Climate Watch Bushland Trail

Are you concerned about Climate Change? Do you want to do your bit to preserve our natural environment for generations to come?  If so, join the ClimateWatch team – a community made up of ordinary people, who together, can make a real difference to the future of our planet.

The Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified the need for the collection of long-term data on the timing of natural events (the study of phenology) if we are to understand, predict and mitigate against the effects of climate change on biodiversity.  ClimateWatch is a citizen science group mainly involved in gathering this data.  There are several indicator species ClimateWatch keeps track of; this includes birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects and several forms of marine life.  You can assist in the collection of this data by becoming a FOKP ClimateWatcher here at Kings Park.  As a volunteer you can gather data at any time in regards to their behaviour and it’s timing, and submit it to the ClimateWatch database where it contributes to a nationwide study.

FOKP ClimateWatch volunteers follow 4 trails in Kings Park, recording the timing of certain life cycle events, such as the first flower of spring or the first leaf to fall in autumn.  Recording the timing of these events will allow us to predict their vulnerability and track the rate of climate change. The work conducted by the ClimateWatch group will be critical when it comes to successfully managing ecosystems in the future.

Your participation would contribute not only to the national database that records information on seasonal changes of various species (introduced and endemic), but you can also make a contribution to our own database on local native plant species by following the Bushland Trail.

For more information or to get involved in the Climate Watch volunteer group, contact the Climate Watch Coordinators Serene and Paul through the Friends office or visit the Climate Watch website at www.climatewatch.org.au or download the ClimateWatch App.  The App is available for both iPhone and android devices.

Below are recording sheets and information resources about the plants we monitor in Kings Park.

Kings Park Trail Map Recording Sheet

Bushland Trail Field Guide

Bushland recording sheet with MAP

ClimatWatch Teen Booklet