Restoration success

Mike has been volunteering for more than 40 years to help with many environmental and conservation causes. He is motivated to create thriving natural ecosystems and coastlines, and is working hard to empower people to make positive choices for nature.

In 1999, Mike Norman established what is now known as ‘Friends of Sorrento Beach and Marmion Foreshore’ and four years later in 2003, he initiated ‘Friends of Porteous Park.’ When he started ‘Friends of Sorrento Beach and Marmion Foreshore’, he saw a need to restore the environment in his suburb, so he set out to do just that. We think that he has been incredibly successful in doing so!

These Friends Groups are volunteer environmental conservation and revegetation groups keeping our natural areas and coastal foreshores flourishing! The activities of the groups provide numerous benefits for the community. They are creating cool, green and liveable neighbourhoods and habitat for wildlife. Volunteers also get to connect with nature and other like-minded people, as well as learning more about their local flora and fauna species.

These groups are celebrating 20 years or more of creating habitats for local wildlife, helping the coastline sparkle and building community.

Mike is the Coordinator of both of these groups, where he leads and helps with numerous conservation and community causes!  Mike also finds the time to make an even bigger difference and is the Deputy Coordinator of the ‘Friends of Harman Park,’ and Treasurer of the ‘Joondalup Community Coast Care Forum.’

A passion for tackling weeds – war on weeds

Mike outlined that weeds are a huge challenge impacting our coastlines. In great news, these volunteers have been very successful in controlling weeds along our stunning coastline. In collaboration with the City’s Natural Environment Team, the group’s ‘Weeding Warriors’ have contributed to the removal of thousands of weeds. This has since been measured in ecological surveys that show an improvement in the vegetation condition.

Ecological restoration and sparkling beaches

Mike is passionate about conserving and restoring the coastline and natural areas. He has involved and educated thousands of adults and children about the coast and ecological restoration. Mike and the incredible volunteers have also collected and removed a large amount of litter from our local/stunning beaches.

Emerging threats to our coastlines

Mike shares there are other huge challenges that Friends Groups are unable to tackle without widespread community effort. Some of these challenges include feral animals and domestic animals/pets, and plant diseases and pests such as Polyphagous shot-hole borer and myrtle rust fungus. You can help by reporting any sightings of feral animals, dogs off leash or plant diseases or pests to the City and/or the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Importance of building resilient and climate ready ecosystems

Mike told us that the greatest challenge to our coastlines and beaches that he has witnessed, is climate change; causing sea level rise and severe storm events that cause accretion and erosion of our beaches. Sadly, the volunteers planting efforts at Sorrento Beach are often trampled on as a result of the sand building up which allows people to access the coastal foreshore areas. You can help the volunteers by staying on dedicated paths to let the dune revegetation grow.  Maintaining our coastlines is crucial to ensuring we can continue to use our City’s beautiful sandy beaches in years to come. Learn more about how you can help reduce carbon emissions at home.

Friends of Sorrento Beach and Marmion Foreshore highlights

The City of Joondalup want to say a big thanks to Mike for coordinating and hosting volunteers on a weekly basis for activities such as community planting days, weeding, litter removal, community education, events, collaborations with schools and also for his advocacy for coastline conservation. We also extend this thanks to all the volunteers across these Friends Groups and celebrate this 20-plus year milestone being reached!

Some of the group’s biggest achievements over the past 20 years include:

• An “ecological restoration” accomplished by planting the phenomenal amount of 34,461 native coastal seedlings, comprised of 42 different species across a 9-hectare area of coastal reserve.
• Hundreds of thousands of weeds were removed from the coastal reserves by the groups weeding warriors, including a total of 13 weed species that have been entirely eliminated from the project area, and many more weed species which are close to being eliminated.
• Refined manual weeding techniques including the development of their own tools so manual weeding is effective and efficient over larger areas.
• Many successful grant applications allowing the group to employ efficient manual weeding contractors during peak times.
• Provide a great weekly weekend activity in nature for hundreds of volunteers. Many volunteers have come and gone, but some have been with the project long-term for a decade or even longer.
• Created habitat for native animals such as Quendas, that have returned as well as the reptile population having increased.

How can I get involved?

Friends Groups are always looking for volunteers and members to take part in their regular activities which include litter pick up, weed removal and planting days. The groups may also participate in wildlife surveys or run educational events throughout the year too. All are welcome including the kids! Some of the City’s smaller Friends Groups like the ’Friends of Porteous Park’ especially need some helping hands.