Cottlesloe Coastcare Association: Revegetating and caring for local dunes

Founded in 1995, The Cottesloe Coastcare Association (CCA) came to life as a response from local residents who were concerned about the town’s eroded dunes and required revegetation.

In collaboration with the Town of Cottesloe and under the guidance of a Natural Areas Management Plan, the CCA leverages support from government and corporate groups through grants and volunteer labour, while also offering a year-round program that actively engages with local schools.

Despite the dedication of a small group that has worked together for over 25 years, they always welcome more members.

In the past year, the CCA planted over 5000 local provenance seedlings, working on the 18-hectare Cottesloe foreshore that was highly degraded when they began. Their work involves activities like hand weeding in spring and autumn, planting in early winter, and watering seedlings during the summer. Over the same year, their dedicated group contributed 1670 hours of on-ground volunteer work, hosting events nearly every week.

One of their recent three-year restoration projects on the dunes in north Cottesloe has made a big difference, and you can see the change in the photos.

Robyn Benken, a Cottlesloe Coastcare volunteer and Vice-Chair of the CCA, said “if everyone helps out in their own area, we can do big things together. This could mean picking up trash on the beach to protect the ocean or being careful about the plants we put in our gardens to make sure they don’t become a problem in the wild. Every little bit helps protect our natural environment.”