SGS partnered with Perth NRM to remove invasive weeds from North Scarborough's coastal dunes, preserving native habitats and supporting environmental sustainability.
Volunteering to preserve native habitats
Championed by our leadership team, sustainability is embedded in our culture. It’s the way we do business and cascades through all levels of our organization where we’re proud to support the local communities and environments we operate in.
In line with this commitment, Managing Director AUNZ Johan O’Connell and General Manager of Natural Resources Juan Smith, along with 20 passionate SGS team members, volunteered with Perth Natural Resources Management (NRM) to remove invasive weeds from North Scarborough's coastal dunes, to help preserve the habitat of 14 native plant species.
During the activity, the team proudly wore our new SGS volunteering tops featuring our indigenous artwork, titled “working together with respect for culture” by Anna Dowling (Badimia), recognizing the deep connection that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have to the land, and our shared commitment to preserve and protect sacred environments for this generation and all generations to come.
To learn more about our reconciliation journey please view our Reconciliation Action Plan.
The significance of Scarborough Beach
Stretching for 2.5 kilometers, Scarborough Beach is popular with locals and tourists, and a significant part of Mooro Country of the Wadjak Noongar people. This vast coastal ecosystem, including the vegetated sand dunes, supports a diverse range of plants, animals and birds on a biological sand crust held stable by wind-packed sand, and is crucial to preserve.
A day of impactful work
After a warm introduction to the location’s cultural and environmental significance, the team’s work was underway. The day consisted of removing invasive species, primarily dune onion weed and rose pelargonium, from the sand dunes. Dune onion weed is highly suited to colonizing coastal areas, where it can become dominant and replace native species, leading to a decline in biodiversity and potentially forming a monoculture plant community. It is also known to be toxic to animals when ingested. Rose pelargonium, originally from South Africa, has become a major weed in certain areas of Australia, similarly dominating and replacing native species.
Jennifer Harrison, Coastal & Marine Program Coordinator, said: “We are very grateful to the team members from SGS in Australia who helped to remove over 500kg of dune onion weed and rose pelargonium from the coastal dunes at Scarborough. The removal of invasive weeds is an important step in restoring biodiversity and building the resilience of our coastal ecosystems.”
Corporate volunteer initiatives
Each full-time SGS employee is provided a corporate volunteer day, enabling our staff to support causes they are passionate about under our sustainability pillars of empowerment, education and environmental sustainability.
Johan O’Connell, Managing Director of SGS in Australia and New Zealand, said, “I'm proud of our community investment initiatives, going above and beyond to support the local communities we operate in. A key issue in Australia, and one that many of our employees care deeply about, is the heartbreaking native species extinction rate, in part due to factors such as climate change and environmental degradation.
“So often these issues feel out of our hands. However, our community program provides employees with an accessible, hands-on way to engage with some of the solutions to these challenges. It might only be one day, but we know this opens the door to other volunteering possibilities and can have a long-lasting impact when it comes to an individual’s participation in community engagement.
“The recent volunteer day with Perth NRM was an incredible opportunity for our team to actively participate in environmental restoration, learn about the importance of conservation, and make a visible, positive impact on the coastal environment. This activity is a clear sign that we're dedicated to embedding a culture of sustainability and continually investing in our communities.”
Successful weed removal effort
Together, SGS and NRM removed 34 large bags, amounting to over 500kg of weeds, mostly dune onion weed and rose pelargonium.
About Perth NRM
Perth NRM is a registered charity with a long tradition in environmental management and is the Federal Government’s preferred supplier for the National Landcare Program’s Swan Region NRM Management Unit. The Coastal and Marine team works closely with community groups, schools and local councils to preserve, protect and enhance the coastline and beaches with educational programs, planting days, beach cleanups, and coastal restoration activities.
Their work along Perth’s coastline aligns with three UN Sustainability Goals: Climate Action, Life Below Water and Life on Land, with corporate volunteers contributing to the improvement of natural habitats and the removal of weed species and marine debris.
About SGS
We are SGS – the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality and integrity. Our 99,600 employees operate a network of 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.
