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WelcomeThe Cattana Wetlands are a magnificent 80 hectare recreation site opened in 2009. They were constructed from sand mining pits, with finance through a Q150 grant from the Queensland Government, which was matched by the Cairns Regional Council. This Cattana Wetlands Project website is an educational resource for the Cairns community. Educators can show videos of interviews with local experts as ‘virtual’ guest speakers. Then use interview transcripts as a learning resource, print informative fact sheets, and incorporate these into learning activities built around a visit to Cattana. The Project Manager, Dr Ruth Hickey, is an educator at James Cook University. Students from the JCU Graduate Diploma of Education class of 2009 interviewed local experts about the values and threats to wetlands, prepared materials for the site, and conducted community awareness raising events in schools, residents’ meetings, community markets and conservation groups. This website project was funded by the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative. Cairns Regional Council and Terrain NRM were project partners. Questions and comments about the project should be directed to Ruth.Hickey@jcu.edu.au
Overview of Topics and Year LevelsSelect relevant topics that are suitable for your class year level. For each topic, choose from the virtual expert interview, fact sheets, unit plans and activities to match your allocated time, curriculum and student interests. Integrate these with a field trip to the Cattana Wetlands.
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CatchmentsMeet Mary Rowlands, an Education Officer for the Waterwise Schools Program with the Dept. of Natural Resources and Water. Go on a virtual tour of Cattana with Russell Wild, the Coordinator for Natural Areas Management for the Cairns Regional Council. Find out about desirable locals with Michele Dale, a plant biologist with Terrain NRM. To find out about the revegetation project at Cattana, meet Terry Genever, a Land Management Officer with the CRC. For some ideas on pollution and water quality, listen to Tania Cobham, an environmental engineer. |
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Plants and AnimalsMeet John Seale, who can get you started in bird watching at Cattana. Find out about butterflies from Anja Bakker, the manager of the Kuranda Butterfly Sanctuary. Become a CSI detective with John Winter and identify mammal species at Cattana. Worried about mosquitoes? Then invite Petrina Johnson to explain the differences between those that do, and those that don’t carry dengue. Find out how to build your own frog pond, with a virtual tour of Hilary Whitehouse’s efforts for frog conservation. Meet a group of JCU students who can get you started in who-eats-who, with some fascinating facts about dragonflies as predators. |
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People and PlacesMeet Andrew Wood an agronomist and find out about his work in the sugar industry and water quality. Moni Carlise explains the power of people in management of our natural resources, and the interdependence between people and the wetlands environment. George Skeene, a Cairns author and elder of the Yirriganydji people helps you learn about bush tucker and traditional medicines. Want to understand about the biodiversity, and complex food chains within the Cattana ecosystem? Then invite Elaine Harding as a ‘virtual’ guest expert. |
