Myall Stars As A Water Wonderland
Newcastle Herald
Monday February 2, 2004
THE Myall Lakes National Park is a renowned haven for fishing, boating, camping and other leisure activities.
But according to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, most people are unaware that the area is one of few in the state recognised as an internationally significant wetland.
The lakes, along with similar ecosystems across the globe, will be under the spotlight today for World Wetlands Day, an annual event created to build awareness of an often neglected part of nature.
Wildlife service Great Lakes area manager Stephen Smith said: ``A lot of people have probably looked at Myall Lakes National Park as a great place to go boating but's it's also got an amazing diversity of plants and animals that rely on the area for their survival."
Almost 1000 species of plants and 350 animal species, including 280 bird varieties, call the park home.
The area supports more than 20,000 migratory water birds.
The Wetlands Centre at Shortland celebrated Wetlands Day a day early yesterday, hosting canoe tours, bird and animal watching sessions and a range of eco-workshops.
Project officer Kylie Yeend said about 450 people visited the centre throughout the day.
The Federal Government will recognise the importance of Australia's wetlands today with a $350,000 grant for research and management.
© 2004 Newcastle Herald