Mandurah’s community spirit shines in countless ways, with local groups, volunteers, and businesses working together to make our city a better place. Behind the scenes, your rates play a crucial role - not just in maintaining everyday services like roads and waste collection, but also in supporting initiatives that nurture our environment and enrich community life.
Through our #ThanksToYou campaign, we’re sharing the stories of inspiring Mandurah locals whose work (made possible your rates!) benefits our community. These are Mandurah’s changemakers, like local environmental champions Estuary Guardians.
Estuary Guardians is a dedicated team of volunteers committed to protecting Mandurah’s dolphins and waterways. They deliver educational programs, organise community clean-ups, and, with help from a City of Mandurah grant, have created the Junior Estuary Guardians information and activity book. The 30-page booklet is a great resource for young people to learn more about Mandurah’s much-loved dolphins, and is aimed at fostering a deeper connection between people and place.
Thanks to you, these important programs and the people behind them continue to make Mandurah a special place to live.
Mandurah’s waterways are home to a thriving population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, a unique treasure that brings joy to locals and visitors alike. Thanks to passionate community advocates like Robyn from Estuary Guardians, these dolphins (and the estuary they call home) are being protected for generations to come.
“Our role at Estuary Guardians is to protect the dolphins here in Mandurah and bring awareness to the community about the dolphins and the threats they face,” Robyn said.
“We want to bring the community together to be able to protect and care for the dolphins."
The group began in 2015, founded by students and teachers at John Tonkin College, and has grown into a community-driven network of volunteers. Education is at the heart of their work.
“Most of the main work that we do is educating the community - being out, engaging, bringing awareness about the dolphins,” Robyn said.
School incursions are one way to inspire children to become junior estuary guardians, and events like Luca’s Legacy, an annual cleanup, unite Mandurah in action.
“We wanted to do something to bring everyone together and make a positive difference to the dolphins,” Robyn said.
With support from the City of Mandurah (and, in turn, your rates!), Estuary Guardians has launched a free children’s activity book.
“It’s great that we can take these kids activity books into the schools and give them to the students for free,” Robyn said.
“Ultimately, everyone is a guardian of the estuary and keeping watch over the beautiful animals that live here.”
Thanks to you, Mandurah’s iconic dolphins have a brighter future!
For more on our local dolphins or to read about the Mandurah Dolphin Research Partnership, click here.
To read more stories from inspiring locals, check out our full Thanks To You campaign here: www.mandurah.wa.gov.au/thankstoyou
