Thank you to Council and NPWS for wisely consolidating protection for Marshalls Creek Nature Reserve.
The reserve forms an tiny isthmus, a long narrow finger of land, which can’t be compared to any other ocean-front boardwalks, being surrounded on three sides by tidal waters.
This week I saw a very rare pair of eastern curlews with a chick. Bar-tailed godwits have virtually disappeared. The tern numbers appear to be down. One family of three threatened beach stone curlews have survived.
Occasionally a wallaby appears, and thanks to lots of new speed bumps fewer are being killed by speeding cars. Foxes still roam there (fox tracks most mornings) and need to kill native animals and birds for their survival.
Turtles used to nest here.
In the last 25 years, I have seen only two nests and one dead turtle.
Already the amount of traffic, by foot, car, bike and boat, creates enough negative impact on this delicate ecosystem.
To encourage more incursion into this habitat shows insensitivity to the myriad native life forms that depend on humans for, one would hope, an even greater degree of protection. (One caring surfer even suggested that the road in should be closed.)
And if one hill is the issue, check a topographical map of Ocean Shores.
There are hills everywhere. Most people will need to go up and down hills to get to the beach from any direction. I trust our community will look after this small natural forested reserve into the future, and be grateful to Council and NPWS for keeping it intact.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
