Organisation spokesperson Gene Hardy said the tour provided a great opportunity for people to find out more about some of the fantastic landcare achievements and see first-hand some of the confounding environmental problems in our catchment area.

Running since 2000, the annual tours have continued to be popular with the local community.

“Participants usually find the before and after photos and scenarios the most amazing part of the landcare tour,” said Gene.

“To see a site come back from being a barren, weed-infested nightmare to a healthy, lush natural system that supports an array of native animals is very encouraging. Good examples of this are Dugalup Brook in Dunsborough and the ‘Peppies for Possums’ revegetation project near the Busselton Yacht Club.”

The four and a half hour tour, which includes lunch in the Ludlow tuart forest, takes in three sites of interest.

The first stop, at Captain Baudin’s Reserve, examines the decline of peppermint trees. Coastal habitats officer at GeoCatch, John McKinney, said that they first noticed the decline in the native tree around 2007.

“There’s been a widespread dying back of mature peppermint trees in the Geographe Catchment. Around the Busselton CBD you can see widespread signs of advanced decline and even deaths in previously healthy mature peppermint trees,” he said.

“The decline is reducing the available habitat for native fauna, especially high-quality habitat for the threatened western ringtail possum which heavily relies on peppermint trees for food and shelter.”

The tour will then visit rehabilitation sites at recent mining operations in the South West before heading to the Sabina River catchment area where water quality will be discussed. This stop also features a presentation from Bob Hingston, from the Forest Products Commission, who explores new commercial timber tree species suitable for cultivation in the river vegetation zone.

The Geographe Catchment Landcare tour commences with morning tea at 10.30am at the St Mary’s church.

The tour bus leaves shortly after morning tea and will arrive back at the church at 3pm. While the tour is free of charge, reservations are essential. Please email geocatch@water.wa.gov or call 9781 0111 to book your spot before October 26.