so acknowledging what our waterways mean for us and for plants, animals and agriculture is very important.”
Prior to the start of the event, 100 children from around Yarra Glen participated in a puppet parade, filled with the animals that call the river and its surrounds home.
Ms Sterrett said we have taken the river for granted for a long time.
“We’re really wanting people to engage their head, heart and hands and be inspired to advocate for and care for the river and all her critters, it journeys 242 kilometres from source to sea, covers 4000 square kilometres, a third of Victoria’s population and a third of all of our animal species,” she said.
“The more awareness brought to the issues facing the river, from over-extraction of water to pollution and stormwater, from climate change to pests and weeds, the more people are educated on how to address those and the better the outcomes are for the river overall.”
Anyone interested in finding out more or booking their place at any of the events can do so at: www.yarrariver.org.au/riverfest/.
