Environmental advocate Barbara Sing is Mandurah’s newest Local Legend, recognised for her efforts in sustainability and teaching younger generations about the importance of the local natural environment.
Mayor Rhys Williams praised Barbara for her innovative and passionate teaching at John Tonkin College, sharing her enthusiasm and years of experience in environmental science with students, particularly around local dolphins.
“Barbara is an incredible leader in our community. We admire her significant efforts in passing her knowledge and skills to students, so they become well equipped to care for our beautiful environment into the future,” Mayor Williams said.
“Barbara has a special ability to really engage students in environmental science and get people thinking about how they can make a difference at a local level. She involves students in real-world research and experiences to give them the power to initiate changes in community behaviour towards caring for our waterways, especially around littering. We are so thankful to Barbara for her educational leadership, plus her ongoing efforts to highlight the importance of protecting and nurturing our most precious natural assets and wildlife.”
Barbara leads students in practical projects including Dolphin Watch, wildlife monitoring, tree planting, and marine debris clean-ups, integrating these efforts into her teaching.
She is an active member of several community groups including the Australian Association for Environmental Education, the Australian Citizen Science Association WA, the Mandurah Environment and Heritage Group (current chair), Estuary Guardians and Peel Preservation Group. Barbara also volunteers her time with Coastal Waste Warriors, Mandurah Dolphin Rescue, Seabird Rescue, and the Shorebird 2020 count.
Her accolades for teaching and sustainability include the 2012 WA Regional Achievement and Community Award, the 2014 WA Primary Science Award, the Australian Association of Environmental Educators WA Award, and the 2018 Citizen Scientist of the Year award which was jointly won with fellow local teacher Kim Davies. Along with Kim and other community partners, Barbara worked with Year 9 students at John Tonkin College to create a ‘fin guide’ to help identify dolphins living in the Mandurah estuary.
