Mornington Peninsula Shire and Frankston City Council have joined their Casey, Cardinia and Bass Coast counterparts in supporting the Biosphere Reserve.

Taking in Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula as well as parts of the Bass Coast and Cardinia shires, the City of Casey and the unincorporated areas of French Island and Western Port, the Biosphere Reserve was nominated as a result of a community initiative and was designated under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere program in 2002 for its exceptional ecological values.

The reserve aims to preserve genetic resources, species, ecosystems and landscapes; foster sustainable economic and human development; and support demonstration projects, environmental education, training and research monitoring related to local, national and global issues of conservation and sustainable development.

Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Bev Colomb said a Memorandum of Understanding recognises the commitment of all parties involved to collaborate to achieve the common goals in the Biosphere Foundation Charter and respective council plans.  She said local government responded to community needs and had an opportunity to lead by building community awareness and encouraging sustainable behaviour through education in the way we care for the environment.

“The partnership is mutually beneficial, ensuring continuity and integration of programs and projects and improving the potential to achieve the sustainability objectives of each organisation,” Cr Colomb said.

Key projects undertaken by the Biosphere Foundation include teaching wise water use and providing the tools for water conservation planning; the Growing Connections project, which links fauna habitats across the reserve; the southern brown bandicoot protection project; protecting Western Port’s wetlands for migratory birds; and the Watson Creek catchment improvement project at Baxter.

To learn more about getting involved, visit biosphere.org.au