Blog Articles

Grants Available: Reducing Light Pollution in Coastal Communities

By Rowan Ewing posted 17-02-2023
The Australian Federal Government is providing funding to promote management of light pollution in priority coastal areas for the benefit of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 (EPBC Act) listed marine turtles, seabirds and migratory shorebirds. Find out more: Reducing Light Pollution in Coastal Communities | business.gov.au Grants valued between $15,000 to $50,000 are available for Australian businesses that can provide practical solutions to improve conservation outcomes for threatened and/or migratory listed species protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Grant applications ...

Local beloved Ice Man rescues two turtle nests ~300 eggs!

By Toby9005 posted 11-01-2023
The Rainbow Beach Ice Man was out spotting turtles in the past week and took to Facebook to report on the relocation of turtle nests! “We found two turtle nests yesterday about 30m apart, Well done to Muzza the Turtle whisper!" the post reads. “Please be mindful that it is the turtle nesting season, and they are about. “The first (nest) had 131 eggs and the second 137. Now a ll safely relocated to higher ground. Lindy Orwin from Cooloola Coastcare TurtleCare said special training is required to relocate turtle eggs. “Muzza is a fully trained and permit holding TurtleCare volunteer as well as an awesome Iceman offsider and all round good ...

How 'Caring for our Coastal Emu' became an award-winning project

By Emily Mason posted 09-01-2023
In December Clarence Valley Council won the 2022 Local Government NSW Excellence in the Environment Award for Natural Environment Protection and Enhancement for the collaborative project, Caring for our Coastal Emu – partnerships to protect an endangered population The project incorporates a range of collaborative approaches our Natural Resource Management team took to protect the endangered Coastal Emu. With an estimated population of less than 50 birds remaining, a major focus of the project was reducing the risk of vehicle strike along the 7km section of Brooms Head Road at Taloumbi, where emus commonly cross the road. Through key partnerships with ...

Blackwater events cause mass fish deaths across the Murray-Darling Basin

By Emily Mason posted 05-01-2023
Matt Heslop has seen hundreds of dead Murray cod along the banks of the Murray River. "It really breaks your heart," he said. Murray River fisherman of 30 years Matt Heslop is weary of seeing dead fish along the banks. "To see photos of it is sad, but when you actually see it in the flesh, and you see hundreds of Murray cod piled up on top of each other, just rotting away, the smell; that's when it really hits," he said. Behind the deaths is toxic levels of blackwater in the Murray-Darling Basin, a naturally occurring event where organic material, such as leaf litter, is swept into a waterway by flooding and its rapid decay sucks dissolved oxygen ...

How to go with the flow: river framework restores health & hope

By Melissa Higgins posted 14-12-2022
A river management framework developed at Macquarie University and now used on six continents has been recognised in the NSW Parliament’s 2022 Research Impact Showcase. Macquarie University’s River Styles Framework – a management system devised to assess river health – underpins the science-based restoration and management of degraded river systems all over the world from Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin to America’s mighty Mississippi. Developed by Professor Kirstie Fryirs from the School of Natural Sciences and fellow scientist Professor Gary Brierley, the River Styles Framework is one of three high-impact Macquarie research projects being honoured ...

Buckets of fish introduced to Deniliquin lagoon system

By Toby9005 posted 14-12-2022
Native fish breeding programs being undertaken as part of the Deniliquin Lagoons Community Restoration Project continue to bear fruit... with another 1500 finglerlings being released into the Deniliquin lagoons system! The 1000 southern pygmy perch and 500 purple spotted gudgeon fingerlings were released in front of an enthusiastic crowd attending the Deniliquin Kolety Lagoons Landcare Group’s special morning tea. The release was part of the Deniliquin Lagoons Community Project, which began rehabilitation of the lagoons a decade ago, resulting in the restoration of vegetation and habitat on five wetlands. The lagoons restoration project began in 2010 ...

NSW Government leads Australia with Progressive Legislation to Heal our Waterways

By Emily Mason posted 12-12-2022
A landmark regulatory amendment has put the NSW Government in the forefront of environmental governance reform, according to the Mulloon Institute's (TMI) Chairman, Gary Nairn AO. Acting on TMI's direct submission, last week the State Environmental Planning Policy was amended to smooth the path for installation of natural structures to repair degraded streams, known as 'Landscape Rehydration Infrastructure'. The amendment removes the need for a Development Application from Councils, a time consuming and costly process currently preventing critical land restoration projects from proceeding across Australia. "Our waterways are severely degraded, ...

The end of #CoastcareWeek22... and the beginning of Summer Up with Coastcare! 🌊

By Emily Mason posted 12-12-2022
As the sun sets on #CoastcareWeek22 , let's take a look at some of the amazing work being done by our Coastcare teams across Australia! In the Northern Territory, Larrakia Land & Sea Rangers hosted the 13th annual Darwin Clean-Up! Under their leadership, teams of volunteers spread out across 17 sites- picking up 295 bags of rubbish that weighed nearly 1.8 tonnes. Now on to Lennox Head Landcare , in NSW, and their amazing efforts to rehabilitate and restore natural areas around Lennox Head - including a former mining site at Boulder Beach, where sand dunes once stood 3 metres high but were flattened by sand mining in the 1950s. In QLD, Southern ...

Shark Nets: Who Needs 'Em | 🌊 '22 Coastcare Week 🌊

By Emily Mason posted 09-12-2022
On Landcarer for each day of the #CoastcareWeek22 , we're highlighting different marine issues and topics! Today we're talking about Shark Nets! On Monday 5th, a pair of hammerhead sharks were spotted inside the nets of Bondi Beach... once again raising questions about the effectiveness of shark nets - given the ease in which the pair of sharks managed to evade them. Ultimately, the safety provided by shark nets isn't enough to counteract the damage they cause to other species. A report released in July found more than 80% of wildlife caught in shark nets were non-targeted species. Currently, in NSW, shark nets are installed across 51 ...

Migratory Shorebirds | 🌊 '22 Coastcare Week 🌊

By Emily Mason posted 08-12-2022
On Landcarer for each day of the #CoastcareWeek22 , we're highlighting different marine issues and topics! Today we're talking about Migratory Shorebirds! Australian coastal and freshwater wetlands host around two million visiting migratory shorebirds that come here from Arctic regions during the non-breeding season to feed each year! From September, over thirty-six species arrive after a grueling 13,000km flight. From October to March if you visit any coastal wetland or intertidal area you might be able to see these amazing little birds-Greater Sand Plovers, Bar-tailed Godwits, Red-necked Stints and Eastern Curlew feeding ...

Microplastics: Who, What, When, Where & Dear oh Dear Why?! | 🌊 '22 Coastcare Week! 🌊

By Emily Mason posted 07-12-2022
Plastic is everywhere. The pollution of the ocean is a massive environmental crisis – and our world is crying out for change. What are microplastics? Less than five millimeters long , microplastics are teeny-tiny pieces of plastic which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life. There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary. Coming from a variety of sources – commercial product development (primary) and the breakdown of larger plastic debris (secondary) – at such a small size these tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in our coasts and ocean, posing a potential threat to aquatic life. But ...

TurtleCare + TurtleWatch during turtle nesting season (+ event invitation) | 🌊 '22 Coastcare Week! 🌊

By Emily Mason posted 06-12-2022
Turtle nesting season kicks off around Australia's coasts! (especially QLD!) Learn how to best spot and support the little flippers as they wander towards the seas... There are 7 species of sea turtle found worldwide, 6 of which are found in Australia and all are recorded in Gold Coast waters. Marine turtles are reptiles, they crawl up the beach to lay their eggs in the sand. Loggerhead sea turtles and Green sea turtles have both been recorded nesting on Gold Coast beaches. Marine turtles use both the marine and terrestrial environments to complete different stages in their life cycle, this makes them even more vulnerable to many anthropogenic ...

World Rivers Day & Mulgrave Landcare and Catchment Group

By Melissa154 posted 22-11-2022
For World Rivers Day, we're diving into the work of Mulgrave Landcare and Catchment Group ! Their volunteers planted a whopping 1080 trees on the banks of the Mulgrave River in ONE DAY. Yes, you read that right. These plantings will go a long way in stabilising the river bank, providing habitat for native species, and cooling down a warming climate. Follow their page to keep up to date with the incredible impact this group is having on their little slice of Queensland paradise! Queensland Water and Land Carers Cairns Regional Council #CoastWaterways

Nepean River: Our River Education Resources

By Emily Mason posted 22-11-2022
Check out these education and engagement tools developed by Camden Council in partnership with Penrith Council to develop awareness of the importance of water quality in the Nepean River catchment. Camden Council has developed the ‘Nepean River, Our River’ video series in partnership with Penrith City Council. This video series explores the history and use of the Nepean River, what both Councils are doing to improve water quality and how you too can help limit your impact on our waterways. Watch the video series here #CoastWaterways

Is wastewater the solution to growing food in remote/disaster areas?

By Emily Mason posted 16-11-2022
Wastewater could help create an oasis in the food desert New techniques for growing food would produce fresh vegetables in dense urban areas while leaving a lighter carbon footprint and using less water, energy, and land than traditional farming methods, according to researchers from Clemson University and South Korea's Gyeongsang National University. The project brings together researchers from the two universities and is funded with $1.5 million from a National Science Foundation program called Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE). The system researchers are developing would use an anaerobic membrane bioreactor to filter ...

The good things about a big flood | Lake Cargelligo Landcare

By Emily Mason posted 28-10-2022
A big flood is fantastic for the Lachlan's birds and fishes. By Adam Kerezsy, Lake Cargelligo Landcare As the rain keeps coming and the river keeps rising, the novelty of the super-wet spring of 2022 is wearing off. Harvests will be difficult to say the least, and the condition of many roads means that even moving stock - or even from getting from one town to another - has to be planned carefully. However, there's a silver lining, because it is necessary and hugely beneficial for the river and all the plants and animals that have been here for far longer than any humans have. A lot of my biological work is for the University of Canberra's Flow MER ...

'The Mudcrabs' clean up areas surrounding Sydney's Cook River

By Toby9005 posted 24-10-2022
Named for the plastic pincers they use to pick up rubbish, a 600-strong clan of eco warriors, aka The Mudcrabs, is comprised predominantly of retirees from suburbs surrounding Sydney’s Cooks River. Peter Munro, 73, helped found the landcare group 20 years ago and has seen a dramatic improvement in the river’s health. “At different points on the river you could once almost walk across the floating litter,” he told AAP. The Cooks (as locals call it) has been notorious as a toxic sewer, its 23 kilometres snaking brown and murky past residences and industry from its source in the southwest to its artificial mouth at Botany Bay. The work of the ...

Beaudesert Landcare's call for Platypus surveillance in the Scenic Rim

By Emily Mason posted 17-10-2022
Beaudesert Landcare is asking for volunteers to help identify areas where platypus can be found in the Scenic Rim Beaudesert Landcare secretary Maryann Goggins said the conservation group was trying to find platypus that survived the recent floods across the region. "Platypus have litters in January, which means the babies wouldn't have had much chance in the February floods. "They can live in rivers, in creeks, and in farm dams. They could be closer than you think in the Scenic Rim," she said. Ms Goggins said the Australian Conservation Foundation, in conjunction with the University of New South Wales was trying to fill in gaps in our knowledge of platypus, ...

Ocean2earth compost: marine waste fertiliser in Bega Valley dairy farm with great success

By Toby9005 posted 13-10-2022
A unique liquid compost made from marine waste is proving a silver bullet for Bega Valley dairy farmer Toad Heffernan. A trial on a dairy farm at Candelo in the NSW Bega Valley has revealed that using the fish compost as a diluted foliar spray can help deter red-legged earth mite , increase frost resistance in crops, and fast track soil health with beneficial microbes and potential carbon sequestration. Tim and Kyran Crane launched their war on waste and circular economy business Ocean2earth Australia three years ago and are the first and only company in Australia to have government approval to sell marine based compost. Tim, who has a background in ...

Dung beetle breeding for healthier waterways with Cannibal Creek Landcare!

By Toby9005 posted 09-10-2022
West Gippsland are helping to keep waterways clean and healthy with an innovative new breeding program aimed at using dung beetles to stop nutrient run-off from farms Read more about the work being done by Cannibal Creek Landcare! #CoastWaterways