Dive Right In to Save Sydney’s Threatened Little Penguins
You could help save the last breeding colony of Little Penguins on the NSW mainland by swimming in the Ord Minnett Sydney Harbour Swim Classic on Sunday 11 March 2012. Enter by January 31 to receive discounted ‘earlybird’ entry.
The event organisers have once again chosen the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife as a supported charity. The Foundation has pledged to give all donations raised through the Swim Classic to the protection of the threatened Little Penguin colony at Manly.
Register for the event at www.sydneyharbourswim.com and set up a free Everyday Hero fundraising page at http://www.everydayhero.com.au/event/SHSC2012 to support the Foundation and the Little Penguins.
Foundation-funding helps provide Little Penguin nest boxes, monitoring at the Manly colony, and equips volunteer Penguin Wardens to keep dogs and humans a safe distance away. This is an important service as even the smell of a dog too close to the colony can disrupt Little Penguin breeding activities, forcing them to abandon their burrows and chicks.
In 2011, celebrity swimmers Shelley Clark, Louise Stevenson and Suanne Hunt swam for the Foundation in the Charity Sprint event and raised $1,000 for Manly’s Little Penguins.
An individual swimmer, Mr Mathew Parsons also swam for the Foundation in the 2011 Swim Classic. Mathew raised $730 through his Everyday Hero page, and asked his company Macquarie to match his donation to the Foundation. The Macquarie Group Foundation agreed, leading to a $1,460 donation for Manly’s Little Penguins.
Mr Parsons was also the winner of the Foundation’s Swim Classic Prize—four tickets to Jenolan Caves. It just goes to show that what goes around comes around!
“Over the past 7 years, the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife has funded the monitoring of Manly’s endangered Little Penguin colony and the installation of artificial nest boxes. These boxes help increase the birds' breeding success and make the captive-bred arrivals feel right at home,” said Mr Steve Corbett, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. “We are dedicated to helping this endangered Little Penguin colony survive.”
The Foundation is encouraging Sydney-siders and New South Welshmen to take part in the 2012 Sydney Harbour Swim Classic and fundraise for the Little Penguins. With the city skyline behind you, the world famous harbour before you, and the threatened Little Penguins counting on you, you’ll be glad you swam for such a great cause.
Fast Facts about Little Penguins:
- Little penguins are only 30cm tall and weigh only 1kg when fully grown.
- Little Penguins are the world's smallest penguins.
- Little Penguins live around Australia and New Zealand, and they prefer cooler waters where there are plenty of fish.
- Little Penguins are the only penguin species found on mainland Australia.
- Manly’s Little Penguin colony has been listed as an endangered population under the Threatened Species Conservation Act.
- The population has remained stable for the last six years at around 60 pairs, and any recovery within such a small population is likely to take many years.
