Stunning birdlife on show at Geraldton Library photo exhibition as part of World Wetland Week

Mid West wildlife lovers are in for a treat this month, with a breathtaking display of bird photography on show at the Geraldton Regional Library.

The collection, a collaboration between Chapman River Friends and Birdlife Midwest-Geraldton, was put together in celebration of World Wetland Week.

With wetlands globally under increasing pressure from development, climate change and other threats, it is more important than ever to recognise the value of these unique ecosystems, according to CRF coordinator Virginie Fuhrmann.

“We want to help people understand how important it is to protect these special areas,” she said.

“They are super-powerful, but fragile too.”

The Chapman and Greenough Rivers are vibrant coastal wetlands which provide a habitat for thousands of species of terrestrial plants and animals, according to Ms Fuhrmann.

But she said local species were threatened by pests such as feral cats, and people leaving behind rubbish, plastic or fishing lines.

The photo exhibition, on show until February 25, aims to raise awareness of those threats.

Ten local photographers contributed to the collection, showcasing a wide variety of bird species that visit the Chapman and Greenough River estuaries.

“We are luck that they are reasonably healthy estuaries,” Birdlife Midwest-Geraldton’s Alice Bishop said.

“But we have lower numbers of birds visiting them than what we had in the past.

“Improvements can be made to both estuaries.”