EcoProjects

WOW Wilderness EcoProjects

WOW Wilderness has developed an ecotourism model that contributes actively to the enhancement of natural and cultural heritage, which includes contributing to the well-being of local and indigenous communities in its planning, development and operation. WOW Wilderness interprets the natural and cultural resources of the Walpole Wilderness to its visitors.

The model incorporates a number of EcoProjects that allows the WOW Team to invest much of its time, funds and energy back into the environment, community and globe to achieve its objectives. These projects are divided into three core areas using ECO as a symbolic acronym:

E – Projects enhancing environment values
C – Projects investing into the community
O – Projects with a global perspective.
Below is a summary of some of WOW's current EcoProjects:   PROJECT DIEBACK   WOW Wilderness has joined the Project Dieback Team, a Natural Resource Management initiative raising awareness and protecting WA's most valued natural areas from the biggest killer to biodiversity in SW Australia – the introduced soil borne pathogenic predator - Phytophthora Dieback.   WOW has helped develop a State Communications Strategy, designed a number of communication tools and facilitated the creation of a State Standard Dieback Signage System. The WOW team is currently designing a portable wash down facility for vehicles.   See www.dieback.net.au.    WALPOLE WILDERNESS FIRE RESEARCH PROJECT   The WOW Wilderness team initiated a community based Fire Research Project to understand the impact of fire on biodiversity in the Walpole Wilderness Area.  The project brings together Walpole-Nornalup community volunteers, Walpole-Nornalup Park Association, Department of Environment and Conservation personnel, scientists and students to establish a comprehensive collection of undescribed local arthropod species, allowing the fire tolerances of them to be determined following a major wildfire. This ground breaking research found several new species and initiated a new system to measure biodiversity that has the potential to impact the way humans manage biodiversity around the world.   See www.walpolewilderness.com     UR WALPOLE ECOEDUCATION PROGRAMME   The WOW Wilderness team coordinate UR Walpole, an award-winning curriculum based education programme unifying community, teachers and students in EcoEducation.   The programme, in which students as community citizens foster a culture of stewardship for the local region, was integral in Walpole becoming the most Sustainable Community in WA in 2008 and helped Walpole win the national award for Protection of the Environment.  UR Walpole involves the community taking active roles in the education of students, integrating the core learning areas of Science, Technology and Enterprise, Society and Environment and the Arts.   UR WALPOLE comes from the focus words Nature, Culture and Future – linking the students with the natural environment, cultural heritage and future of the community. The programme comprises a series of sequential activities with the community providing students with the opportunity to explore the core learning areas through real life experiences.   Themes included “Waterways of Walpole”, “Bugs ‘N Us” and “Our Place in Space”. 2007’s theme was “Invaders” – understanding and exploring the invasive species of Australia. The last two years’ theme was “Going Wild” utilising regional resources in our lives. Students designed a Future Farm and School by sustainably using our natural resources, including solar, wind, water and native bush products.   UR Walpole has now become a future model for other communities.