Friends Of Harry Sandon Click Online For Conservation

The website www.harrysandon.org was a joint project between Murdoch University and the Friends group, who were connected through the Melville Volunteer Resource Centre (MVRC). MVRC Coordinator Nicola Schuman linked Friends of Harry Sandon Coordinator Samantha Cullen with three third-year Murdoch University Bachelor of Multimedia students, who designed and built the site over the past four months as part of an assignment.

Ms Cullen said Attadale residents, and others interested in the reserve, could visit the website to learn about flora and fauna in the park, delve into its history, or browse through an array of photography taken at the site. “With the inclusion of a forum where web visitors can interact with each other, upload photographs and view upcoming events, the website promises to provide a dynamic community space to encourage conservation of the park,” she said. “The overall aim is to try to educate people – for example, some may not realise the effect their backyard gardening products and pest deterrents can have on the reserve across the road.”

Matthew Tan, who created the website with fellow students Chris Tomic and Ness Lai, said working on the project from start to finish was a great opportunity, and while there were some challenges along the way, he was happy with the end result. “Designing and building this site was challenging because we had to manage a variety of factors – creating the website but also negotiating with our client and managing deadlines and expectations – which is why a real-life project like this is such a great learning curve,” he said.

Mayor Russell Aubrey said he was thrilled the partnership between the MVRC, the Friends group and the Murdoch University students had reaped such a huge benefit for the community. “This really shows what can be achieved by working together,” he said. “Harry Sandon Reserve is a beautiful little area, and the launch of this new website will help locals to be actively involved in its conservation. I encourage Attadale residents and others who frequent the park, to visit the new website and take the chance to learn more about this diverse pocket of nature.”

The idea to create a website originally came from a Public Relations plan for the Friends group, devised by Murdoch University PR students in November 2008. The student’s PR plan included several recommendations, including development of a website, and involved the creation of a tagline: conserve your reserve.

To visit the Friends of Harry Sandon website click here. For more information on the Friends of Harry Sandon group, phone the MVRC on 9364 0153 or email harrysandon@iinet.net.au.