and Friends of North Ocean Reef. February 12, 2023

Following a successful pairing last year for a Young Nats Snorkel and Beach Discovery Morning, the Friends of North Ocean Reef – Iluka Foreshore again invited the NSB to participate in its Free Family Discovery Morning, where the emphasis this time was on the biodiversity of the Iluka Foreshore and adjacent Marmion Marine Park.

A small park with plenty of shade provided a picturesque setting for the displays and talks, while the beach and footpaths through the dunes provided ideal locations for the two beach walks, the two bird walks and the two biodiversity and bushtucker walks.

An estimated 400 people, with the majority being young families, attended during the morning, with the reptiles provided by Tessa’s Reptile Services being the standout judging by the lineup of children wanting to hold a bobtail or have a python wrapped around their neck!

Other stands included Biodiversity Educator Angela Rossen (NSB Speaker March 2022), who drew many children in with her iScopes, David Knowles from Spineless Wonders (Guest presenter at 2016 ANN), who displayed posters of some of the 550 macroinvertebrates he found in the foreshore reserve, Monique Barker (NSB Speaker Oct 2022), who talked about the proposed extension of the Marmion Marine Park and the City of Joondalup gave away native plant seedlings.

As its contribution, the Naturalists Club ran the beach walks and specimen identification. Children and their parents took a great interest in our specimens on display. These were partly from Don’s and Mike’s collections and partly from what we found on the beach that day. On the walks, the beach initially seemed empty, but how much interest we found to collect and talk about was surprising. Even the rocks had something to tell. And something as simple as finding the opercula (doors) of the two species of Turban Shells caused interest, as many people didn’t know what they were or that seashells had doors!

Don Poynton and Mike Gregson