Conference Schedule

Please find below the Conference Schedule as it stands currently. The line-up may be subject to minor changes.

*Best viewed on a Desktop*. For mobiles, please download the PDF version from the link below*

Last edited: 22.01.2026 12:00pm

The 22nd Annual Western Australian Wetlands Conference 2026
Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge with Scientific Innovation, Creative Pathways & Collective Action: Celebrating Cultural Heritage

Location:	The Wetlands Centre Cockburn
	184 Hope Road, Bibra Lake, WA 6163
Date:	5^th to 6^th February 2026


The 22nd Annual Western Australian Wetlands Conference 2026
Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge with Scientific Innovation, Creative Pathways & Collective Action: Celebrating Cultural Heritage

Location:	The Wetlands Centre Cockburn
Location:	184 Hope Road, Bibra Lake, WA 6163
Date:	5^th to 6^th February 2026

Start	End	Duration	Activity	Location	Presenter	Organisation	Presentation Title
			DAY 1 MORNING – Session 1: WETLANDS & COUNTRY
7:30 AM	8:30 AM	60 min		Wetlands Precinct	The Wetlands Centre		Self-guided Wetlands Centre Augmented Reality Art and Ecology Tour
7:15 AM	9:00 AM		Registrations	West Verandah			Registration desk open throughout this period for walk-in check-ins.
8:45 AM	9:00 AM	15 min	Welcome to Country	Main Hall	Aunty Marie Taylor		Welcome to Country
9:00 AM	9:10 AM	10 min	Conference Opening	Main Hall	Matthew Swinbourn MLC		Opening Remarks
9:10 AM	9:15 AM	5 min	Acknowledgement of Sponsors	Main Hall	Stephen Beatty		Sponsor Acknowledgements
9:20 AM	10:00 AM	40 min	Keynote	Main Hall	Walter McGuire and Francesca Flynn		BoorYul-Bah-Bilya: Creating A New Model for River Catchment Management
10:00 AM	10:30 AM	30 min	Morning Tea / Networking	Gallery
			BREAKOUT ROUND 1
10:30 AM	10:50 AM	20 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 1: # 1	Main Hall	Belinda Robson	Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University	Supporting Wetland Biodiversity in a Drying Climate
10:30 AM	10:50 AM	20 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 1: # 2	Education Room	Gavan McGrath	Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions	Ramsar Lakes Are Salinizing and Others Are Getting Saltier: Identifying the Differences Can Inform Solutions
			BREAKOUT ROUND 2
10:55 AM	11:15 AM	20 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 2: # 3	Main Hall	Jack Ingelbrecht	Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University	A Place to Call Home: A New Sawfish Nursery Discovered in the Eastern Indian Ocean
10:55 AM	11:15 AM	20 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 2: # 4	Education Room	Julie Robert	Fat Frog Consulting	Resuscitating Fred Baldwin Lake, Kardinya.
			BREAKOUT ROUND 3
11:20 AM	11:40 AM	20 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 3: # 5	Main Hall	Tom Ryan	Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University	Invasive Species Removal — Carp and Goldfish Control and Wetland Restoration (Project Overview)
11:20 AM	11:40 AM	20 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 3: # 6	Education Room	Chris Howe	Friends of Big Swamp Inc.	20 Years Plus of Bird Monitoring at the Bunbury Big Swamp
			BREAKOUT ROUND 4
11:45 AM	12:05 PM	5 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 4: # 7 INTERNATIONAL LENS	Main Hall	David Wakogy	Friends of Ondiri Wetland Kenya	Peatlands And Their Importance in Climate Change Mitigation
11:45 AM	12:05 PM	15 min	REGIONAL VIEWPOINT	Main Hall	Alan Clarke (DBCA Karratha) & Nyiyarparli Ranger Team	Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation	On-Country Management of Fortescue Marsh and Water Quality Monitoring of Yindas (Water pools) in East Pilbara Wetlands
11:45 AM	12:05 PM	20 min	Session 1 Breakouts Slot 4: # 8	Education Room	Katrina Zeehandelaar-Adams & Dr Sora Marin-Estrella	Leschenault Catchment Council	Mud Matters: Bugs, Birds, and the Power of Citizen Science
12:05 PM	1:10 PM	65 min	Lunch / Networking	Gallery			Please avail of our Nursery Plant Lunch Sales



			DAY 1 AFTERNOON – Session 2: WATER & COMMUNITY
1:10 PM	1:40 PM	30 min	Keynote	Main Hall	Cristina Ramalho	UWA	Noongar Water Knowledge in the Djarlgarro Beeliar Catchment: Lessons for Planning and Restoring Urban Rivers and Wetlands
1:45 PM	2:15 PM	30 min	Keynote	Main Hall	Laurie Barlow & Vilma Hodder	Yamatji Water	Yamatji Nation Water; ILUA and community-led water management on Country with an overview of the Yamatji Nation Water Trainee Program
2:15 PM	2:25 PM	10 min	Q & A	Main Hall	Noongar Water Knowledge Group & Yamatji Nation Water		Joint Q&A with Cristina Ramalho & Noongar Elders, and with Laurie Barlow & Vilma Hodder (Yamatji Water)
2:25 PM	2:45 PM	20 min	Afternoon Tea / Networking	Gallery
			BREAKOUT ROUND 5
2:50 PM	3:10 PM	20 min	Session 2 Breakouts Slot 1: # 9	Main Hall	Sue Stain	Independent	Thomson Lake Water Level Diversion System
2:50 PM	3:10 PM	20 min	Session 2 Breakouts Slot 1: # 10	Education Room	Amanda Rowland	Jurien Bay Herbarium; Soil & Human Health (independent)	A Fresh Approach: Linking Soil, Water Cycles and Community Care for Resilient Wetlands
			BREAKOUT ROUND 6
3:15 PM	3:35 PM	20 min	Session 2 Breakouts Slot 2: # 11	Main Hall	Danielle Halliday	City of Busselton	Lower Vasse River Sediment Removal Program
3:15 PM	3:35 PM	20 min	Session 2 Breakouts Slot 2: # 12	Education Room	Sonja Sprenger	Murdoch University	Wetland Connectivity in the Swan Coastal Plain: A Spatial Approach to Conservation Under Climate Pressure
3:40 PM	4:15 PM	12 min	Spotlight – Wetlands, People, Place, Stories	Main Hall	Gina Pickering	Curtin University	Water Agency Shapes 'Becoming Family with Nyungar Place': A Case Study at Walliabup Bibra Lake
3:40 PM	4:15 PM	12 min	Spotlight – Wetlands, People, Place, Stories	Main Hall	Nandi Chinna	Independent	A Community of Care: Oral Histories of The Cockburn Wetlands Centre
3:40 PM	4:15 PM	12 min	Spotlight – Wetlands, People, Place, Stories	Main Hall	Angela Rossen	Independent	Building Strong Community Engagement and Ownership of the Natural Environment
4:30 PM	6:00 PM	90 min	Sundowner	Education Room	Book Launch		Wetland cultures: Ancient, traditional, contemporary (2024) & The Routledge Handbook of Wetlands (2025)



			DAY 2 MORNING – Session 3: SCIENCE & STEWARDSHIP
7:15 AM	8:30 AM	60 min	Special Walking Tours	Wetlands Precinct	Betty Bryant		Guided Wetlands Walk
7:15 AM	9:00 AM		Registrations	West Verandah			Registration desk open throughout this period for walk-in check-ins.
9:00 AM	9:10 AM	10 min	Acknowledgment of Country	Main Hall			Acknowledgment of Country
9:10 AM	9:15 AM	5 min	Acknowledgement of Sponsors	Main Hall	Stephen Beatty		Sponsor Acknowledgements
9:20 AM	10:00 AM	40 min	Keynote	Main Hall	David Morgan & Travis Fazeldean	Murdoch University	Critically Endangered Sawfish Species in the Rivers, Wetlands, and Estuaries of the Kimberley and Pilbara
10:00 AM	10:30 AM	30 min	Morning Tea / Networking	Gallery
			BREAKOUT ROUND 7
10:30 AM	10:50 AM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 1: # 13	Main Hall	Rick James	DBCA	Wetland Flow Augmentation Design: A Case Study.
10:30 AM	10:50 AM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 1: # 14	Education Room	Zac Kayll	Murdoch University	Biodiversity Change in Wetlands Exposed to a Rapidly Drying Climate
			BREAKOUT ROUND 8
10:55 AM	11:15 AM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 2: # 15	Main Hall	Robyn Paice & Dr Jane Chambers	Edith Cowan University	Enhancing Ecological Reporting in the Vasse & Wonnerup Wetlands: A new Macrophyte Index Approach
10:55 AM	11:15 AM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 2: # 16	Education Room	Rose Weerasinghe	South East Regional Centre for Urban Landcare	The Importance of Saltmarsh Rehabilitation in Climate Change Mitigation
			BREAKOUT ROUND 9
11:20 AM	11:40 AM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 3: # 17	Main Hall	Sheona Meisinger	Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)	Polyphagous Shot-Hole Borer – Identifying, Managing and Understanding the Pest in WA
11:20 AM	11:40 AM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 3: # 18	Education Room	Holly Emery-Butcher	Murdoch University	Do Urban Wetlands Support Invasive Rather Than Native Crayfish?
			BREAKOUT ROUND 10
11:45 AM	12:05 PM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 4: # 19 INTERNATIONAL FOCUS	Main Hall	Juergen Geist	Technical University of Munich, Germany	Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity in Densely Populated Areas: Wetland Restoration Studies from Germany
11:45 AM	12:05 PM	20 min	Session 3 Breakouts Slot 4: # 20	Education Room	Peter Cunningham	Swan Estuary Reserves Action Group Inc.	SERAG′s Positive Impact on the Sustainability of the Derbal Yerrigan
12:05 PM	1:10 PM	65 min	Lunch / Networking	Gallery			Please avail of our Nursery Plant Lunch Sales



			DAY 2 AFTERNOON – Session 4: PRACTICE & PARTNERSHIPS
1:10 PM	1:40 PM	30 min	Keynote	Main Hall	Rod Giblett	Writing, Literature and Culture Group, Deakin University	Wetland Cultures: Aboriginal, Colonial, Postcolonial
			POSTER PRESENTATIONS	Lightning pitches			5 minutes/presenter
1:40 PM	2:10 PM	5 min	Poster Presentations	Main Hall	Lorraine Duffy	South West NRM	Rehydrating Habitat for the White-Bellied Frog (Anstisia alba)
1:40 PM	2:10 PM	5 min	Poster Presentations	Main Hall	Mitchell Haywood	Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University	The Usage of Fire-fighting Waterpoints as a Refuge by Aquatic Invertebrates in a Drying Climate
1:40 PM	2:10 PM	5 min	Poster Presentations	Main Hall	Kahree Garnaut	South Coast Natural Resource Management Inc.	Restoring Lake Gore through Ecological Monitoring and On-Ground Actions
1:40 PM	2:10 PM	5 min	Poster Presentations	Main Hall	Gavan McGrath	Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions	Ephemeral: A Citizen Science Project to Track the Status of Surface Waters in WA
1:40 PM	2:10 PM	5 min	Poster Presentations	Main Hall	Matt Watson	Independent	Protecting Perth′s Wetlands: WA Seabird Rescue In Action
1:40 PM	2:10 PM	5 min	Poster Presentations	Main Hall	Paige Wilson	Edith Cowan University	eDNA Detection for Aestivating Fish Species in Acid Wetlands
2:15 PM	2:45 PM	30 min	Afternoon Tea / Networking	Gallery
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	60 min	Workgroup 1: Learning & Yarning	Main Hall	Kallan Nannup	Winjan Aboriginal Corporation	Bindjareb Djilba Kaadadjan Bidi Yarning Circle & Stronger Together (with Yarning Circle)
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	20 min	Workgroup 2: Let's Talk Turtles	Education room	Felicity Bairstow	Wetlands Conservation Society	Why Turtles Totally Matter: Turtle Conservation and Ecological Health
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	20 min	Workgroup 2: Let's Talk Turtles	Education room	Kiera Gordon	Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University	Winter Lovin'? Sex and Season Influences Daily Activity Patterns in a Freshwater Turtle
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	20 min	Workgroup 2: Let's Talk Turtles	Education room	Bethany Treglown	Flinders University, Adelaide South Australia	Now You See Them, Now You Don′t? Freshwater Turtles In Lower Murray South Australia
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	20 min	Workgroup 3: To Wetlands Through Art	Meeting Room	Ali Blackwell	Edith Cowan University	Stories of Clay: Situating Relational Design Pedagogy to Care for Wetlands with Noongar Country
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	20 min	Workgroup 3: To Wetlands Through Art	Meeting Room	Tineke Van Der Eecken	Murdoch University	Delicate Life: Sculpting the Essence of Endangered Wildlife
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	20 min	Workgroup 3: To Wetlands Through Art	Meeting Room	Renee Pettitt-Schipp	Independent	Being with the Body in the Beeliar Wetlands
2:45 PM	3:45 PM	60 min	Workgroup 4: Plants & Practice	Nursery	Lanie Cottam & Hazel Dempster	The Wetlands Centre Conservation Nursery	Propagation for Biodiversity: Native Plant Propagation
3:50 PM	4:30 PM	40 min	Plenary Session & Conference Round-up	Main Hall			Closing forum and prizes

WA Wetlands Conference 2026 unites Traditional knowledge, science and practice at Bibra Lake – WalliabupMedia Release

29 January 2026

Wetland managers, researchers, Traditional Owners, educators and community members will gather at The Wetlands Centre Cockburn for the 22nd Annual Western Australian Wetlands Conference, to be held on 5–6 February 2026 at Bibra Lake – Walliabup. The 2026 conference theme,…

Verses from the WetlandsFrom The Mega Wetlands Poem Challenge

20 February 2025

This challenge invited participants to contribute poetic lines celebrating wetlands, nature, and wildlife, with which we created a flowing, collective poem.

Inaugurating our Revamped Amphitheatre3rd February 2023 at The WA Wetlands Conference

20 April 2023

A Celebration of Community, Culture, and Nature

The 22nd Annual Western Australian Wetlands Conference 2026

WA Wetlands Conference 2026 unites Traditional knowledge, science and practice at Bibra Lake – WalliabupMedia Release

29 January 2026

Verses from the WetlandsFrom The Mega Wetlands Poem Challenge

20 February 2025

Inaugurating our Revamped Amphitheatre3rd February 2023 at The WA Wetlands Conference

20 April 2023