Successful data collection on swamp oaks!

After the educational talks at HSBC’s Barangaroo office, participants traveled to Towra Point Nature Reserve – a 600 ha nature reserve in Botany Bay, hosting 40% of the mangroves and 60% of the tidal marshes in the Sydney the region.

Scientist Dr Jeff Kelleway and Dr Maria Palacios led the field activities by introducing participants to Australian coastal wetlands and demonstrating the sampling protocols.

Citizen scientists used google maps on their phones to find sampling points (V, X, W, Y, Z) over a 40,000 m2 grid covering swamp oaks and salt marshes (i.e., succulents, marine grass, rushes). A few lucky participants even got to survey some mangroves trees!!!

On each sampling point, participants prepared 100 m2 plots where they surveyed the vegetation by identifying species, measuring tree circumference, canopy widths, counting aerial roots, and looking for crab holes. Participants also collected soil cores that will be analysed for carbon content and particle size.

Despite the challenge of walking through the high thick rushes (ie. juncus), participants sampled a total of 28 points and collected 56 soil cores! Mangrove plots were particularly challenging to survey, as they had weird canopies and many stems.

At the end of the day, Dr Maria Garcia (Earthwatch) led an eye-opening discussion on how participants could reduce their carbon footprint at home and work.

Many thanks to all our new members of the #BlueCarbonArmy who became Blue Carbon scientists for a day !!