Human Impact & Change
Inquiry Question: How have people used and changed Katandra over time?
Aboriginal Peoples and Early Europeans.
The name Katandra is an Aboriginal word meaning 'Song of Birds'. Aboriginal Peoples visited Katandra to collect food and resources. Evidence of this use is located on 'Graves Walking Track' where there are some grinding grooves. Note: Aboriginal sites are protected and should be treated respectfully when visiting.
Activity
Use the pictures below to describe how the use of Katandra has changed over time.
Make a time line of significant events using the history resource in the teachers pack located in the tab at the top of this page.
Water Colour by Joseph Lycett 1817
Source- Central Coast Library
Late 1800's Wyong Area
Source- Central Coast Library
Orchard Gosford Area 1920-1930
Source- Central Coast Library
Katandra Today
St Johns Lookout
Early Europeans & Central Coast Rainforests?
The diagrams show the distribution (size) of the Central Coast Rainforest before European settlement and as it exists today. Compare the two diagrams and answer the following questions
Questions
• Locate the approximate position of Katandra rainforest.
• Compare and discuss the distribution (size) of rainforest as shown on the maps e.g. confined to gullies (marked with dark-green lines)
• Discuss reasons for the loss of Central Coast rainforest e.g. agriculture, logging, fire.
• Discuss possible impacts of rainforest fragmentation e.g. isolated pockets not large enough to maintain sustainable populations, more vulnerable to fire, feral animals and weed invasion, populations not able to re-establish after fire.
Inquiry Question: What are the important plants and animals of Katandra?
Animals (fauna)
There are a number of threatened species in Katandra reserve. Scientists conduct regular surveys of animals so they can better understand what animals are living at Katandra and what habitats and food sources they need to protect to ensure that these animals don't become extinct.
Below is a list of Threatened Species we learnt about on the day. Click on the name to find out more and create a brochure that explains how people can help your chosen species at Katandra Reserve.
Find out more about Katandra animals in this link.
Activity
See if you can match the three common animals of Katandra (listed below) with their scat photo. Open the chart at the end to help with identification.
Wallaby Possum Rabbit
Which one is a feral and doesn't belong at Katandra?
Scat 1
Scat 2
Scat 3
Scats2.pdfScats Chart
Image Source: Tracks Scats & Other Traces & Australian & A Field Guide to Mammals of Australia
Plants (flora)
Katandra is home to one of the most significant areas of rainforest on the Central Coast. In the last 200 years Australia has cleared over 25% of rainforest for timber, farming and development. Rainforests are important as they contain a large number of plants and animals - more than any other type of forest. When they are cleared or disturbed they are very slow to recover and can be lost forever.
Activity
Follow the link here to see some of the most significant rainforest plants at Katandra.
Write an information report on what you learnt about rainforest plants and animals at Katandra using the same page as above.
Inquiry Question: How do people manage Katandra Reserve and how are people affected by these management systems?
Katandra Reserve is managed by Central Coast Council and is part of the Coastal Open Space System. The Coastal Open Space System (COSS) consists of over 70 natural reserves which are set aside for plants and animals, nature-based recreation and to preserve the bushland character, They are mainly in the Gosford region. Our COSS includes woodland ridgelines, rainforests, steep cliffs, wetlands and creeks.
Wildlife Corridors
Wildlife corridors are similar to a corridor in your school. They join two places and allow you to easily move from one place to another. In the natural environment they might join two nature reserves. The corridor might be line of planted trees that allows animals to get from one nature reserve to the next.
https://www.environment.gov.au/topics/biodiversity/biodiversity-conservation/wildlife-corridors/what-are-wildlife-corridors
To manage Katandra Reserve, Central Coast Council needs to make sure that there are enough wildlife corridors to link animals to other National Parks and Nature reserves on the Central Coast. Different plants and foods that animals need may only be in one particular nature area at a particular time of the year so if they can not move around to other parts of the Central Coast they may not be able to find the foods they need. As Katandra contains rainforest it has very important food sources and contains habitats that are not found everywhere on the Central Coast.
National Wildlife Corridor diagram 2.pdfLand use practices that can contribute to wildlife corridors
Activity: Creating a wildlife corridor in your school
Walk around your school and assess if it supports a healthy habitat for plants and animals. Could animals use trees or gardens in your school to get to a nature reserve near by?
Consider planting trees to act as a corridor for local animals.
Human Impacts at Katandra
In the table below discuss some of the human impacts and solutions at Katandra. Use photos you took on the day to match the problem areas.
How could population increases on the Central Coast affect our local nature reserves?
'The whole Central Coast Region has been identified as the centre of the State’s fastest growing corridor, from the northern edge of Sydney to Newcastle. The projected population along this corridor is estimated to be 1.1 million by 2036'.
Source: Local Strategic Planning Statement - Central Coast Council 2020
All councils have a plan for how they will manage the area. The plan includes a vision for how the community would like to see the area for the next 20 years. The community is surveyed and are invited to workshops to help make the plan.
You can see the Central Coast draft plan here.
Questions
Describe how the population has changed between 2006 and 2019.
What are the advantages of population increase on the Central Coast?
What are some disadvantages of Population increase on the Central Coast?
Ask students to conduct a survey of community of community members to gain their perceptions of the impact of population increases.
Download and print the zoning map below. Zoning is how the council divides the land for specific uses e.g house (residential), environmental uses, business areas.
Questions
What colour on the map is for residential areas (note there five kinds of residential areas)?
In what suburbs are these residential areas located?
The white zones on the map are still to be zoned by the government but hold environmental values. Look at the white zone between Wyoming and Holgate. Do you think this should be zoned to protect the environment or should it be given residential zoning? Explain your answer from the perspective of each of these people/animals:
Builder
Bushwalker
Aboriginal Person
Wallaby
Environmentalist
Road construction worker
Zoning Map Katandra / Mount Elliot Area
Google Maps Katandra / Mount Elliot Area
zoning map katandra.pdfDownload a PDF of the zoning map here.
Planning Liveable Cities
Making our local area an enjoyable place to live involves understanding the needs of all members of the community. Read a Stage 3 level picture book about how a community member in New York City who helped to make the city a better place by asking all the different groups to meet together and consider what was important about their city.
Find out about the book here.
Communicating geographical information
Communicate:
Students work in small groups to develop a three-minute documentary to convey their understandings of the possible effects of population increase on our nature reserves. Put forward arguments and opinions.
The documentary should include:
A clear description of the issue and some of the consequences for the environment;
Tools such as maps, satellite images, graphs, statistics, flowcharts, labelled photographs, diagrams, illustrations and other labelled visual representations;
Information on the traditional use of the place by Aboriginal people and the current perspective on the issue today from local Aboriginal people;
A description of the role of government in organising or managing the place; and the perspectives of other stakeholders e.g. developers, conservationists, recreationists, council, residents.
A description and justification of a specific point of view and/or course of action in response to the issue.
Respond:
Describe and justify a specific point of view and/or course of action in response to the issue.