Raft Count – Breakwater Team
8 December @ 8:15 pm - 9:45 pm
Join us in counting little penguins in St Kilda and learn from dedicated volunteers all about the colony! As a citizen scientist, you’ll join one of two dedicated teams – each made up of five citizen scientists and one team leader. You will help manually count the number of penguins in each raft (group of penguins in the water) as they return home. This non-intrusive study is designed to collect valuable data on penguin arrival patterns and population trends over time. Your observations will directly contribute to protecting and understanding the Little Penguin colony in St Kilda.
What’s Involved:
- Be part of a team of citizen scientists observing penguins from the St Kilda Breakwater and St Kilda Marina
- Manually count penguin rafts as the penguins return home from feeding at sea
- Help collect long-term data on penguin arrival patterns and population trends
- Contribute to the conservation of Melbourne’s unique Little Penguin colony
- Get the chance to see and learn about a unique colony of Little Penguins
Program details:
- Duration: Approximately 2 hours
- When: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings
- Start Time: Begins 15 minutes before sunset (exact time varies with the season)
- Where: St Kilda Breakwater
- What to bring: warm clothes, water, binoculars (if you have them).
Site details:
Location: End of the St Kilda Breakwater
- The breakwater is an uneven surface, so sturdy, closed toe shoes are essential
- One of the highlights of this location is that, after the counts are done, you’ll walk back through the breakwater colony, experiencing the penguins up-close as they return to their burrows.
Requirements:
- No experience needed
- Must be aged 8 years or older (participants under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult)
- Working with Children’s check (if over the age of 18)
- To join this team you will need to create a Park Connect account and register for the relevant activity
Registrations open 17th November 5pm
Registrations through Earthcare St Kilda and Park Connect are ESSENTIAL.
If you have any questions please contact tia@earthcarestkilda.org.au