During my expedition to Margaret River for surfing and surf rescue, I was amazed at how well the environment and beaches were kept, and the sheer number of trees, bushes, and animals that we came across on our way to the campsites. I wondered, could the environment and wildlife at Margaret River have ever been better?
Camping with us was Angelina Finch, who is an expert in the wildlife of Margaret River, and also a surf teacher. I asked her about how the environment at Margaret River has changed since it has been visited by tourists, after learning that the popularity of Margaret River has increased over the years as its reputation for surfing has increased. She replied with a variety of both positives and negatives, starting with the unavoidable negatives of tourism.
Ms. Finch stated that due to the influx of tourism, new developments have been built in Margaret River to support and accompany the arrival of people. This has lead to a very large negative in her eyes, which was the reduced natural habitat for the animals and wildlife. Also, due to this influx of tourists, there are inevitably uneducated people entering the area as well. As a result of these uneducated tourists, Ms. Finch has seen an increase in people feeding the wildlife, which causes the local wildlife to become dependent on humans, and in some cases, even sick. As a final negative, Ms. Finch was concerned about the number of roadkills caused by tourists who aren’t aware of the number of kangaroos, possums, and owls who stand on the road during dusk and dawn. However, with all these negatives, Ms. Finch has also given some positives from the influx of tourists to Margaret River.
The first positive Ms. Finch noted was that the tourists will gain more positive interactions with nature, and through these interactions, could learn to think about how to protect and raise awareness for the problems facing wildlife today. Also, through these interactions, Ms. Finch hopes that tourists and people will gain more respect for the wildlife, as they experience wildlife positively. She finally noted that with more education, the positives and negatives of tourism on wildlife will balance out, just like many other controversial issues. She hopes that in the future, tourists could gain more knowledge of wildlife and how to protect it, through learning of important road signs and signals. She hopes that this can be implemented through modern approaches such as phone apps, but also through books, tourist guides, and guided tours.
All in all, my experience with nature and wildlife in Margaret River has taught me something important. Our appreciation and respect for nature is no one’s responsibility but our own. As students, we must learn to respect wildlife and to take responsibility for the dangers and issues facing wildlife today. Whether we enter a country as a student or a tourist, we should always take these responsibilities with us if we hope for a better environment for the wildlife in the future.
