 69
Horley RoadBeckenham WA 6107 
9458 5664 Fax 9458 5661  Click
here to email us
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Friends of Forrestdale
The Friends group maintains an interest in all bushland areas within Forrestdale including Bush Forever sites 253, 262, 342, 344 and 345. This area is larger than Kings Park but has no full-time employees. These areas include wetlands, banksia woodland and heathland and are habitat for thousands of birds, bandicoots and frogs. The group’s activities aim to conserve their values, rehabilitate degraded bushland and wetland areas, and ensure that their management is adequately resourced. On-ground works include: fence maintenance; weed surveys and eradication; bush regeneration; bird surveys; collecting water depth data; and picking up rubbish. They consider rehabilitating bushland around Forrestdale Lake as one of their most successful on-ground activities because it is a growing contribution to the area, and brings back wildlife such as bandicoots. The Friends group includes people with a wide range of complementary skills in data gathering, hands-on activities, knowledge of flora and fauna, researching and writing. They completed a book of oral (cultural) and natural history of the Forrestdale Lake and surrounds. The book not only publishes and preserves memories and recollections of present and former residents of Forrestdale, but also aims to promote a sense of ownership, belonging, and place amongst current residents. The book will be published in December 2006. Why be part of a friends group?
Outer city sanctuary
It was gazetted as an A-class Nature Reserve in 1957 for the Conservation of Flora and Fauna, and valued for recreation (particularly sailing). Today the reserve is recognized as one of the most important conservation areas in southwestern Australia. Forrestdale Lake together with Thomsons Lake were designated Ramsar wetlands in 1990. The two lakes constitute a major breeding, migration stop-over and semi-permanent drought refuge area for waterbirds. Seventy species of waterbird occur at both Forrestdale and Thomsons Lakes with 21 of them breeding. More than 20 000 water birds have been recorded on Forrestdale Lake (22 196 in January 1986).
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The
Friends of Forrestdale is a community group of 12 members dedicated
to conserving Forrestdale Lake Nature Reserve and adjoining reserves.
The group was launched in April 1990 following a recommendation
in the Forrestdale Lake Nature Reserve Management Plan (1987). Since
this time, the group has played an active and valued role in the
planning and management of the reserve and surrounding bushland
areas.
