Get involved in the platy-project for some platypus spotting this Sept

Published on 25 August 2023

This September everyone is invited to help one of Australia’s most iconic species, the platypus, by participating in the platy-project.

The platy-project is an annual event hosted by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) that brings together people from across Australia, to help count and monitor the platypus population in our waterways. Data collected from the project is used to better understand the platypus population and make informed decisions about their protection.

“Last year over 1,000 people across Australia participated in the platy-project, with several people spotting the mammal in the Byron Shire, including at the Bangalow Weir Parklands,” Council’s Biodiversity Team Leader, Liz Caddick said.

“The exciting thing is that Byron Shire residents may have a platypus living closer to them than they think. They are known to live in urban rivers, suburban creeks, and farm dams and we have plenty of those all around us and potentially many more platypus to spot,” she said.

To help kick-off the project this year, Vision Walks Eco Tours are partnering with Council to run a briefing event on Tuesday 29 August from 4pm until 5.30pm at the Bangalow RSL Hall. More information about the platy-project event is on Council’s website. 

“I urge everyone to get involved in this special project to help this unique species. The briefing event is a great opportunity for everyone to bring their friends, neighbours, and kids to learn more about the species and how you can get involved in this years’ platypus watch,” Ms Caddick said. 

“September is the best time of year to spot a platypus, but if you see one at another time, you can still jump on the ACF website and record your sighting on the platy-project map,” she said. 

As part of Council’s Dogs in Public Spaces Strategy (strategy) the location of the dog exercise area was amended at the Bangalow Weir Parklands to help protect local platypus. New signage is also being installed by Council to remind dog owners to keep their dogs on lead and out of the water. 

“Platypus can be easily disturbed by dogs running in the water. They may stop them coming out and feeding, which is critical to their survival, especially in spring when they have babies (known as puggles) to look after,” Ms Caddick said.

“The signs encourage owners to keep their dogs out of the water and on-leash at all times. They can still be off-leash in the designated areas,” she said.

To see a map that shows the places you can exercise your dog off-leash in Byron Shire, please visit Council’s website.