Friends of Gippsland Lakes (FoGL) will hold its annual general meeting on Sunday, October 12, at 1.30pm at the Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club on Bullock Island.
The keynote address will be delivered by Emeritus Professor Peter Gell,
titled “The Ecology of Obligation: Shifting Baselines & Ever-Changing Wetlands — Our Obligations under Ramsar”.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Professor Peter Gell to Lakes Entrance. His work shows how quickly we can normalise ecological change — and why long-term evidence matters if we’re serious about caring for the Gippsland Lakes,” FoGL president, Heather
Oke, said.
“Professor Gell’s 2023 landmark volume, Ramsar Wetlands: Values, Assessment, Management, distils what signatory nations must do to uphold Ramsar ‘wise use’ — protecting wetland values, strengthening assessment of ecological character, and improving on-ground management and monitoring in
a changing climate.
“Peter’s work is clear: wetlands provide immense benefits, but they’re under pressure from climate, hydrological change and inappropriate development. Better monitoring frameworks and decision-support tools can help managers detect change early and keep sites within their ecological limits.
“Professor Gell reads the layers of lake and wetland sediment like tree rings, showing how these places have changed over centuries so we don’t mistake today’s state as ‘normal’. That long term view helps us make ecologically informed decisions to help preserve our Ramsar-listed wetlands for future generations.
“This is a free public talk and a fantastic opportunity for landholders, community groups and decision-makers across East Gippsland with an interest in our regions’ most significant wetlands. Please come along, bring a friend, and be part of a positive, practical conversation about the future of our Lakes,” Ms Oke said.
