Welcome to the Toodyay Friends of the River

Working for the health of the Swan/Avon River

Above: Little Black Cormorants guarding a nesting Eurasian Coot

(Photo: Robyn Taylor)

The Avon River is unique in its character. Dry for most of the year (but wet in the winter), it originates in an almost flat catchment, then drops sharply to its outlet, the Swan River (most river systems in the world commence in the uplands or mountains, and terminate through flat floodplains). The Avon is also unique in the way it's currently managed - mostly by community groups such as the Toodyay Friends Of the River (TFOR).
The Avon is the upper reaches of the Swan River which flows through the heart of Perth, then on through Fremantle to the sea. Both rivers have had some really poor management decisions made by government in the past (the Avon River Training Scheme a prime example). Now, when the economy is more focused on development, our waterways are again under pressure. Community groups like TFOR, and 'Conserving the Avon River Environment' (CARE) are undertaking whatever activities they are capable of with their limited resources. But they can't replace a committed government.

Our President Robyn has made an unusual find during her daily walks while crossing the School bridge.

According to Dom Heald, Environmental officer with the River Science Branch of DWER, it appears to be a re-gurge of exotic mosquito fish/eastern gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) and native south west glass shrimp (Palaemon australis), both of which are abundant in the Avon.
Going by size and rostrum length none of the shrimp look like the exotic indistinct river shrimp (Caridina indistincta), which is good as Caridina indistincta are a notifiable pest species; unfortunately they have already been recorded in the Avon.
Dom goes on to say "something could have startled a bird resting on the bridge like, a dog or cyclist or even natural predator and it regurgitates it’s stomach contents as it takes flight as a distraction, hoping that the ’attacker’ will go for the easy free meal and the bird can escape (some seabirds have turned this into a feeding tactic and they will harry and harass other bird species returning to feed chicks into vomiting back their catch which the aggressor bird then steals. Best I can suggest".
Another line of thought is from John Dell PSM, naturalist, and Toodyay Naturalists' Club Patron. John notes that "I don’t think it was produced by a bird but more likely by a fox. I presume it was a single deposit of varying stages of digestion and quite smelly! The position and space on the bridge would be an indication of whether a fox could have been crossing the river. The varied assortment of critters and different stages of decay indicate that whatever produced the pile was a sizable scavenger with no specific diet preference". All very intriguing!

Visit our News page for our latest news, including the Annual General Meeting and our newest Honorary Life Member, plus the Pelham Brook Outlet Restoration Project.

The TFOR Vision is:

The TFOR Mission is:

Your donation will assist us to accomplish our mission.

If you are interested in helping the TFOR - either with our monthly working bees, with administration, or trying to help turn the tide, you are more than welcome. Contact our President with details of the skills you have to offer.

Our 2021 calendar has a run-down on our proposed activities for 2021

Check out our Monitoring Project

View our latest'BIDDIP' Newsletter

Volume 14 Issue 3 is the final issue for 2020.

Our 'News Page' has all our latest news

VISIT the Bilya Walk Track

PLEASE NOTE DRUMMOND HOUSE IS OPEN but we are strictly observing 'social-distancing measures'. PLEASE READ THE NOTICES AND SIGN THE BOOK (Name, Contact Details) AS YOU ENTER

You can find here a copy of the TFOR rules - 2020

THE TOODYAY FRIENDS OF THE RIVER MEMBERS RECOGNISE THE BALLARDONG AND YUED PEOPLE OF THE NOONGAR NATION AS THE TRADITIONAL OWNERS AND CARERS OF THE LAND ON WHICH WE LIVE, WORK AND MEET.
WE PAY OUR RESPECTS TO ELDERS PAST, PRESENT AND EMERGING

THE NOONGAR CALENDAR
We are now in the Noongar Season of BIRAK (December-January) the season of the young - hot and dry. Time for patch burning.
Find out more about the Noongar seasons from the Bureau of Meteorology

TFOR is a CHOOSE RESPECT supporter

REPORT ILLEGAL DUMPING

You can report cases of 'illegal dumping' to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) on the Department's Pollution Hotline 1300 784 782 or through the Department's website

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Updated 8th January 2021