WSWA Conference Presentation & Tour – Rehabilitation of Roe 8 Project – Adam Peck

Adam has a BSc in Environmental Restoration, with Honours from Murdoch University. He has worked for DBCA, doing research on mallee revegetation/productivity (2006-15) and BirdLife Australia between 2016 and 2021, coordinating the Great Cocky Count and Carnaby’s Cockatoo breeding surveys. Since April 2022 he has worked for the City of Cockburn managing the Rehabilitating Roe 8 project. The project involves revegetation, community and Nyungar engagement, event management and much more.

Presentation: Rehabilitating Roe 8, Recreating an urban wildlife corridor

Rehabilitating Roe 8 (RR8) is a ten-year project, running from 2018 to 2028. It arose after clearing in 2016 and 2017 for the highly controversial ‘Roe Highway, Stage 8’. Thousands of ordinary citizens rose up to protect this land for good reason, knowing the value of the remnant vegetation. Connected habitat is an important asset in fragmented urban areas, allowing fauna and flora to disperse and thrive. The aim of the project is to restore habitat in the corridor back to its original state (or as close as possible). There are seven distinct habitat types in the corridor, making it a complex restoration exercise. These include Wet Forest and Woodland, Banksia Woodland, Tuart Woodland and the relatively rare Banksia-Woody Pear Woodland.  The Roe 8 corridor is a critical part of the larger Cockburn Community Wildlife Corridor (CCWC). Weed management is a crucial part of the project and assistance is given by the Cockburn Community Wildlife Corridor and Karak Cooby Bushcare volunteers doing hand weeding.

RR8 shows that urban land clearing is reversible and that rewilding our cities is possible. The benefits are clear: biodiversity gains, carbon sequestration, giving city dwellers access to nature, reducing the Urban Heat Island Effect and more. This talk will summarise progress to date and highlight the value of retaining and restoring this important biodiversity asset.

Tour of Roe 8 Corridor

This guided bus tour will stop at several key sites along the corridor. We will explore each site on foot, so please bring weather appropriate clothing, closed shoes and a water bottle.