Riverkeeper Program

About the Network

The Parramatta River and Waterways Network (PRAWN) is a not-for-profit collective of individuals representing organisations and community groups dedicated to educating, protecting, and restoring the natural environment.

PRAWN connects people to care for Country by sharing ideas, building collective knowledge, strengthening capacity, and supporting the Parramatta River Catchment Group (PRCG). See below for a list of the groups currently involved.

Click here to download the PRAWN flyer.

Purpose

• Collaborate with and support the PRCG in delivering the Parramatta River Masterplan.
• Facilitate and assist with activities run by our sub-group members.
• Encourage other like-minded groups and individuals within the catchment to join PRAWN.
• Provide policies and procedures for sub-group members as needed.
• Work to promote a healthy catchment on both public and private lands.
• Promote the work of PRCG, PRAWN, our sub-groups, and Greater Sydney Landcare (including Streamwatch).
• Build relationships with First Nations peoples and work together on shared goals.
• Support youth engagement in natural resource management.
• Research, measure, and monitor on-the-ground activities to improve long-term catchment outcomes.
• Share knowledge and skills to build group capacity and promote best practices.

The network is chaired by Bev Debrincat, Executive Director of Habitat Network, which operates a community native plant nursery, The Habitat, in Ryde. PRAWN meets quarterly, with each meeting hosted by a different member group. The network also receives support from the PRCG Riverkeeper, as part of the commitment to engage and assist the community in creating a cleaner, healthier river.

Current Member Groups

• Habitat Network
• Addventageous
• Conservation Volunteers Australia
• Ecobel
• Friends of Toongabbie Creek
• Keen to Clean
• Ryde Hunters Hill Flora and Fauna Conservation Society
• Plastic Pluckers

Join Us

We welcome all interested groups from the Parramatta River catchment. To join our network, please click the link below and complete the form.

Sign up to the Parramatta River and Waterways Network here.

If you’re an individual who is passionate about caring for our river and creeks, join the Parramatta River Riverkeeper Group to hear about activities and events happening across the catchment, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Let’s work together to improve the health of our waterways.

For any questions, contact us at: prawn@ourlivingriver.com.au.

About the Riverkeeper Group

The Riverkeeper Group is an online platform for individuals, community groups, and organisations dedicated to the health of the Parramatta River and its catchment.

By sharing information, resources, and creating opportunities to collaborate on projects and events, we can achieve better outcomes for the river. If you’re part of a group, consider joining the Parramatta River and Waterways Local Landcare Network (PRAWN).

Three reasons to join the Riverkeeper Group:

• Be part of a larger initiative that makes a real impact on litter, citizen science, and waterway health
• Receive support, resources, and information on Riverkeeping events and activities
• Stay informed about Riverkeeping efforts worldwide.

Sign up to the Parramatta River Riverkeeper Group and join us for activities and events or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Parramatta River Catchment Group is fortunate to have three Riverkeeper Ambassadors.  They are dedicated environmental educators and community leaders who inspire local residents to learn about and help care for our waterways. The advocacy and support they provide through their established networks helps the PRCG amplify its efforts to improve catchment health.

Charlene Bordley 

Charlene Bordley runs Addventageous, a social enterprise that provides affordable and accessible cycling programs and services for all members of the community. In May 2020 Charlene also became a community captain for Cycling Without Age, a not-for-profit group that provides free rides for residents of aged and disability services. To date, Charlene has helped raise $8,000 towards purchasing an electric assisted tricycle (trishaw) that will allow people with limited mobility to get out on their own to connect with their community and local environment.

Kellie Darley

Kellie is one of the co-founders of ParraParents, an online community directory and service connecting families in the catchment. She can regularly be seen running clean-ups, bushwalking and nature engagement groups to inform and advocate for her community. Kellie has received several awards for her volunteering and community work, including being awarded as 2020 Parramatta Local Woman of the Year. Kellie Darley was elected as Councillor for City of Parramatta in 2021.

Julia Strykowski

Through her volunteer groups, Plastic Pluckers, and Friends of Toongabbie Creek, Julia (Julz) Strykowski (pictured second from left) organises regular litter clean-ups at various locations in the upper Parramatta River catchment, focusing on Toongabbie Creek.

Julz’s goal is to stop plastic pollution before it reaches the harbour and oceans. It is a practical and helpful way to learn about ‘creek care’, the natural environment, plants and animals while collecting litter along river banks, foreshores, estuaries, wetlands, and riparian edges.

Julz was recognised for her efforts when she won the 2020 NSW Government Educator of the Year Award.

Junior Riverkeeper Ambassador

Hannah Chalmers

Hannah was the Junior Riverkeeper Ambassador from 2019 to 2021.

Hannah made an excellent video ‘Down the Drain’, which looks at the impact of litter that ends up in our waterways, and the benefits of naturalising stormwater channels. Please have a look below!

The Changemakers Course will be offered in the future in different formats, including a Youth course in 2025. If you are interested in taking part in a future Changemakers Course, please contact the Riverkeeper at: riverkeeper@ourlivingriver.com.au

2021 Changemakers Course

The PRCG held its first Changemakers Course for the Parramatta River from April to June 2021. Based on a program run by Cooks River Alliance, the free course provided an opportunity for local residents to connect with like-minded people to create projects that contribute to restoring catchment and waterway health. Twenty-two participants, ranging in age from 17 to 80 years, completed the full program.

Catchment Crawl

The course commenced with a full-day catchment ‘crawl’ that included site visits to a diverse range of ecosystems to highlight some of the challenges and solutions for managing waterway health: Blaxland Riverside Park, Duck River, Blacktown Creek, Toongabbie Creek, Lake Parramatta, Baludarri Wetlands, George Kendall Reserve and Putney Park.

Evening Workshops

Over the following two months, participants took part in seven evening workshops that were held at the Shepherds Bay Community Centre in Meadowbank. Changeology facilitator Les Robinson ran initial project engagement and accelerator sessions to help participants establish and progress their pilot projects.

Throughout the course, the group heard presentations on various aspects of waterway management, biodiversity and community engagement. Guest speakers included: Judy Harrington from Birdlife NSW (link between shore birds and ecosystem health), Youth Riverkeeper Ambassador Hannah Chalmers (science communication projects), and Dan Bradley from Sydney Water (Riverwatch Monitoring Program).

Information sessions were also provided by Liz Locksley from Thrive Story on storytelling skills and the PRCG team on aspects of the Masterplan, sustainable water management and effective communications. The Riverkeeper Ambassadors not only took part in the course but also shared their considerable knowledge and expertise in running community-based initiatives.

Pilot Projects

Six projects emerged from the pilot phase, several of which were launched in June at community events across the catchment:

Greener Gatherings – promoting sustainable alternatives to single-use plastics for family riverside gatherings, particularly children’s birthday parties.
Map Hack – using open source mapping to deepen the understanding of the catchment
(in development).
ParrAware – raising awareness of the Our Living River initiative and ways the community can get involved.
Parramatta River Heroes – focusing on the Parramatta River iconic species and their ecosystems.
The Diggers – mapping and promotion of community gardens in the catchment for the interactive map on the Our Living River website.
The Lollipop Ladies – reducing littering of plastic lollipop sticks and advocating for biodegradable alternatives.

These projects demonstrate the success of the Changemakers Course in building the skills and confidence of the participants, and helping to create a pathway for them to take meaningful action.

Many thanks to everyone who helped to make the course such a success, and particularly the City of Ryde for providing the workshop venue.

Watch a video on the Changemakers Course.