The Narrabeen Coastal Environment Centre (CEC) will celebrate Biodiversity Month this Saturday with an exciting range of activities and displays that highlight our wonderful natural habitat on the northern beaches.

To mark the occasion, a free Wildlife Friendly Garden Day will be held on Saturday morning at the Centre from 10am to 1pm.

There will be native plant giveaways and tips on how to attract native species to your garden including hands-on experience with native animals, including a ringtail possum from 10.30am to 12.30pm.

Other fun activities include making a ‘bee hotel’ to take home, modelling a mini garden and free face-painting for the kids.

Northern Beaches Council Mayor Michael Regan said it was important to recognise the biodiversity in our own backyards.

“We live in a truly remarkable environment, surrounded by the ocean, beautiful bushland and magnificent waterways. The CEC is all about raising awareness about how to appreciate and protect our natural heritage.

“The idea behind the Garden Day is to give everyone the opportunity to participate in creative and fun ways to learn about the flora and fauna among us, both on land and under water.

The Narrabeen CEC will also take possession of a specially constructed wave or flume tank on the day, built by the UNSW’s Water Research Laboratory. This is an interactive, educational display which shows how waves travel and break on different shorelines.

Professor Ian Turner, director of the WRL said the tank was specially built for the CEC to complement the incredible educational resources at the centre.

 “We hope that this new wave flume we are giving to the CEC can help visitors, and especially students, to better understand how waves can impact and change the coast.

“The CEC has a very important role in educating us all about the special coastline we live along, and how to best protect it,” he said.

Also on display will be the ‘Living Wall’, a giant floor to ceiling display of native animals in their natural habitat, Virtual Reality Goggles where you can take a virtual swim in the ocean without getting wet and the Micro-Eye digital microscope, which enables us to take a very close look at some of the local heroes of our natural environment.

Media Enquiries: media@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au 9942 2678