Bega Valley Shire Council and Atlas of Life are pleased to present the next Life in our Cemeteries event at the Pambula cemetery on Saturday 13 April from 11am to 3pm.
"We've had a huge amount of interest in previous events. It's such a unique opportunity to visit your local cemetery to learn about the history and document the plants and wildlife that live in and around them," Council's Environmental Management Officer, Erin Moon said.
"By identifying the biodiversity at the site and detecting any changes, programs like this help to inform the future management of our shire's cemeteries.
Chairperson of Atlas of Life, Raymond Daly said everyone who joins the event will explore the cemetery and document what they find on the iNaturalist app, so the identity of the plant, insect or animal can be confirmed.
"Participants will explore the vegetation community with botanist, Jackie Miles and discover the extensive history of Pambula cemetery with historian, Fiona Firth," Mr Daly said.
"Jackie Miles says some cemeteries include valuable examples of what the former vegetation may have looked like before it was largely cleared or modified by farming activities and development.
"The cemeteries in forested areas, like Pambula, may still display some interesting native herbs which thrive better in the open than in the adjacent denser unmanaged forest."
A session on threatened species projects and emerging environmental issues will be presented by National Parks' Threatened Species Officer, Andrew Morrison.
Potoroo Palace's Anna Lindstrand will give a wildlife rescue talk and Deb Taylor will lead a walk and talk on the resident invertebrates. A light lunch will also be provided.
Atlas of Life assures the community that full care and respect for the cemetery and those interred will be maintained during this event.
The Atlas of Life is a not-for-profit organisation and an ongoing citizen-science project.
Residents and visitors to the Pambula area might also be interested in checking out the Panboola Ephemeral Festival which is on the same day (13 April) from 9am to 2pm.
