On the fourth Saturday of every month, community volunteers have been coming together for bushcare at Mermaid Pools, at the head of Manly Creek. This is helping to transform the area from being a degraded dump site into an important wildlife sanctuary and a place of great natural beauty.

We welcome new, occasional and regular volunteers to take part in Bushcare every fourth Saturday from 9am to 1pm (with a break at 11am). Meet outside the UNSW gates on the Western corner of King St, Manly Vale.

Take Action

Keen to volunteer? Sign up as a Northern Beaches volunteer here.

To stay informed join the Mermaid Pools Restoration project on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and use the hashtag #ManlyDamBiodiversityProject.

The Save Manly Dam Catchment Committee has used a Communities Environment Program grant to commission some of Australia's top ecologists to survey, monitor and record the amazing flora and fauna that calls this place home.

But now we need YOUR HELP ! The more data we collect, the greater chance we have of conserving these natural wonders. When taking photographs please keep to the recognised tracks to avoid causing damage.

Download the iNaturalist App from your App store, sign up and look for the Manly Dam Biodiversity Project. You can then upload all your flora and fauna photos there and help build data to assist with conservation programs.

It’s been proven that even the scent of a dog can reduce biodiversity in bushland. But given that dogs are allowed on walking tracks in the Manly Dam area, it is important that you keep them on a leash. 

Dogs off leash tend to harass nesting swans and disturb a wide range of native animals from Possums to Blue Tongue Lizards. This leaves the fragile wildlife at Manly Dam extremely vulnerable.

The Conversation: The bark side: domestic dogs threaten endangered species worldwide

If you are curious why dogs are not allowed in certain bushland for their own safety, this link (from PetBarn) will help you.

Image: Freepik