We went to the Canning River at Wilson, a place near Perth, Western Australia and I crafted a bird from the detritus washed up at the river high water mark. It was mostly just twigs and gum leaves. The river looked absolutely beautiful in our warm winter sun today. However, beneath the surface beauty lies a murky story: “Parts of the Canning River are often effectively dead, according to a report that warns toxic algal blooms and fish kills will become more common in the waterway as Perth’s climate dries.

The Department of Water, the State’s main water regulator, has released the results of a two-year study into the health of the Canning and found a wide variety of problems have left parts in crisis. Focusing on an area either side of the Kent Street weir in Wilson, the department noted elevated levels of pollutants including copper, lead, zinc and chlordane, a pesticide extremely toxic to fish. In many cases, testing found the contaminants exceeded national and international guidelines and also revealed there were periods of “near anoxic conditions”, when the river was devoid of oxygen. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/17548936/canning-river-awash-with-toxic-problems/

The point of this year’s bird was to highlight the fact that earth damage is often invisible and that what may appear beautiful is actually in crisis. The detritus bird looks to be in serious trouble but I detected signs of life and revival is possible. I grew up alongside this river and my mission now is to make sure that the Canning River and all those beings that live within and on it are returned to full health.