Get appy to learn about Nannup in WA's South West

The Nannup WA Geopark group recently received almost $100,000 from the Native Forestry Transition, Community Small Grant Fund (CSGF) to develop an app, website and design to build a static display showcasing the region.

The $10 million CSGF was established to help South West workers, businesses and regional communities through the transition from commercial logging of native forests to establishing a range of new enterprises.

Nannup WA Geopark group chairman Mark White said the grant would boost economic activity and add value to the tourism experience in the shire.

He said the group had plans for GPS-enabled geotrails and a static display that would feature the regional geology, including its connections to Gondwana.

The geotrails - available via an app - will include a citizens' science, bird observatory, geology and tree identification trail.

For a small fee, the app can be downloaded to provide information about all of these topics and more as people move around the shire, following the virtual trail.

It is understood this concept is one of the first in the world to get up and running on an app-based system.

A website will support the app, providing Excel worksheets that can be downloaded for educational purposes and the citizens' science trail.

A design concept for the static display has been approved by the Shire of Nannup and it features the town's geology.

The council has donated land for this stage of the project, which is now in need of further funding.

Mr White said the Nannup WA Geopark was being developed in line with the rules and guidelines set for international geoparks by UNESCO.

He said the UNESCO geoparks were a single, unified geographical area where sites and landscapes of international geological significance were managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

"We are focused on the Nannup shire boundary as our 'set' area and we will collate information about that area using the app," Mr White said.

"It will relate to the abiotic (geology, landforms, waterways and climate), the biotic (plants and living organisms in the area) and the culture (past and present indigenous culture and post-settlement culture that has shaped the area seen today)."

Mr White said Nannup was the perfect place for a geopark, with the geology of the area stemming back more than two billion years.

"There are big and intact natural areas with significant features, as this part of the South West is one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world," he said.

"It is one of the most preserved ecological systems in Australia.

"We have a vertical rock face that is nine kilometres deep and the valley is 30km wide and runs along Nannup's main street.

"Within the sedimentary layers of the valley lays the foundations supplying the Yaragadee and Leederville water foundations and ecological systems that feed into Lake Jasper and the Donnelly River.

"The water from the two systems also provides irrigation water to the farming area south of Nannup that provides 30 per cent of WA's milk.

"And there is a rich culture, with Nannup being occupied and managed by the Noongar peoples for more than 40,000 years."

Mr White said the aim of having a geopark in Nannup was to help establish long-term sustainable development by using the natural assets of the area.

"We achieve sustainable opportunities in the Nannup region by telling the story of the area," he said.

"We are seeing this now with the wind-down of the timber industry.

"It is a super exciting project and it's great that the State government has recognised its importance to our region."

Mr White said the geopark principle was to offer a perceptual map and high quality information to all people.

He said people would use their phones to follow the GPS-enabled geotrails, which included 'locate me' mapping.

It will link in with the Shire's visitor services division and is expected to be ready for launch in June-July this year.

"We will be adding more and more content as the app develops," Mr White said.

"We have a highly experienced group behind the project that include a geologist, ecologist, political stakeholder and anthropologist."

The website will provide a platform for organisations, groups and individuals to connect with the geopark and provide information not available on the app.

The proposed static display will have a timeline sculpture, sculpture of global plate movements and a large sculpture showing current river systems, geology features, lava flows and hydrology components.

Mr White said there was also scope for further indigenous heritage engagement through this project.

"The project will have a strong focus on the place of indigenous culture in the landscape and history of the region and we are looking forward to working closely with the local indigenous people," he said.

There were 27 applicants that received CSGF funding grants in round one of this scheme.

Round two is open and closes on Wednesday, April 24.

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