An exciting all day Swamp Conference and fieldtrip in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of the foundation of Swampcare and the listing of Blue Mountains Swamps under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act.

In honour of the 10 year anniversary  of Swampcare and the listing of Blue Mountains Swamps under the Threatened Species Conservation Act, the Swamp Symposium will explore everything a swamp aficionado needs to know about swamps. The packed program will;

•  Explore the ancient  origins of swamps and the secrets they can reveal about both the past and our future with Paleoecologist Associate Professor Scott Mooney

• Celebrate the epic battle to save our Blue Mountains swamps and over 10 years of Swampcare and the Save our Swamps program with Lyndal Sullivan

•  Showcase the new 10 year “Swamped by Threats “ project funded by the Save our Species NSW  Environmental Trust grant which aims to secure protect the core habitat of the Blue Mountains Water Skink and the Giant Dragonfly in the Blue Mountains and Newnes Plateau for the next 100 years.

• Explore new research into the geomorphology of Blue mountains Swamps and the invaluable ecosystem services that swamps perform for us everyday by (soon to be) Dr Kirsten Cowley.
• Examine the results of groundwater monitoring in Newnes Plateau Shrub Swamps with Dr Martin Krogh from the Office of Environment and Heritage.

• Provide updates on the current state of knowledge of the Giant Dragonfly (Ian Baird) and Blue Mountains Water Skink (Sarsha Gorrissen) and what the future holds for these iconic creatures of the Blue Mountains Swamps.

These presentations will be followed by a field trip to visit the latest soft engineering innovations being developed and/or adapted to local conditions by Eric Mahony and his team from Blue Mountains City Council to protect swamps from stormwater by controlling, slowing, cleansing and infiltrating stormwater flows prior to them entering swamps as well as now tried and trusted techniques for rehydrating and repairing damaged and channelized swamps. This is an event not to be missed for all friends of Swamps! Book early to avoid disappointment

The Swamp Symposium is proudly supported by BMCC’s Save our Swamps and Bushcare programs, the ‘Save our Species’ program and funding from the NSW Environmental Trust funded Swamped by Threats project.

Swampcare volunteers put their specialist skills to work in Kitty Hawke Swamp, Wentworth Falls