Tarawa Marines, Sailors help preserve Australian wild life park
PERTH, Australia (May 3, 2008)— Marines and Sailors from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Tarawa Expeditionary Strike Group donated their time and energy to clean up the natural habitat for Australian wildlife at Cohunu Koala Park May 3 during a port visit here.
http://192.156.19.109/11thmeu/Koala-08.htm
11th MEU story by Sgt. Scott M. Biscuiti
More than 50 of USS Tarawa’s service members traveled to the sprawling park and got a rare opportunity to interact with well known Australian animals including wombats, kangaroos, dingoes and emus. The group also helped to improve the park’s environment by clearing leaves and debris from the grounds and by performing needed maintenance.
The volunteers started the day by touring the park and getting acquainted to the parks inhabitants. Much of the park is open land where the animals roam as they please. For many, it was their first time in Australia and their first time seeing most of the indigenous species.
“The closest I’ve ever been to any of these animals before was watching them at a distance in a zoo,” said Sgt. Marilyn Zeledon, a data network specialist from Los Angeles. “Walking through the park along side peacocks and emus and holding a Koala were all memorable experiences.”
Once the tour ended the volunteers split up into groups and cleaned their assigned areas.
Zeledon, said she volunteered for the opportunity to get close to the animals and do something that directly affects their well being.
“The group I was in helped with the maintenance of the Koala cages, raked debris from the walking paths, collected fresh eucalyptus and fed some of the animals,” she said.
Some of the groups cleaned the waterways that run through the park and bring much needed fresh water to the animals. RP2 Juan Bejarano, from Brownsville, TX , said clearing the streams was the most rewarding part of his day.
“Watching the dingoes reactions when water started running faster through its areas made it a better day for me and the dingoes,” he said. “It felt good to do something where you see the benefit of your work.”
The community relations project at the park was one of many that the Marines and Sailors have completed during their current seven-month deployment throughout the Western Pacific Ocean and Arabian Gulf region.