This one page guide has been extracted from the full Field Manual for easy printing and sharing of the instructions for the Turbidity water quality test.

• All, Fact sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

This one page guide has been extracted from the full Field Manual for easy printing and sharing of the instructions for the Electrical Conductivity water quality test.

If your school/group uses an alternative EC meter use the following instructions; green EC meter / cream EC meter

• All, Fact sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

This one page guide has been extracted from the full Field Manual for easy printing and sharing of the instructions for the Reactive Phosphorus water quality test.

If your school/group uses the alternative Low Range Phosphate test kit measuring phosphorus in parts per billion use these instructions.

• All, Fact sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

This one page guide has been extracted from the full Field Manual for easy printing and sharing of the instructions for the pH water quality test.

• All, Fact sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

This one page guide has been extracted from the full Field Manual for easy printing and sharing of the instructions for the Temperature water quality test.

• All, Fact sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

These two posters are an excellent resource for staff and students to familiarise themselves with the Richardson River – it’s;  source, path, reaches, catchment, major towns, history, most notable features, flora, fauna and users.  The engaging format, stunning photos and user-friendly text makes it the perfect tool for teacher background, student-lead research and learning about an important waterway in the north central region.

• All, Catchments, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

These two posters are invaluable to explain the importance of in-stream woody habitat to native fish and explains some of the important work that is taking place in the lower Loddon River and the Little Murray River as part of the north central CMA’s native fish recovery plan.  Features include great photos, fact files, information and an excellent diagram outlining the threats and values in a waterway that impact on fish health.

• All, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This poster is an excellent resource for staff and students to familiarise themselves with the Coliban River – it’s;  source, path, catchment, major towns, history, most notable features, flora, fauna and users.  The engaging format, stunning photos and user-friendly text makes it the perfect tool for teacher background, student-lead research and learning about an important waterway in the north central region.

• All, Catchments, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This is a wonderful poster showcasing six of the most important native water bird species of the Loddon River.  It features a map of the Loddon River and its catchment and fact files on six water bird species outlining; appearance, size, life cycle, habitat, diet, breeding, behaviour, calls and conservation status.

Use the Natureblitz App to listen to calls and record sightings.

• All, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This is a wonderful poster showcasing six of the most important native frog species of the Loddon River.  It features a map of the Loddon River and its catchment and fact files on six frog species outlining; appearance, size, life cycle, habitat, diet, breeding, behaviour, calls and conservation status.

Use the Natureblitz App to listen to frog calls and record sightings.

• All, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This is a wonderful poster showcasing six of the most important native fish species of the Loddon River.  It features a map of the Loddon River and its catchment and fact files on six fish species outlining; appearance, size, life cycle, habitat, diet, breeding, behaviour and conservation status.

Use the Natureblitz App to record sightings.

• All, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

These three posters are an excellent resource for staff and students to familiarise themselves with the Avoca River – it’s;  source, path, reaches, catchment, major towns, history, most notable features, flora, fauna and users.  The engaging format, stunning photos and user-friendly text makes it the perfect tool for teacher background, student-lead research and learning about an important waterway in the north central region.

• All, Catchments, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

These three posters are an excellent resource for staff and students to familiarise themselves with the Loddon River – it’s;  source, path, reaches, catchment, major towns, history, most notable features, flora, fauna and users.  The engaging format, stunning photos and user-friendly text makes it the perfect tool for teacher background, student-lead research and learning about an important waterway in the north central region.

• All, Catchments, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

These two posters are an excellent resource for staff and students to familiarise themselves with the Campaspe River – it’s;  source, path, reaches, catchment, major towns, most notable features, flora, fauna and users.  The engaging format, stunning photos and user-friendly text makes it the perfect tool for teacher background, student-lead research and learning about an important waterway in the north central region.

• All, Catchments, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This guide produced by North Central Waterwatch includes fact files on waterbird species; description, distribution, diet, calls, breeding, habitat and conservation status. Beautiful photos make it a great asset for birdwatching at any waterway.

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• North Central CMA,

Use this data sheet on site or at school to record your habitat survey results.  You can enter your habitat survey data online at the ‘Let’s Test and Record’ tab of this website.

• Activity Sheet, All, Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Use this data sheet on site or at school to record your waterbug data after sampling.  You can enter your waterbug data online at the ‘Let’s Test and Record’ tab of this website.

• Activity Sheet, All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Use this data sheet on site or at school to record your water quality data each month.  Make sure you enter your water science data online at the ‘Let’s Test and Record’ tab of this website.

• Activity Sheet, All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

This beautiful graphic illustrates the variety of ways that fish use trees in and beside waterways and why it’s essential we retain and replace them.

• All, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

This is a great poster highlighting the features of waterways that fish require for food, shelter, breeding and migration, from source to mouth.

• All, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Comprehensive fact sheets on a variety of bugs in each of the sensitivity categories including photos, sketches, life cycle images and information on size, appearance, habitat, diet, movement, predators, life cycles and other interesting facts

• All, Fact sheet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Use this matrix as a springboard for learning in the remote learning environment (or anytime !).  Engaging activities provide independent learning opportunities for students across all year levels (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) and catering to all learning styles (based on Multiple Intelligences).  Activities are designed to use everyday materials and be as tech-free as possible.  If there is a resource you need, links in the matrix will take you there.

• Activity Sheet, All, Catchments, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

Take a journey along the depth and breadth of the Wimmera River catchment. Produced in 2006, this short film is a fantastic look back at our river system. It focusses on how Wimmera CMA looks after the catchment and how they manage environmental water releases.

Although many things have changed since this film was made, such as completion of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline and more security for environmental water releases, the themes in this flowing tale have stayed the same.

• All, Catchments, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video, Waterways,
• Wimmera CMA,

This is a copy of the Field Manual you receive a version of in your water quality test kit.  If you lose your hard copy you can access it here.  Be aware that this is the full manual – some pages may be irrelevant to you depending on the equipment you have and the region you are in.

• Flora (plants), Guide/activity booklet, Teacher, Water bugs, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Numbers are just numbers until you work out what they mean.  Use the regional water quality rating charts in the Field Manual to compare your readings for EC, turbidity, reactive phosphorus and pH to assess the health of your waterway.  Or find your specific CMA region rating charts below;

Corangamite CMA, Melbourne Water, North East CMA, North Central CMA, Wimmera CMA

• All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

The Waterbug Shop was established as a better way for people to access equipment and resources for the sampling and identification of waterbugs.
If your school or group is looking to purchase macroinvertebrate sampling equipment this is a great place to start.

• Teacher, Water bugs, Website,
• All Regions,

In 2019 students of four primary schools along Bendigo Creek were asked to add their voice to the Reimagining Bendigo Creek project.

A collaborative project lead by the City of Greater Bendigo, this project marks the beginning of a process of renewal, understanding and connection over many generations, which aims to create a healthier, more inclusive, connected and beautiful Creek that we all respect and value.

After attending a workshop about the assets and threats of Bendigo Creek students were challenged to present their vision for a future Bendigo Creek and their innovative results were amazing !

View Huntly Primary School’s creative lego model presentation and Epsom Primary School’s engaging video as inspiration for your own student-led waterway championing project.

• All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Urban Water, Video, Waterways, Website,
• All Regions,

This brochure produced by the Bendigo Urban Stormwater Program details the responsibilities of builders/renovators/land developers to manage runoff from building sites. Diagrams and captions clearly explain positive strategies to reduce impacts and demonstrate an example of a subdivision considering water-sensitive urban design.

This is a useful resource for any region.

• All, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Urban Water,
• All Regions,

This poster is a fantastic resource to use demonstrate the impact of litter that can flow into a waterway with urban stormwater.  It highlights the often unknown fact that only 10% of waterway litter is visible from the surface and a disturbing 90% will be hidden under the water.

The  Water Bug pictures could be placed on the poster to create discussion about how they (and other fauna) would be impacted by stormwater pollution and how this would impact on the entire food chain.

• All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Urban Water, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Print this coloured poster at A4 or A3 size for a great visual aid to discuss the features of a healthy catchment and the strategies to reduce salinity in dryland farming, irrigated farming and urban areas.

• All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Salinity, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

The North Central CMA developed this package in 2002 and although it has links to the obsolete curriculum document CSF II, it is jam-packed with engaging cross-curricular activities to enhance student understanding of urban stormwater.  Primarily aimed at Year 5 and 6 students the lesson plans and activities are easily adaptable to lower primary and lower secondary.

Introductory content can be found by clicking the resource title above and lesson plans/activity sheets for each curriculum area can be accessed using the links here;

English, SOSE, Science, Maths, The Arts, HPE, Extras

Some lesson plans refer to photos on a CD.  A selection of these photos are available here.

• Activity Sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Teacher, Urban Water,
• All Regions,

The North Central CMA developed this package in 2002 and although it has links to the obsolete curriculum document CSF II, it is jam-packed with engaging cross-curricular activities to enhance student understanding of waterways.  Primarily aimed at Year 5 and 6 students the lesson plans and activities are easily adaptable to lower primary and lower secondary.

Introductory content can be found by clicking the resource title above and lesson plans/activity sheets for each curriculum area can be accessed using the links here;

English, SOSE, Science, Maths, The Arts, HPE, Extras

Some lesson plans refer to photos on a CD.  A selection of these photos are available here.

• Activity Sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Teacher, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Use this matrix as a springboard for learning in the remote learning environment (or anytime !).  Engaging activities provide independent learning opportunities for students across all year levels (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) and catering to all learning styles (based on Multiple Intelligences).  Activities are designed to use everyday materials and be as tech-free as possible.  If there is a resource you need, links in the matrix will take you there.

• Activity Sheet, All, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Salinity, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

Find out about Golden Perch and their distribution across northern Victorian waterways.

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• North East CMA, North Central CMA,

Find out about Murray Cod and their distribution across northern Victorian waterways.

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• North East CMA, North Central CMA,

Find out what the North East CMA does and how they care for catchments in the region.  Includes descriptions of the region and projects the CMA is undertaking to protect and enhance environmental values within the region.

• All, Catchments, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways, Website,
• North East CMA,

Find out what Melbourne Water does and how they care for catchments in the region.

Includes a myriad of education resources covering frogs, litter, stormwater, catchments, waterways and more.  Some are specific to the Melbourne area but many are relevant to all regions.

• All, Catchments, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Urban Water, Waterways, Website,
• All Regions,

Find out what the Corangamite CMA does and how they care for catchments in the region.  Includes descriptions of the region’s catchments and projects the CMA is undertaking to protect and enhance them.

• All, Catchments, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways, Website,
• Corangamite CMA,

Find out what the North Central CMA does and how they care for catchments in the region.  Includes great descriptions of rivers and wetlands in the region and projects the CMA is undertaking to protect and enhance them.

• All, Catchments, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways, Website,
• North Central CMA,

Find out what the Wimmera CMA does and how they care for catchments in the region.  Includes great descriptions of rivers/streams and wetlands in the Wimmera CMA region..

• All, Catchments, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways, Website,
• Wimmera CMA,

This documentary was created as part of National Reconciliation Week 2016 by Barengi Gadjin Land Council and Cooper Heritage Management to highlight cultural heritage survey activities on the iconic Lake Hindmarsh in western Victoria.

Their findings help us understand how the area was traditionally used and the importance of Lake Hindmarsh in the past, present and future.

• Aboriginal Cultures, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video,
• Wimmera CMA,

Our waterways are very special and mean something to each of us.  In this series of three short stories the Wimmera CMA have been innovative and put the voices and stories of people in their region to the animated characters of the Fresh and Salty film.

In Story 1 at the title link above, a tree (farmer) talks about his family being a guardian to the river over many generations.  In Story 2 members of the community appear as a mosquito, fish and mollusc to tell how it feels to waterski on the river or sit beside it.  In Story 3 an egret and fish share what the river means to the young and old.

• All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

In September 2016 the Wimmera region enjoyed seeing many of their waterways flowing and lakes filling!  The CMA filmed the breathtaking sight of Lake Hindmarsh from the air with the majority of the lake’s 139 square km surface area covered by water.

Lake Hindmarsh is Victoria’s largest freshwater lake. Previously it filled after the 2011 floods but since then had been dry. It is a popular spot for camping, birdwatching, sailing and brings visitors from around the world. The lake also supports a diverse array of plants and animals including birds, frogs, fish and river redgums.

• All, Catchments, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video, Waterways,
• Wimmera CMA,

• All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

The Wimmera CMA take you behind the scenes of their MacKenzie River platypus surveys in the Grampians. This footage was filmed during their 2019 autumn surveys.  In the spring of that year they returned and filmed more beautiful footage of a male platypus.

• All, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video,
• All Regions,

To celebrate World Wetlands Day 2020 the Wimmera CMA zoomed in on Dock Lake near Horsham that received water for the first time in two decades in 2016.

They recorded the great diversity and abundance of waterbirds that flocked to the lake, showing how adding water to wetlands can trigger a huge response from nature.

• All, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video, Waterways,
• Wimmera CMA,

This video produced by Wimmera CMA is a great example for all regions of how a healthy river that strikes the balance between the needs of plants, animals and people can build a vibrant community.

It shows that strategies ensuring healthy fish populations boosts the enjoyment of the river by local and visiting anglers and sends the message that if you look after the river, it will look after you.

• All, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video,
• All Regions,

These photos of salt-ravaged land, healthy land, restoration strategies and urban salinity can be used as a springboard for discussion, in conjunction with lessons in the Salinity Environmental Education Resource or with some of the activities on the Salinity Remote Learning Matrix.

• All, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Photo, Salinity, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

West Australian farmers Tim and Val Saggers have been restoring salt affected land on their farm for more than a decade, using native perennial shrubs and grasses. Although native perennial pastures are not yet a popular option in WA compared to the eastern states, the Saggers’  have not been deterred and have managed to reclaim once unproductive land and made their farm more productive and sustainable for future use.

Although not a local example, this video follows principles that are effective in any salt-ravaged environment.

• All, Salinity, Video,
• All Regions,

The North Central CMA developed this package in 2002 and although it has links to the obsolete curriculum document CSF II, it is jam-packed with engaging cross-curricular activities to enhance student understanding of salinity.  Primarily aimed at Year 5 and 6 students the lesson plans and activities are easily adaptable to lower primary and lower secondary.

Introductory content can be found by clicking the resource title above and lesson plans/activity sheets for each curriculum area can be accessed using the links here;

English, SOSE, Science, Maths, The Arts, HPE, Extras

Some lesson plans refer to photos on a CD.  A selection of these photos are available here.

• Activity Sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Salinity, Teacher, Upper Primary,
• All Regions,

In February 2018 the Corangamite CMA and Wathaurung Aboriginal Corporation hosted a community fishing day with the Wadawurrung community on the Moorabool River.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Video,
• Corangamite CMA,

Corangamite CMA worked with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners in developing a joint bid for additional water for the Moorabool River. This was to protect the environmental and Aboriginal values within the rivers on Wadawurrung Country.

The bid was successful and an additional 500 megalitres was released down the river when it was most needed. This allowed the Wadawaurrung community to come together, practice cultural values and share their knowledge.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Video,
• Corangamite CMA,

When Ian Campbell and Dr Sue Swaney bought their Deans Marsh farm in 1988, the landscape had only seven trees and a large erosion gully that nearly split the property in half. The transformation they’ve achieved in just three decades is astounding.

In recent years the Corangamite CMA’s On-Farm Water Efficiency Project has supported Ian and Sue to design and manage a state-of-the-art farm water supply system to improve outcomes for animal health, catchment health and biodiversity.

This is a great example for any region of the responsibility that all landowners in a catchment have toward waterway health.

• All, Catchments, Video,
• All Regions,

Over 40 local recreational anglers braved wet and windy conditions in July 2019 to help revegetate the Barwon River. Thousands of native trees, shrubs and grasses were planted on the banks of the lower Barwon River near Marshall, south of Geelong, to return a one kilometre stretch of the river to its original woodland habitat.

This is a great example of working together to improve fish habitat.

• All, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Video, Waterways,
• Corangamite CMA,

Instructions on how to download and use the iNaturalist app, developed by Corangamite CMA.

• All, App, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants),
• All Regions,

Instructions on how to download and use the PlatypusSpot app, developed by Corangamite CMA.

• All, App, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

Instructions on how to download and use the FrogID app, developed by Corangamite CMA.

• All, App, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

Birdlife Australia’s easy-to-use app is a portable conservation tool allowing volunteers to leap into the colourful world of birdwatching and enter bird survey data.

Analysis of  surveys in Birdata feeds directly into the State of Australia’s Birds report series. These reports are the go-to guide on the status of Australia’s bird populations, designed to inform decision making on land management, and direct conservation and policy that affects Australia’s birds and biodiversity.

You can also get involved in the Aussie Backyard Bird Count in October each year, a nationwide citizen-science event.

• All, App, Fauna (animals), Teacher,
• All Regions,

The Wild Pollinator Count gives you an opportunity to contribute to wild pollinator insect conservation in Australia. Twice a year (April and November) the community is invited to count wild pollinators in the local environment and help build a database on wild pollinator activity.

You can join in by watching any flowering plant for just ten minutes sometime in the count weeks.

• You don’t need to be an insect expert.
• You don’t need fancy gear.
• You may be surprised by what you see!

• All, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Teacher, Website,
• All Regions,

The Kids Teaching Kids Program raises awareness and drives action on local and global environmental issues, helping the next generation of leaders who will take collective responsibility for our future.

By giving students the opportunity to present a workshop to others during Kids Teaching Kids Week or at one of the Kids Conferences, students see that they can have a positive impact on the world, starting in their own communities.

You could consider having a group of students present at a KTK workshop or run a KTK- inspired event at your school with cross-age learning or by gathering with other non-River Detective schools.

• General, Teacher, Website,
• All Regions,

Parks Victoria’s Junior Rangers website is a great resource with activity sheets and booklets found at the ‘Make and Do’ link.  Topics are wide-ranging but River Detective related content includes;  a river activity Booklet, pest animals, river red gums, pest plants and weeds, platypus and general activities related to nature studies that can be done at school, in backyards or at your water testing site.

• General, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Website,
• All Regions,

Available for both Apple and Android devices, the app holds descriptions of over 950 species, including birds, mammals, fishes, reptiles, frogs and invertebrates from terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments.  Bird and frog calls, where held, can also be played for enjoyment and identification.

• All, App, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

The National Waterbug Blitz is Australia’s first nationwide waterway monitoring event.

Each year, Australians are encouraged to become ‘citizen scientists’ and investigate how healthy their local waterways and wetlands are, simply by exploring and identifying what waterbugs they contain.  The type and number of waterbugs found in a waterway can tell us a lot about how healthy that waterway is.

Find out how to get involved by heading to the website.

• Teacher, Water bugs, Website,
• All Regions,

The Dhelkunya Dja Country Plan is about reaffirming the aspirations and describing the future of the Traditional Owners of Dja Dja Wurrung Country.

• Aboriginal Cultures, Group/organisation, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Secondary,
• North Central CMA,

Thousands of free curriculum-linked resources for school teachers and students!  Search for the topic you require and there may be activities, lesson plans or videos ready for you to use.

• All, General, Website,
• All Regions,

Cool Australia has been supporting teachers since 2008, providing them with learning activities and resources that make teaching and understanding real world scenarios as easy as possible.

Units, lessons and activities are Australian curriculum aligned and FREE to educators and students. You can choose to follow full units of study or pick individual lessons to fit in with your curriculum.

There are a multitude of resources from a variety of curriculum areas that provide content aligned with topics covered by the River Detectives program.

• All, General, Website,
• All Regions,

The North Central CMA’s NatureBlitz app is a free citizen science monitoring tool that allows the community to collect important information about our region’s biodiversity and specifically about aquatic fauna in and around our waterways.

NatureBlitz provides a description of 124 species; a small fraction of the complete field guide of Victorian fauna. It is a great tool for students to use as field guide for identification (with maps, photos, information and calls) or to record sightings to contribute to regional data about the health of our waterways.

• All, App, Fauna (animals),
• North Central CMA,

Aboriginal Victoria aims to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage, promote the advancement of Treaty and self-determination, and deliver programs to strengthen Aboriginal communities.

• Aboriginal Cultures, Lower Secondary, Resource Type, Suitable Age Group, Teacher, Topics, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Website,
• All Regions,

This map shows the Catchment Management Authority regions across Victoria.  In each region, CMA’s are responsible for the management of waterways.  Maybe you could research what the major waterways are in each region ?

• All, Catchments, Map,
• All Regions,

Discover stories spanning from traditional to contemporary life, of land and spirit, art and artefacts.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Website,
• All Regions,

The Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated, or VAEAI, is the state-wide Aboriginal community-controlled organisation for education and training in Victoria.

• Aboriginal Cultures, Resource Type, Suitable Age Group, Teacher, Topics, Website,
• All Regions,

Marrung is the Department of Education and Training’s strategy to ensure that all Koorie Victorians achieve their learning aspirations.

• Aboriginal Cultures, Resource Type, Suitable Age Group, Teacher, Topics, Website,
• All Regions,

This guide produced by North Central Waterwatch includes fact files on frog species; description, calls, breeding, eggs, tadpoles, habitat and conservation status. It also clearly explains the different types of pupils, toes and eggs that can assist with frog identification.

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Guide/activity booklet,
• North Central CMA,

This guide produced by North Central Waterwatch includes fact files on fish species; description, breeding, fins, eggs, habitat, diet and conservation status including threats. A map showing the fish species approximate distribution in the North Central CMA region and a breeding cycle calendar is also provided for each species, along with a photo or two. It contains simple information to assist with identifying a fish.

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Guide/activity booklet,
• North Central CMA,

This resource from NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment is a colouring book and treasure hunt focused on the Southern Bell Frog (we call it the Growling Grass Frog in Victoria).  It is a beautifully detailed keepsake for students looking at the habitat, life cycle, diet, call, appearance of the Growling Grass Frog and its place in the ecosystem of wetland life.

• Activity Sheet, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

In February 2018 Melbourne Water brought together 24 passionate citizens, known as the Yarra River Community Assembly, to write a 50-year community vision for the Yarra.

Members of the assembly heard from experts, including Wurundjeri Elders and community, about the history of the Yarra and its cultural significance to the Traditional Owners.

The group used the stories gathered from the broader community to write a vision for each of the Yarra’s four reaches (upper rural, lower rural, suburban and inner-city) and an overarching vision for the whole river.

These visions will provide the building blocks for how the river and its land are used and managed in future, to ensure the Yarra remains a proud part of Victoria’s identity.

This link takes you to a video library to explore the project through the stories of all involved.

• All, Urban Water, Video, Waterways, Website,
• Melbourne Water,

Only around 30% to 50% of the rain that falls on our catchments each year ends up in waterways.  For example, only about 10% of rainfall during summer turns into runoff because the dry soil acts like a sponge, soaking up the rain before it can flow into streams.

Watch this video to see how this changes from season to season depending on how wet the soil in the catchment is.

• All, Catchments, Video,
• All Regions,

Learn why Melbourne’s water tastes great straight from the tap !

• All, Urban Water, Video, Water cycles,
• Melbourne Water,

People have changed the natural water cycle; buildings and pipes take water for drinking and remove sewage and stormwater. This is the urban water cycle, and in Melbourne is managed by Melbourne Water.

At this interactive map, water warriors explain the role of each aspect of the urban water cycle.

You can also use this link to check out a summary of the urban water cycle, learn about why Melbourne has some of the highest-quality drinking water in the world or find out why Greater Melbourne’s sewerage has provided Melburnians with world-class sanitation for over 100 years, protecting public health and the environment.

• All, Catchments, Teacher, Urban Water, Water cycles, Website,
• All Regions,

Learn about a multi-agency effort to recover the health of Stony Creek after the West Footscray warehouse fire on 30 August 2018.

• Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Secondary, Urban Water, Waterways, Website,
• Melbourne Water,

In October 2019, the NCCMA worked with Coliban Water and Dja Dja Wurrung to hold a planting day on the banks of the Campaspe River with Grade 4 students from Woodend Primary School.

Students helped to plant some of the 20,000 native trees and shrubs, and learned about the positive impact the plants and fencing will have on water quality and catchment health.

• All, Flora (plants), Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This video explains how River Detectives schools can be integrally involved in river health projects when they partner with NCCMA projects and local Landcare groups.  See examples of how Woodend and Goornong primary schools enjoy participating.

• All, General, Video,
• North Central CMA,

Use this matrix as a springboard for learning in the remote learning environment (or anytime !).  Engaging activities provide independent learning opportunities for students across all year levels (based on Bloom’s Taxonomy) and catering to all learning styles (based on Multiple Intelligences).  Activities are designed to use everyday materials and be as tech-free as possible.  If there is a resource you need, links in the matrix will take you there.

• Activity Sheet, All, General, Guide/activity booklet, Teacher,
• All Regions,

Melbourne Water’s ‘Enhancing Our Dandenong Creek’ project is taking an innovative approach to sewerage management and bringing the creek back to life.

Although Melbourne based, this is a great case study to show students how urban water can be managed effectively.

For more information go to Melbourne Water’s website

• Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Urban Water, Video, Waterways, Website,
• All Regions,

Join Drippy the raindrop on a journey across the urban water cycle, through your neighbourhood’s water pipes, sewers, drains and waterways as you head towards the bay.

Steer around obstacles and collect bubbles to reveal facts unique to your postcode. You can even build a bike trail or bust a fatberg by activating special effects that improve services to your area!

This Melbourne Water resource does focus on Melbourne’s urban area but will have some relevance to urban areas in any region.

Suitable for ages 12 and above.  Drip Trip can be played on smartphones, tablets and computers. It works best on newer operating systems and browsers like the latest versions of Chrome, Safari and Firefox. You don’t need to download the game to play, but we do recommend a stable internet connection.

• Catchments, Game, Lower Secondary, Upper Primary, Urban Water, Water cycles, Website,
• All Regions,

You may like to use this activity sheet from Melbourne Water when completing a sampling activity – includes a space to sketch the bugs you find and profiles on five common waterbugs.

• Activity Sheet, Fact sheet, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Use this activity sheet from Melbourne Water to hunt for the sights, sounds, smells and textures along a waterway near you.  Draw other discoveries and reflect on how time spent at the waterway makes you feel.

• Activity Sheet, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Match pollutants with a strategy to avoid their impact to consolidate knowledge of stormwater pollution and its effect on waterways.  This resource from Melbourne Water has relevance for all regions but bear in mind that in some regions our litter may not make it to the ocean as stated here.

• Activity Sheet, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Urban Water,
• All Regions,

Read some facts about the diet of a platypus then complete the maze from Melbourne Water to help the platypus return to her nest and babies in the creek bank.  Perhaps students could calculate 25% of their own body weight and work out what foods they could eat to satisfy that quantity each day ?

• Activity Sheet, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary,
• All Regions,

A simple worksheet from Melbourne Water to review the stages of a frog’s lifecycle.  Great to use as a reading comprehension activity.

• Activity Sheet, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary,
• All Regions,

Rare footage of a pair of brolga incubating and rearing two chicks highlights the need for a plan to deliver environmental water to wetlands.

• All, Fauna (animals), Video,
• All Regions,

Delight at the sound of the frog chorus in two of north central Victoria’s wetlands.

• All, Fauna (animals), Video,
• North Central CMA,

Aunty Esther tells the story of the Barapa Barapa connection to Gunbower Forest.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Video,
• North Central CMA,

This engaging animation clearly explains the problems that irrigation channels can cause for native fish and how fish screens are proving to be an effective solution.

• All, Fauna (animals), Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

This short video shows how environmental watering programs can make a difference to the health and reproduction of water birds.

• All, Fauna (animals), Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This video showcases an innovative NCCMA event for traditional owners to come together with land managers to spend time on country, learn from each other and allow time together on the river to strengthen relationships.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

The North Central Waterwatch Program aims to increase the knowledge and skills of community, supporting them to become custodians of local waterways.  River Detectives is the school/youth based component of the program. This video will help your students understand the community of passionate people that they belong to by being a River Detective.

• All, Video, Water Science, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This video provides a simple explanation of the causes and effects of blackwater.

• All, Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

As well as the water in a river that naturally falls from rain, river and wetland flows are actively managed to maintain or improve their health and with the aim of achieving key ecological objectives such as:

• fish movement and breeding
• improvement in water quality and riparian vegetation health
• enhancing bird breeding, feeding and roosting opportunities

This short video is an engaging animation that explains the issue simply.

• All, Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

The Loddon Murray Wetlands consist of one actively managed private wetland complex and 13 public-land wetlands located on the Murray and Loddon River floodplains.

The wetlands are of international and/or regional significance and collectively cover an area of more than 2,800 hectares.

This video highlights the importance of environmental watering to return natural watering cycles to waterways and wetlands in the north central region.

• All, Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This 9 minute video shows edited footage of a drone journey along the Campaspe River from Axedale (just downstream of Lake Eppalock) to Echuca.  Set to peaceful music it is a relaxing way to soar like an eagle over the waterway and start conversations about land practices along the way and strategies to balance river health with productive community life and agriculture.

• All, Catchments, Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This page is run by freshwater ecologists dedicated to assisting with waterbug ID from photos.  Send your inage in for help with identification and check out posts for very cool photos and videos of waterbugs in action.

• All, Water bugs, Website,
• All Regions,

The Waterbug app helps you identify waterbugs from Australia.

Work through the scientific key on your device to answer questions that help you identify your waterbug, or whizz through speedbug and see if you recognize it.

A fantastic portable, paper-free resource for waterbug identification.

• All, App, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Be inspired by this awesome video of Yorta Yorta children leading their mob in a song about their country defined by three rivers; the Campaspe, the Goulburn and the mighty Murray River.

Maybe you could do a similar project with your students to tell (or sing) a story about your local waterway ?

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

The Caring for the Campaspe project is the first large scale on-ground works project to deliver river health improvements for the Campaspe River from its headwaters near Ashbourne to the Murray River at Echuca.

Since 2012, the North Central CMA has been providing fencing, offstream watering, weed control and revegetation incentives to interested land managers on both public and privately owned along the river’s length.

This video is a great example of the great outcomes that can be achieved when passionate groups work together to improve river health.

• Flora (plants), Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

The NCCMA’s Caring for the Campaspe River project means more than just ensuring environmental values are protected and enhanced.  The river has a rich cultural history and spending time there is a meaningful way for our Traditional Owners to connect with country and go on a journey of mutual learning with land managers.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Video, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This report is a great summary of the goals/benefits of the River Detectives program, how it operates across the state and the level of participation by schools.  It could be a useful resource to share with your staff or school community to explain and share the program.

• Fact sheet, General, Teacher,
• All Regions,

This is an online game where the player manages a virtual river catchment.  The aim is to create an environmentally happy catchment with a sustainable and thriving economy.

• Catchments, Game, Lower Secondary, Upper Secondary, Website,
• All Regions,

This poster is a fantastic resource to use during macroinvertebrate sampling sessions to demonstrate the five habitats that exist within a waterway;  on the surface (surface zone), in open water (deep zone), amongst vegetation (reed zone), on rocks/logs/gravel (substrate zone) and amid the sediment (benthic zone).  Use the links below to each quarter of the poster to print as A3, laminate and join for a class-size poster you can keep.

Top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right

Use the information on the reverse of the  Water Bug pictures to have students place them in their correct habitat on the poster.

• All, Flora (plants), Poster, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

This beautiful poster can be used for inspiration to make a similar resource for a year in the life of your own waterway.  Use words and pictures to document seasonal changes in weather, fauna, flora, water, land, agriculture and community life.

• All, General, Poster,
• All Regions,

This quirky 12 minute video provides an excellent explanation of how catchments work and the animals, plants, communities and livelihoods that depend on them being well managed.  It highlights the importance of balancing the needs of the environment and humans.  All waterways North Central, Wimmera and North East CMA regions are part of the southern most section of the Murray Darling Basin.

• All, Catchments, Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in the United States after being absent nearly 70 years, the most remarkable changes occurred.  Although this is an American example, this video is a powerful example of how everything in nature is inextricably linked and one change can cause a ripple effect, in this case called a ‘trophic cascade’.

• All, Fauna (animals), Flora (plants), Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

An excellent graphic to highlight the key features of a healthy riparian zone compared to a degraded riparian zone.  Great for conversations about water quality, habitat health, land practices and shared community responsibility for the health of our waterways.

• All, Catchments, Flora (plants), Poster, Water Science, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Use these posters to record and display your monthly or yearly results at a glance.  Share them with others by printing in the school / community newsletter or displaying them in the classroom, school foyer or even a local shop or community meeting place.

• All, Poster, Water Science,
• All Regions,

This graphic is the perfect tool to introduce pH, explain acidity and alkalinity to students and compare your pH reading to everyday household items.

• All, Poster, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Use this resource to check the salinity tolerances of humans, crops, livestock, compare your EC results  and understand how salinity can impact on all areas of life

• All, Fact sheet, Poster, Salinity, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Victoria has a strong and proud Aboriginal history, and complex ownership and land stewardship systems stretching back many thousands of years.

This map allows you to find out who the formally recognised Traditional Owners are for an area.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Map, Website,
• All Regions,

This unit comprising of 6 lesson plans will develop student scientific inquiry skills while learning about water tension and how a water strider utilises water tension to survive.

• Guide/activity booklet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

The unit provides 5 lesson plans to allow students to understand the life cycle of mosquitoes, specifically their morphogenesis and the way the organism changes appearance throughout its lifetime. Other key topics include mosquito habitats, ecology and environmental impacts on the mosquito population.

• Fauna (animals), Guide/activity booklet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Closely observe the features of macroinvertebrates and use the questions on this key to work your way to an identification using the Agreed Level Taxonomy (ALT) method.

For more info on ALT method, go to: thewaterbug.net

• Activity Sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

The resource contains six engaging activities for primary students to develop awareness around wetlands, wetland habitats and the importance of wetlands in our world.

• Estuaries, Fauna (animals), Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Use this poster as a field guide to identify waterbugs in your sample, understand the in-stream habitats they prefer and use the sensitivity scores to rate the health of your waterway.

It can be laminated (or similar) and used with white board markers for longevity.

• Activity Sheet, All, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Poster, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Use Melbourne Water’s beautiful colouring images of waterbugs for education / relaxation.

A mix of waterbugs             Diving Beetle                 Dragonfly Larvae

Sensitive waterbugs           Freshwater Snail

Mayfly life cycles                Wetland waterbugs

• Activity Sheet, All, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Use Melbourne Water’s beautiful image of the platypus as a mindful colouring activity.

• Activity Sheet, All, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

Find out about this introduced fish species and how carp impact on our waterways

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

This will help you to enter data into the website once you have been to site to collect it!

• General, Guide/activity booklet, Teacher,
• All Regions,

Landcare represents thousands of people across Victoria, working together to increase biodiversity and promote the sustainable management of land.

Find out what your local group is doing and how your River Detectives program might be able to get involved.

To find your local group visit the Landcare Gateway and search for the group nearest you by name, postcode or map location.

• All, General, Group/organisation, Website,
• All Regions,

Find out more about plants in the Barapa Barapa region through pictures and descriptions of the plant, it’s habitat and it’s traditional uses.

• Aboriginal Cultures, All, Fact sheet, Flora (plants), Guide/activity booklet,
• North Central CMA,

Use this poster to explore the issue of salinity and examine positive and negative land management practices that contribute to the issue.

• All, Poster, Salinity, Water Science,
• All Regions,

In this video Priya  takes you through the key steps of how to sample and study macroinvertebrates (waterbugs) with your kids!

Don’t forget to contact your local Catchment Management Authority to arrange a loan of macroinvertebrate equipment to run a sampling activity with your students.

• Resource Type, Teacher, Video, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

This is a map depicting the catchment area of the Wimmera River.

Part of the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority region, the area to the west of the Wimmera River, doesn’t actually flow into the Wimmera River.  The West Wimmera area is instead a series of wetland chains.

• All, Catchments, Map, Waterways,
• Wimmera CMA,

Use these bug outlines for colouring, collage, making posters/dioramas, classifying, making a food chain, as a starting point for research, etc.

• Activity Sheet, Lower Primary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Follow the Teachers Guide to support students to draw a birds eye view of their water testing site with captions to highlight various features.  The Riparian Zone Poster could be used as an example.

• Activity Sheet, All, Catchments, Guide/activity booklet, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Make your own bug dial so that you can look at individual bugs and the way they move, their tolerance, where they live and special features.

• Activity Sheet, All, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Find out:

– where your local Junior Landcare group is

– how to get Junior Landcare going in your school

– about activity ideas (linked to the Australian curriculum)

– what grants are available

– how to build worm farms, frog ponds, enhance habitats and more!

Since COVID-19 a fantastic new section has been launched;  Just For Kids filled with great activities for home and school to learn about caring for land and water.

• Activity Sheet, All, General, Group/organisation, Guide/activity booklet, Website,
• All Regions,

The famous Waterwatch game Run of the River can be taken into the classroom very easily:

Download the Board

Read the Teacher Instructions

And find out How to play

• Catchments, Game, Lower Secondary, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

This brochure developed by Melbourne Water is useful for any region with great information presented in a very clear format that could be used as posters for the classroom.

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Poster,
• All Regions,

Find out all about how to create a frog friendly habitat

• All, Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

Find out all about the National Carp Control Plan – informative and interesting!

• Fact sheet, Fauna (animals), Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

Use these cards to;

• print back to back and use with the In Stream Habitat Poster
• print the pictures and use for games of concentration or snap
• print the pictures and information separately and match to each other

• Activity Sheet, All, Fact sheet, Game, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

Salinity refers to the movement and concentration of salt through the landscape. Find out more here!

• Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Salinity, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

A catchment is the area of land from which rainfall flows to form a creek or river.  Catchments and waterways are interrelated – all things within a catchment impact on waterway health and the waterways can impact on the health of the catchment.

• Catchments, Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

• Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Secondary, Water Science, Waterways,
• All Regions,

What is stormwater? Where does it come from, where does it go and what can we do to help protect our waterways?

• Catchments, Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Urban Water, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Your quick reference guide to all things phosphorus.

• Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Find out about the different habitats near and in a waterway and why they are important.

• Catchments, Fact sheet, Flora (plants), Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

The riparian zone is any land that adjoins, directly influences, or is influenced by a body of water. Find out what the values, threats and management concerns are.

• Catchments, Fact sheet, Flora (plants), Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Find out about why water sometimes turns black!

• Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Find out what woody habitat is and why it is an important part of waterways.

• Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Find out how and why foam occurs in waterways.

• Fact sheet, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water Science, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Explore the catchments of Melbourne!

• All, Catchments, Map, Waterways,
• Melbourne Water,

Explore three interactive online games on South East Water’s website to learn about the natural water cycle, the urban water cycle and water sources.

To play, click ‘I’m a student’ – ‘play games and explore’ and then scroll down for all the links.

• Game, Lower Secondary, Upper Primary, Urban Water, Water cycles, Website,
• All Regions,

The North Central CMA region is one of ten CMA regions of Victoria.  This region has four catchments; Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca and Avon Richardson.  These can be broken down further into eleven sub-catchments.  Click the links below to find out which catchment/sub-catchment your town/waterway is in. See it from above and understand the way water flows in your area.

Upper Loddon Map; Upper Campaspe Map; Upper Avoca River Map; Lower Loddon River Map; Lower Campaspe Map; Lower Avoca Map; Loddon West Map; Loddon East Map; Gunbower Map; Coliban Map; Avon Richardson Map

• Catchments, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Map, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

This free App by the Murray Darling Basin Authority is educational and fun!

You have the following challenge: Water is scarce and needs to be shared around. You must deliver the bubbles of water from the river to the wetlands, farms and communities, whilst keeping the river mouth connected to the ocean. Control dam releases to quench the thirst of all your water consumers through the challenges of flood, drought, evaporation, seasonal changes….

• App, Catchments, Game, Lower Secondary, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary, Water cycles, Waterways,
• All Regions,

If you are, by being a part of River Detectives you can tick off some extra areas in the Biodiversity module !

• General, Group/organisation, Teacher, Website,
• All Regions,

Alternatively you could use Melbourne Water’s Growling Grass Frog activity sheet where the colouring is set amid some facts about the specie.

• Activity Sheet, All, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

• Activity Sheet, All, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

• Activity Sheet, All, Fauna (animals),
• All Regions,

Engaging activities to stimulate minds and consolidate learning in those idle moments in your classroom schedule

• All, Game, General, Guide/activity booklet, Lower Primary, Lower Secondary, Teacher, Upper Primary, Upper Secondary,
• All Regions,

A comprehensive manual including teachers notes, lesson plans, activities, information and worksheets for upper primary and lower secondary students about urban stormwater sources, impacts and strategies.

• Activity Sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Teacher, Urban Water,
• All Regions,

The Corangamite CMA region is one of ten CMA regions of Victoria.  This region has four catchments; Barwon River, Lake Corangamite, Moorabool River and Otway Coast.  These can be broken down further into fifteen sub-catchments.  Click the links below to find out which catchment/sub-catchment your town/waterway is in. See it from above and understand the way water flows in your area.

Moorabool, Hovells, Leigh, Murdeduke, Mid Barwon, Upper Barwon, Bellarine, Woady Yaloak, Lismore, Stony Rises, Curdies, Gellibrand, Aire, Otway Coast, Thompsons.

• All, Catchments, Map, Waterways,
• Corangamite CMA,

This booklet complements the Fresh and Salty video with teacher notes and lesson plans

• Catchments, Guide/activity booklet, Salinity, Teacher, Water Science,
• All Regions,

Activities all about stormwater in Geelong!

Get your local stormwater manual now to guide your lessons in  the classroom.

• Guide/activity booklet, Teacher, Urban Water,
• Corangamite CMA,

Enjoy a birds-eye view of the North Central region to understand our topography, catchments and land uses.

• All, Catchments, Map, Waterways,
• North Central CMA,

• All, Fact sheet, Water Science,
• All Regions,

• All, Fact sheet, Water Science,
• All Regions,

This guide provides educators with a number of lesson plans linked to the Australian Curriculum. It supports estuary-related resources designed to enhance student understanding of this important water system..

• All, Estuaries, Guide/activity booklet,
• Corangamite CMA, Melbourne Water,

An interactive resource about the most common macroinvertebrates.  Set on a 5 cent piece, images help students understand the size and scale of waterbugs and when your mouse hovers on an image it flips to reveal a fact file of the bug’s name, size, physical features and interesting adaptions.

• All, Fact sheet, Guide/activity booklet, Water bugs,
• All Regions,

A beautiful and breathtaking secret insight into life on a drying waterhole at a public wetland located in north central Victoria

• All, Fauna (animals), Video, Waterways,
• All Regions,

Fresh and Salty is a highly engaging short animated film produced by the Wimmera CMA.  It is the perfect way to introduce the topic of salinity to your students

• All, Catchments, Salinity, Video, Water Science,
• All Regions,