Environment Minister Donna Faragher announced on 14 April 2010 that Gnaraloo won a Keep Australia Beautiful WA (KAB) Clean Beach Award 2010, in the Environmental Protection category. This recognized its efforts to manage Gnaraloo beaches, flora and fauna, including critically endangered Hawsbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) & endangered Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and Green (Chelonia mydas) turtles.

The Clean Beach Awards www.kabc.wa.gov.au are organized by KAB and Surf Life Saving and aim to encourage the care, protection and management of coastal regions in Western Australia. KAB is supported by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

Two representatives from Gnaraloo attended the ceremony in Perth, namely Mr. Paul Richardson, the Gnaraloo leaseholder, and Barbara Gadomski from the Perth bookings office. Paul: ‘Since 2005, Gnaraloo has introduced a number of initiatives for responsible management of visitation to its coastline to ensure visitor enjoyment whilst protecting the environment for generations to come’.

Karen Hattingh, Gnaraloo’s environmental advisor: ‘Protection efforts at Gnaraloo include the annual turtle conservation and predation control programs, undertaken since 2008/09 with the help of scientific volunteers, an expert pest controller and involvement and overview by DEC.

We are planning to expand the turtle program in future to increase community participation with the objectives and outcomes of the program and to engage a wider sector of visitors to Gnaraloo with coastal conservation issues’.

Opportunities for involvement with the Gnaraloo Turtle Conservation Program during the upcoming season 2010/11 commencing in November 2011 will be posted on the Gnaraloo website as well as on www.seaturtle.org