Earthcare St Kilda News

Port Phillip Cup Raises Over $800

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:41:21 -0600

Port Phillip Cup Event Raises over $800

Each year, on Australia Day, Kite Republic and Stand Up Paddle Boards St Kilda hold the Port Phillip Cup Kite Boarding and SUP championships at St Kilda Beach; a great day of music, sun, and red hot competition featuring some of the best kite boarding and SUP talent in Australia.

Earthcare St Kilda volunteers cleaned the beach prior to the commencement of the day's events, registered competitors, helped with the SUP board events, and manned the barbaque.

Proceeds from registration and the barbaque raised in excess of $800.00 for Earthcare St Kilda.

We would like to congratulate all competitors, Kite Republic and Stand Up Paddle Boards St Kilda for a brilliant day of action on the beach, and for their continued support of Earthcare St Kilda.

Bendigo Bank grant for penguin research

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:43:43 -0600

Earthcare St Kilda gratefully acknowledges the generous contribution made by Bendigo Bank to penguin research in 2011. This contribution was made through the Elwood Community Grants program for the purpose of purchasing microchips.

Microchips cost approximately ten dollars each and as we use several hundred of them every year to identify new penguin chicks and adults we have not previously encountered. This proves to be very expensive for a small community organisation.

The monitoring of the St Kilda breakwater penguin colony benefits the penguins, as it enables researchers to keep records tracking the health of individuals and the colony, and to lobby for its further protection.

Earthcare volunteer researchers benefit, as they engage in a meaningful, healthy activity in the local community. The wider community also benefits as the health of the penguin colony is closely connected to the health of Port Phillip Bay, which is such an important part of life in Melbourne.

The Northern Pacific Seastars are Back!

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Although the weather was gloriously sunny on the first Northern Pacific Seastar collection of the year, wind and waves meant the St Kilda harbour water was very murky, making it hard to see the bottom, never mind what might be on it!

Despite this, our volunteer group of waders, snorkellers and divers managed to bring up more than 24 kilos of Northern Pacific seastars from the water near the pier kiosk.

This represents over 2,580 invasive marine animals who will not be competing for food with the local fauna or spawning this winter.