LEARNING ACTIVITY
Catchment management: where the river meets the sea
Climate Region: Arid | Temperate | Tropical
State or Territory: ACT | All States/Territories | NSW | NT | QLD | SA | TAS | VIC | WA
Age Range: 13-18

STORY

Amir could not believe it when Mick told their volunteer group that in Australia, over 200 species of marine animals are impacted by marine debris, either by ingestion or entanglement. He told them that our actions affect our environment.

Amir and his friends decided that they would approach their school principal to discuss ways they could raise awareness of this topic within their school community. While most people would know not to throw things down our drain, reminders are always helpful and perhaps they can encourage more families to volunteer their time with the local Coastcare group on Sunday mornings.

ACTIVITY OVERVIEW

Eighty-five percent of Australians live within 50km of the coast. This activity looks at the waste that washes downstream in our catchments, the impacts it has on our estuaries, wetlands and coastal areas where the rivers meets the sea.

This learning activity is the final part of a sequence of 5 individual learning activities focused on catchment management. The order of these learning activities are: the story of a river, water sustainability, what’s in a drop?, the drain is just for rain and where the river meets the sea.

Outcomes

For students to:

  • understand the different journey water takes through a catchment
  • learn how waste can enter the waterways
  • discover the impacts of waste on estuaries, wetlands and the coastal habitats
  • appreciate that what happens on land can impact our rivers and oceans.
SEASONAL NOTES

This activity can be undertaken at any time of year.

Did you know?

In Australia 90% of the population lives in less than 1% of the country’s land area, and 85% are living within 50km of the coast.

Did you know?

Wetlands are areas of land where water covers the soil – all year, or just at certain times of the year (these are known as ephemeral wetlands).

Did you know?

Wetlands help trap pollution and stop it getting into the waterways and marine environments.

Did you know?

Detergent in our waterways can make it easier for aquatic life to absorb any pollution in the water.

We value your feedback

When you have finished this learning activity, please tell us what you think with our survey.
Your feedback will help Landcare Australia improve the activities in the Junior Landcare Learning Centre.

Why not try one of our other Junior Landcare learning activities?

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Biodiversity|First Nations Perspectives|Food Production|Waste Management

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Caring for our coasts: beach clean-up

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Waterways: clean-up

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