Community Involvement Days 2012

Community Involvement Days encourage members of the local community and Darwin area to actively take part in small projects at the Territory Wildlife Park.

January

Sunday 15, 9am-12pm Rocky Ridge and Botanical Activity Centre

• Join us on a working bee to build a new training yard for the park’s unique Black Wallaroo.
• Get your hands dirty at the Botanical Activity Centre potting up cuttings and propagating plants for a revegetation project at the Dingo exhibit that will take place later in the year and get involved in the weeding, pruning and fertilising routine for the plant nursery.

Sunday 29, 9am-12pm Aquarium and Camp Calytrix

• See what happens behind the scenes to maintain our beautiful planted aquariums. We are upgrading and revamping our aquatic plant nursery to bring it back on line. First a big clean up of the area – then don’t miss the next activity to learn how to set up an aquatic nursery.
• Then get down and digging for a tree planting project to spruce up our Camp Calytrix grounds and surrounds ready for the start of school camps and tree planting around the new Aquarium pathways.

February

Sunday 12, 9am-12pm Aquarium and Oolloo Sandbar

• Gain an insight into what is involved in creating a planted aquarium. Come down to give our keepers a hand with re-establishing the aquatic plant nursery. Learn how to set up the ponds and establish new plants.
• Check out our new school of Archerfish now living at Oolloo Sandbar and get involved in a revegetation project at the Oolloo Sandbar.

Sunday 26, 9am-12pm Vet Centre and Endangered Species Conservation Unit

• Join us for a spot of weeding in the Woodland Walk exhibit working amongst the Wallaroos.
• A working bee in the Vet Centre holding yards, weeding, pruning, and general tidy up of the area as well as a refresh and preparation of the quoll breeding facility ready for the start of the next seasons breeding program. A chance to meet some of the critters that are currently not on display in the Park.

March

Sunday 11, 9am-12pm Monsoon Forest and Botanical Activity Centre

• Come down for a spot of birdwatching while tree planting and mulching in the Walk-through Aviary at the Monsoon Forest you’ll be helping us to improve the living quarters of our feathered friends.
• Followed by more plant propagation at the Botanical Activity Centre for future revegetation projects.

Sunday 25, 9am-12pm Flight Deck, Woollybutts and Dingoes

• Re-mulching, weeding and pruning the gardens around the Flight Deck arena. We’ll then take a short walk down to the Woollybutts Function area to do some more of the same in the Bushtucker garden.
• Weeding, pruning and general landscaping in the dingo exhibit, clearing the moat of weeds and planting out propagated plants to extend this habitat to the front of the enclosure and create a beautiful retreat for our furry friends.
• Join us for a combination of re-mulching, weeding, fertilising and pruning the gardens and display areas at the Flight Deck, Bushtucker Garden and Dingoes. Enriching the lives and homes of our star performers.

April

Sunday 15, 9am-12pm Monsoon Forest and Walk-through Aviary

• Collecting leaf litter and mulching in the main Walk-through aviary and a couple of the smaller exhibit aviaries followed by weeding and a treasure hunt for rubbish through the Monsoon Forest.

Sunday 29, 9am-12pm CSIRO Fire research plots / Botanical Activity Centre

• Learn a bit about the research that is being carried out at the Park by CSIRO. Meet some of the scientists working on the fireplots and give them a hand with removing weeds from the study areas. Here’s an opportunity to talk to experts who are researching the impacts of fire on Top End landscapes and the effect that it has on the flora and fauna of this region.

Alternative:

• If the CSIRO scientists are not available then spend the day at the Botanical Activity Centre to propagate plants for a bird attracting garden project that will take place later in the year.

May

Sunday 13, 9am-12pm CSIRO Fire research plots / Aquatic Plant Nursery and Billabong

• Learn a bit about the research that is being carried out at the Park by CSIRO. Meet some of the scientists working on the fireplots and give them a hand with removing weeds from the study areas. Here’s an opportunity to talk to experts who are researching the impacts of fire on Top End landscapes and the effect that it has on the flora and fauna of this region.

Alternative:

• If the CSIRO scientists are not available then spend the day at the Aquatic plant nursery and Billabong, cleaning up the Pelicans island, removing aquatic vegetation, clearing the overflow and pruning trees. Be prepared to get slightly wet, but that’s cool.

Sunday 27, 9am-12pm Grass identification and collection Woodland

• Collecting and identifying grass and Acacia seeds for future propagation and revegetation projects around the park. This is a great opportunity to learn how to identify the native grasses and many Acacia species that are native to this region. Discover the secrets to successful seed collection and storage.

June

Sunday 24, 9am-12pm Bird and Butterfly Garden Main station

• Help us create a bird and butterfly friendly garden in the picnic grounds at the Main station. Learn about some of the native plant species that are a food source for our native birds and butterflies. Take home some tips on how to effectively bird and butterfly-scape your backyard.

August

Sunday 12, 9am-12pm Vet Centre and Botanical Activity Centre

• Time to spring clean and carry out some general maintenance in our Vet Centre yards, repairing enclosures, weeding, pruning and fertilising. Feeling strong? Help us re-build one of the holding yard fences too….
• Some time also spent propagating and maintaining display plants that are used for our educational display program.

Sunday 26, 9am-12pm Seed collection and propagation day Woodland

• It’s the time of year when many of our native woodland plants are seeding. That means seed collection and propagation time to build up plant stocks for ongoing revegetation projects throughout the park. We will also be collecting seed material for future animal enrichment projects.

September

Sunday 16, 9am-12pm Animal Enrichment toys Botanical Activity Centre

• Using seeds, pods and other plant material join in and help build some animal enrichment toys for our Cockatoos and other animals. How creative are you? Can you design and build something more challenging and enticing for our feathered friends from the Flight Deck?

Sunday 30, 9am-12pm Billabong

• Join a working bee at the Billabong to improve our Pelicans home. We’ll be clearing overflow drains, weeding the island, pruning and tree planting.
• We’ll also be propagating seeds for future revegetation projects.

October

Sunday 14, 9am-12pm Flight Deck and Dingoes

• Join us for a combination of re-mulching, weeding, fertilising and pruning the gardens and display areas at the Flight Deck, Bushtucker Garden and Dingoes. Enriching the lives and homes of our star performers.

Sunday 28, 9am-12pm Monsoon Forest and Walk

• Walk-through Aviary and small exhibit aviaries will need another re-mulch and spruce up - a great opportunity to check out our beautiful feathered friends again.
• We’ll hit the Monsoon Forest as well to collect native fruit to give the birds a taste of the wild and we will remove as many weeds as possible to stop them spreading further once the wet season rains arrive.

November

Sunday 11, 9am-12pm Rocky ridge

• Weedbusting at the Rocky Ridge so that our Black Wallaroo’s home can be weed free. We will give you some lessons on weed identification and weed control. We may even have a weeds expert on hand that you can quiz about weeds.

Sunday 25, 9am-12pm Aquatic Plant Nursery and Camp Calytrix and Dingoes

• Come down to the Aquarium to give our keepers a hand with the aquatic plant nursery and see what happens behind the scenes to maintain our beautiful planted aquariums.
• Also give the gardens around the aquarium and Camp Calytrix a feed of fertiliser and tidy up with some pruning and trimming. Slip over to the Dingo exhibit as well to carry out a bit of a spruce up both in and outside the exhibit.

December

Sunday 9, 9am-12pm Botanical Activity Centre

• Get your hands dirty at the Botanical Activity Centre potting up cuttings and propagating plants for a revegetation projects in 2013 and get involved in the weeding, pruning and fertilising routine for the plant nursery.
• Time to spring clean and carry out some general maintenance in our Vet Centre yards, repairing enclosures, weeding, pruning and fertilising.

Important Information

Territory Wildlife Park Community Involvement Day activities are suitable for persons 8 years and older. Children under the age of 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.

Essential items to bring:
-Covered shoes
-Hat

We encourage you to bring:
-Sunscreen
-Water bottle
-Gloves
-Long sleeved shirt
-Insect repellent

Territory Wildlife Park will provide:
-Sunscreen
-Cold water
-First Aid kit(s)
-Gloves
-Tools or equipment necessary for activities

To attend a Community Involvement Day, please contact :

Sarah Hirst
Biodiversity Liaison Officer
Territory Wildlife park
Ph:  8988 7200
or email sarah.hirst@nt.gov.au

 The Territory Wildlife Park is a Smoke Free environment.