​A very happy group came together at Beachport on 21 January for the first Walking the Seasons event, exploring seaweed and connections during the Boandik Shell and Wattle Seed season. Some were local and some travelled from Mount Gambier, Kingston, and from as far as Kangaroo Island and Hamilton. Participants were blessed with an ideal morning – overcast, with a variety of cloud shapes and patterns blanketing the sky. The lack of sun did not distract from the shimmering sapphire of the sea. A mild breeze pushed in from the south, lifting the crests of the waves at regular, predictable intervals. The sand was dry beyond the high-tide mark. On the far side of the rock-wall, kelp mounded high dotted the shore and a lone seagull picked something delicious from the sand. The earth was littered with an indescribable array of algae varying in colour and texture continually washing ashore with the gentle lapping of the ocean. A close up look showed many species common to both Beachport and Port MacDonnell. However there were some notable differences. Seagrass, Amphibolis, was abundant in the wrack and more robust than examples found at Port MacDonnell, and samples of Bull Kelp, Durvillea, were smaller, and less robust than those found at Port MacDonnell. While participants spotted seaweed and fossicked in the wrack at low tide, they learnt fascinating facts about seaweed from experts, including, Faith Coleman. They also heard from Friends of Seaweed Limestone Coast’s Sally O’Connor and Jo Fife, whose aim is to highlight the importance of seaweed through science and art, and Uncle Doug who explained the six Boandik seasons. Thank you to Uncle Doug, Burrandies Aboriginal Corporation and the Limestone Coast Landscape Board. The Walking the Seasons project has been funded by Parks and Nature. This walk was the first of six walks to be held on the Beachport coast throughout 2026, coordinated by Friends of Seaweed, as part of the Holdfast Limestone Coast Project. The series of walks aims to improve awareness of “smelly old seaweed”, such as the local species at Beachport and their diversity, their importance to the Limestone Coast, and how seasonal change affects them. Through these walks we hope to recognise how changing conditions and seasonal patterns throughout the year influence the coastal environment, particularly seaweed. There is a great need to broaden awareness and knowledge of how seasonal change influences ocean algae and helps shape and sustain life on our shoreline. Understanding these changes and also exploring what they mean for ocean algae and dependent species, such as resident and migratory shore birds, is important to us all. For example, during the walk, we saw Gulls, Oyster Catchers and a White-faced Herron, just to name a few. Walking the Seasons with local ecologists, fauna and flora experts and members of the community will help us all document seasonal coastal change in the Limestone Coast.