National Waterwatch Facilitator
The National Waterwatch Facilitator Project commenced in June 2006 to provide, at the national level:
- Promotion and coordination of Waterwatch,
- Enhance National, State and regional implementation of Waterwatch in natural resource management,
- Support the development and maintenance of Waterwatch tools and resources; and,
- Facilitate communications across the Waterwatch network and with the Australian and State Governments.
The project is funded jointly by the Department of Agriculture Fisheries & Forestry and the Department of Environment and Heritage through the Natural Heritage Trust until June 2008.
Dr Don Thomson, is the National Waterwatch Facilitator Contact
About the National Waterwatch Facilitator Project
The National Waterwatch Facilitator Project (NWFP) commenced in June 2006 and has been funded by the Natural Heritage Trust for an initial period of 2 years.
Dr Don Thomson has been engaged as the National Waterwatch Facilitator (NWF) on a full-time basis.
The National Waterwatch Facilitator will:
- Provide leadership and advocacy for the National Waterwatch Network
- Lobby for funding and resources for Waterwatch at State and regional levels
- Identify and develop strategic partnerships and collaborations
- Work strategically and collaboratively to embed Waterwatch in a range of natural resource management and community education initiatives
- Facilitate communications across the Waterwatch Network and with stakeholders
- Assist and coordinate the development and promotion of Waterwatch tools and resources through new and existing Waterwatch initiatives at State and regional levels
- Monitor and evaluate progress of Waterwatch nationally against its strategic plan and communicate achievements to investors and stakeholders
This will result in:
- Greater security in funding for Waterwatch at National, State, regional and local levels
- Wider adoption of Waterwatch by a range of natural resource managers at state, regional, local and site scales
- An enhanced reputation of Waterwatch as a valuable, useful, flexible tool for community-based monitoring, community education and ‘capacity building’
- Waterwatch being embedded into a range of natural resource management and environmental improvement programs by a wide range of government, community and non-government organisations
- Enhanced participation, qualitatively and quantitatively, by volunteers
- An enhanced sense of belonging, for Waterwatch coordinators at all levels and for volunteers, to a National network
- An expansion of the Waterwatch network
- Greater acceptance that the community can play a role in collecting valid, reliable and useful data on water quality and the health of aquatic and riparian ecosystems
Contact Details
Dr Don Thomson
National Waterwatch Facilitator
56 Old Bass Highway
WYNYARD TAS 7325
Phone (03) 6442 1016
Fax (03) 6442 1016
Mobile 0409 602221
Email: don.thomson@mac.com