Beachkeepers of the Bay
What is the project?
The origins of the Beachkeepers of the Bay was established by the Port Phillip EcoCentre at the end of the pandemic lockdowns in 2021. The programming was designed to engage locals in on-ground coastal protection and monitoring activities at St Kilda West Beach, Elwood Foreshore, Middle Park and Port Melbourne beaches. Activities including coastal weeding and revegetation, shoreline shell surveys, beach microplastics audits and beach erosion surveys drew extremely strong volunteer participation.
Beachkeepers of the Bay is an expanded program geographically, adding coastal areas of the City of Port Phillip and beyond including, Bayside, Frankston and Hobsons Bay councils including beaches at Altona, Port Melbourne, St Kilda, Sandringham, Carrum and Frankston.
Project Aims
Aims to increase awareness of the Bay’s values
- On-ground biodiversity management activities foster stewardship of the Bay in local coastal communities from Altona to Frankston via our unique coastal citizen science work including biodiversity surveys, litter audits, shell and mollusc surveys, dune vegetation profiling, weeding and planting. These activities highlight key elements of the ecosystem, their importance, and relevant conservation actions.
Conserves and restores the Bay’s habitat and marine life
- 35 on-ground Beachkeeper events will be delivered across two years, prioritising litter and weed removal, planting, citizen science data collection and habitat monitoring for a thriving Bay and coastal environment. Relevant data and learnings will be shared with land managers and community volunteer groups to underpin future/ongoing conservation activities. Events take place across the foreshore and nature reserves of Altona, Port Melbourne, St Kilda, Sandringham, Carrum and Frankston.
Focuses on engaging the urban community to undertake on-ground environmental activities
- The EcoCentre provides free activities with a warm, fun and professional approach by highly-trained staff in a structured series of activities in each location. Our aim is for participants to strengthen connections to community baycare groups.
Encourages partnerships across a range of stakeholders, including Traditional Owners/Custodians
- The project builds ongoing cross-sectoral collaborations with local environmental and community groups from Altona to Frankston, including Cultural Educators (www.biikbundjil.com), and with various levels of government, building alignment and understanding of complementary contributing roles for Bay health. These partnerships will be a foundation to both promote our activities and also to ultimately encourage participants to continue as environmental volunteers in local groups.
Get involved
To become a Beachkeeper of the Bay, subscribe to our newsletter in the website footer, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and check our events page to see when the next happening is taking place.
This project is proudly supported by the Victorian Government through the Port Phillip Bay Fund.
