Meet at 9:30 am at Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Conservation Centre car park at 322 Mills Road East, which is directly after coming under the arch.

The BCCC is not open to the public and there will be a limit of 40 people. There will also be a fee of $15.00 per head. Please book your place on the excursion and arrange to pay the $15.00 fee at the BirdLife WA office before the day.

We will have an opportunity to enjoy a guided tour of the rehabilitation facilities and experience their interactive walk-through exhibit. The BCCC rescues and rehabilitates about 300 black cockatoos each year, across all three species unique to the southwest of WA - Carnaby’s, Baudin’s and Forest Redtail. Those that can’t be released go into a “breed for release” program.

This will be an opportunity to see the scale of the center, learn about all aspects of the organisation and get up close and personal with some cockatoos. The center also has dingoes, and we will take a walk along the eco walk trail, taking in some of the other habitat issues affecting the cockatoos.

A highlight of the tour is a visit to Jack’s Interactive Aviary. Here you will be able to get up close and personal with friendly black cockatoo characters as they try to get your attention with their amusing antics.

What you need to know:

• Please wear clothing suitable for a bush setting: enclosed shoes, sleeved shirt (short or long), and a sunhat, as well as bottled water.

• If visiting the interactive aviary, don’t wear earrings or other jewelry items as they might be damaged by an inquisitive bird!

• Children under the age of six are not permitted to enter the interactive aviary, and must be accompanied on a tour by an adult at all times.

• Please let us know if you or any attendee has mobility issues. Kaarakin does not have disabled access facilities. There is a limited ability to transport persons with reduced mobility around the site, but this is subject to availability and must be booked in advance.

• Each tour is conducted in the presence of a trained Kaarakin guide and tour participants will not be permitted to leave a tour group unaccompanied by a Kaarakin guide or volunteer.

• The tour is conducted through an operational wildlife rehabilitation facility and will involve walking over uneven ground with slip hazards including Marri nuts (which our cockatoos love!), pebbles and sticks. Although Kaarakin makes every effort to ensure a safe environment, tour participants agree that to the extent permissible by law, Kaarakin cannot be held liable for any loss or injury suffered by any tour participant whilst on Kaarakin’s premises or in the course of participating in a tour.

The tour will be followed by the traditional morning tea / coffee break, so please remember to come prepared by bringing your own.

Leader: Lesley Macauley