Volunteers of the Month

In this section of EstuaryWatch News we celebrate our dedicated volunteers. 

 

Volunteers: Michael and Dawn Gibbons

EstuaryWatch Group:  Spring Creek EstuaryWatch.

What excites you the most about EstuaryWatch?
Learning all the things about EstuaryWatch and what is involved, it is an exciting challenge.

 

What is one of your most memorable EstuaryWatch monitoring events?
When we first saw the mouth of the estuary open, we were aware it was starting to open so we would purposely walk the dog to see it open naturally.

 

Have you seen any notable changes in your estuary over the time you have been monitoring?
We haven’t noticed much of a change other than the change in the water quality when the new footbridge was being erected as the water became very dirty.

 

What advice would you give to a new EstuaryWatch volunteer starting out?
Our advice would be to start off gradually and don’t try to take all the monitoring on at once, just take it one step at a time as there is a lot to learn.

 

If you could describe EstuaryWatch in 5 words or less, what would it be?
Very enjoyable, it helps you to feel good about yourself knowing that you are doing something to help, and seeing the different changes in the estuary.

 

How would you describe your local estuary?
Spring Creek estuary is not very big but we love the trees and the fishing platforms. It is a beautiful place to walk and it is healthy.

 

Did you grow up along the coast?
We are originally from Warrnambool but have lived in Torquay for the last 25 years.

 

What role has your local estuary taken in your life?
It has made us more aware of the estuary, we were oblivious to the fact that people collected data and how it was used.

 

What do you do when you are not EstuaryWatching?
We both enjoy the outdoors, bush walking and Pilates. Michael enjoys fishing and swimming.

 

What do you wish other people knew about EstuaryWatch?
We wish people were more aware of the estuaries and understood the significance of the opening and closing of the estuary and showed more interest in how they work.

 

Thanks Michael and Dawn.  Keep up the great work!