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Condom wrappers, drug paraphernalia, and bags of rubbish strewn across a New South Wales wetland have driven a teenage birdwatcher to call for better management of local ecosystems.
Reanna Floriani said her burgeoning passion for twitching had been dampened by the poor condition of Nericon and Campbell's wetlands, which are both just north of Griffith.
The 17-year-old has regularly stumbled across foul-smelling rubbish at Nericon, as well as needle packaging, medical vials, condom foils, and fast-food containers.
She fears the discarded items could be putting the wetland's wildlife, which includes the endangered Australasian bittern, at risk.
"We don't want the birds and other native wildlife to get a hold of that," Reanna said.
"It's really frustrating because this is supposed to be a wonderful place you come to see the wildlife and it should be taken good care of."
The teenager is also concerned about the potential for snakes due to significant overgrowth at both wetlands, as well as a barbed wire fence at Nericon which she has seen cause animal injuries.
'Heartbreaking' impact on wildlife
Nature Conservation Council of NSW water campaigner Mel Gray said litter was one of the "thousands of issues" being faced by wetlands, despite improving public behaviour.
She said rubbish discarded along rivers accumulates at inland wetlands which can break down into microplastics and become a hazard for animals.
"As socially unacceptable as it is … people still to this day leave their litter when they go camping," Ms Gray said.
"Plastic gets into the food web and gets eaten by small fish and birds … [then] we see plastic accumulate in the body of wildlife. It's heartbreaking."
Ms Gray called for councils to install more stormwater pollutant traps and investigate the potential creation of litter control officer roles to improve education in the community.
She said corporations should acknowledge their role in continued pollution and increase their anti-litter efforts.
"There should be more pressure on fast food outlets to be more responsible when they're handing out all this packaging continuously," Ms Gray said.
"There's a lot of room for fast food outlets to get involved and to fund some solutions in the community like litter prevention officers and education."
The environmentalist said the rapid decline of wetlands across the world, driven by climate change and agriculture, meant preserving the health of existing wetlands was especially important.
Council plans 'comprehensive' restoration of wetland
Reanna said she would like to see Griffith City Council, which manages both Nericon and Campbell's wetlands, improve its maintenance efforts at both sites.
"The council should focus on trying to keep that area clean and bring more awareness about it," she said.
Griffith City Council announced yesterday it was launching a comprehensive restoration plan for Campbell's wetland.
The works include better maintenance of pathways, and the restoration of a dilapidated boardwalk and birdwatching shelter.
The council said it is aware of the issue of discarded materials at Nericon wetlands and is working on a plan of action to address it.