TWO BAYS 2011 - PROJECT SUMMARY

Port Phillip and Western Port support a range of highly important ecosystems and habitats, a diverse and range of animals and plants, and provide many environmental, social and economic benefits to Victorians.

The bays are also an important part of the cultural heritage for the Indigenous people around our bays, and continues to be focus for a wide range of cultural activities and endeavours.

The future health of our two bays depends on the way in which we use and manage our catchments, and risks to the marine environment posed by climate change.

Two Bays 2011 provides an opportunity for bay managers and stakeholders to build knowledge, engage coastal communities, form partnerships to better understand and protect bay values, and to highlight the our links with bay health.

WHAT: The Two Bays project utilises Pelican 1, a 62 foot catamaran, to conduct marine research, community engagement activities, and provide opportunities for dialogue and information sharing on key bay environmental themes. The Two Bays 2011 project has been successfully completed over the five previous summers and seeks to build on the outcomes achieved in these programs.

Specifically the Two Bays 2011 project will undertake: 

• A marine science program investigating the bays rich and diverse marine habitats, marine protected areas, shorebird populations, climate change, water quality and bay health
• An Indigenous program building links between traditional and contemporary knowledge 
  
• Community forums and events highlighting opportunities for working together to improve the health of our bays

WHERE: This project will occur in Victoria’s largest embayments, Port Phillip and Western Port, and along the linking coast.
Destinations planned for visits for Two Bays 2011 include Docklands, Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary, Martha Cove, Williamstown,  Queenscliff,  Hastings, Rhyll, and Geelong.

WHEN: The project is planned to take place in the between 15th and 30th January 2011 to provide maximum opportunities for public interaction and media profile.

HOW: The Two Bays 2011 Program will schedule a range of activities designed to:

• improve understanding of the bays’ natural and cultural values, and the threats to these values posed by poor water quality and climate change  
• engage local communities in collecting baseline data about the local marine biodiversity and  water quality through citizen science
• involve  agencies, local government, and communities in exploring and developing solutions to issues impacting bay health
• promote awareness of bay initiatives in local and state-wide media

WHO: The project is being delivered through a partnership between Pelican Expeditions and Parks Victoria with support from the Association of Bayside Municipalities. The project is supported by the Australian Governments Caring for Our Country Program. Key project partners for Two Bays 2011 also includes our diverse bay communities, and coastal and marine community organisations.

Opportunities for Project Partners: 

Two Bays 2011 will provide Project Partners with opportunities to:

• Undertake marine research and community engagement programs focussed around bay water quality, climate change, and marine protected areas. 
• Focus community attention on the high natural and cultural values of the bays including Indigenous values and Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries 
• Promote awareness of threats to the health of the bays while working with community members and partner organisations to examine solutions
• Promote the importance of water quality improvement plans to future bay health
• Improve community awareness of the link between catchment health and the health of Port Phillip and Western Port.
• Create exciting media opportunities to promote key messages for Project Partners
• Engage local and state politicians and agency staff through dialogue and interactions with communities on catchment and bay issues
• Build partnerships between agencies, local government, community organisations and bay residents that work to reduce risks to bay values

Opportunities for Coastal Communities:

 Two Bays 2011 will provide Coastal Communities with the opportunities to:

• Explore the values of the bays habitats and participate in research and monitoring programs to assess the bays health.
• Gain Indigenous perspectives of the Two Bays through shared dialogue and storytelling with Indigenous Elders and rangers
• Better understand water quality impacts on bay health and future plans to improve water quality
• Hear the Two Bays Story - an ongoing story created during the journey of the Pelican 1 through the different environments threading Indigenous stories as the background
• Establish new, or connect with existing, bay community groups to share information and ideas. 
• Gain access to information and data collected through the project, as well as existing materials, for use by schools and community groups
• Celebrate bay environments and iconic bay species such as  Weedy Seadragons, Seagrass, Seabirds, and Dolphins