EVERY superhero should have a sidekick, but finding one worthy enough has been more challenging than I thought it would be. So when looking for a sidekick where do you start?
Well, I have a strict criteria - not just anyone will do. The Captain's superhero sidekick must have the following qualities:
* subservient,
* vision of fitness,
* photogenic, but still elusive and mysterious without outshining the captain,
* possess a durable all-in-one suit that goes well with blue and green,
* willing to be at the environment's beck and call 24/7.
So who out there can handle being on call 24 hours a day, withstand the endless media attention and high profile that comes with being a superhero sidekick, while still saving the environment?
The choice is clear, and even more so following recent award winning events in Canberra. I am proud to announce the "Mighty Maremmas" are my official superhero sidekick.
The Mighty Maremmas meet my strict criteria:
* They protect native fauna without complaint with their only reward the odd pat on the head and a handful of food.
* They are superfit, able to run all day and guard penguins all night from foxes.
* They happily pose for photographs and show the Captain's sensitive side.
* They wear a sandy yellow suit that endures the harsh winter winds of the Southern Ocean whilst reflecting the rays of the hot summer sun.
At the National Landcare Awards in Canberra the superhero sidekicks were acknowledged for all their hard work in protecting the penguins from their arch enemy the feral fox by receiving the Australian Coastcare Award. But they haven't been able to do it alone. Behind the Mighty Maremmas are a team of passionate volunteers, generous sponsors and willing community which will do almost anything to ensure our natural environment, like the Little Penguin, are protected from human associated impacts for the benefit of ecology.
In the months of winter to summer, volunteers brave the cold waters and harsh winds of the Southern Ocean to count penguins, monitor nesting boxes, along with many other duties. Their efforts, combined with the protection by the Mighty Maremmas, have resulted in the penguin population on Middle Island climbing from four in 2005 to about 140 today. A very pleasing 'sustain the bool' effort.
The Maremma Project has brought out the best in the Warrnambool community. It is great to see the project get recognised on the National level. Even my super memory can't recall any other local environmental project receiving this level of recognition.
Congratulations to all the volunteers, supporters, sponsors and everyone who has believed in the Maremma Project. Without those Mighty Maremmas and their team of volunteers, our belief in the mantra that you can make a difference to the world in which you live would have been shaken by the potential extinction of Warrnambool's little penguin population. Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare and the Mighty Maremmas show each and every day we can sustain our natural environment and Sustain the Bool.
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