Penguin raft count – citizen science program

Raft Count Research Program

Join us in counting little penguins in St Kilda and learn from dedicated volunteers all about the colony!  As a citizen scientist, you’ll join one of two dedicated teams – each made up of five citizen scientists and two team leaders. You will help manually count the number of penguins in each raft (group of penguins in the water) as they return home. This non-intrusive study is designed to collect valuable data on penguin arrival patterns and population trends over time. Your observations will directly contribute to protecting and understanding the Little Penguin colony in St Kilda. 

What’s Involved: 

• Be part of a team of citizen scientists observing penguins from the St Kilda Breakwater and St Kilda Marina 
• Manually count penguin rafts as the penguins return home from feeding at sea 
• Help collect long-term data on penguin arrival patterns and population trends 
• Contribute to the conservation of Melbourne’s unique Little Penguin colony 
• Get the chance to see and learn about our unique colony of Little Penguins 

Program details: 

• Duration: Approximately 2 hours 
• When: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings 
• Start Time: Begins 15 minutes before sunset (exact time varies with the season) 
• Where: St Kilda Breakwater & RMYS Marina
• What to bring: warm clothes, water, and binoculars (if you have them). We provide red-light torches 

Requirements:  

• No experience needed – full training provided
• Must be aged 8 years or older (participants under 16 must be accompanied by a responsible adult)
• Working with Children’s check (if over the age of 18) 

 Registrations

• Registrations through Earthcare St Kilda are ESSENTIAL, as numbers are strictly limited.
• As we are working on Parks Victoria land, volunteers also need to register with their volunteer system, Park Connect. After you have booked your spot, you will receive an email with instructions on how to register Park Connect.

School and corporate bookings

• Please contact tia@earthcarestkilda.org.au directly to arrange a session.  

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