Latest News
Water Refills at Caloundra Music Festival
Name Change Questionaire
Maroochy Waterwatch is currently investigating the possibility of a name change that potentially better reflects the activities that are undertaken. The University of the Sunshine Coast has offered their services to investigate people’s perception of the possible name change by comparing the current brand with a broader brand.
This questionnaire asks about factors that influence your perception of brand image and loyalty with Maroochy Waterwatch Inc.
Click here to access the Questionnaire Maroochy Waterwatch
Please return to Cerran Fawns, Maroochy Waterwatch, PO Box 311, Nambour Qld 4560 or email to cerran [at] maroochycatchmentcentre [dot] org [dot] au by the 14th September 2012.
Stream Ecology Workshop 9th Sept
The workshop will provide an overview of macro-invertebrate sampling techniques and identification and why this process is important for determining the health of our waterways.
We will learn; why we monitor (overview of bioassessment), where we monitor (basic stream ecology) and how we monitor (field techniques). We will then have a brief overview of the taxonomy and identification of macroinvertebrates and put all of this information in to conducting a SIGNAL score or a river health score.
Materials will be supplied. Participants will be asked to be hands on – so be prepared for a little splashing about! – waders supplied.
When: 10-12noon, Sunday 9th September
Where: Quota Park, Nambour – meet at the Rotunda area near the weir on Petrie Creek
RSVP: Jacqui [at] maroochycatchmentcentre [dot] org [dot] au or phone 5476 4777
August newsletter now available!
Click here for August Newsletter
Birdwing Butterfly Vine Giveaway!
DO YOUR BIT TO SAVE THE RICHMOND BIRDWING BUTTERFLY
The mission to bring back the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly to the coast has begun!
With the help of Maroochy Waterwatch with support from the Buderim Foundation, you can be part of this important program.
Cerran Fawns, CEO of Maroochy Waterwatch said “The Richmond Birdwing Butterfly is one of Australia’s most impressive and beautiful native butterflies. Unfortunately, due to land clearing, changes to horticultural and agricultural practices and even the way in which we garden, has brought about the threat of extinction for this beautiful creature”.
Maroochy Waterwatch are offering free Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vines to landholders in the Buderim area to help the butterfly re-establish populations in the region.
Ms Fawns added, “All butterflies are an important part of the ecosystem, but the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly is especially important because it can indicate to us the changes that are occurring in our environment. In recent years, their breeding habitat has been drastically reduced, as has the one plant that provides food for the caterpillars – the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vine”.
“Unfortunately, the vine Dutchman’s Pipe often fools the butterflies as it is very similar to the Birdwing vine. A butterfly will be fooled into laying their eggs on the leaves of the Dutchman Pipe and then the larvae are poisoned when they hatch and begin to feed”.
“The aim of this program is to remove Dutchman Pipe and replace them with the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vine or to simply start planting the vines in your backyard”. Ms Fawns said.
Dutchman’s pipe is a declared Class 3 pest plant under Queensland legislation.
With the assistance of the Buderim Foundation, Maroochy Waterwatch has a number of Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Vines to give away to residents of Buderim. The butterfly was once seen regularly in this area, but is sadly now a rare sight. If you are a landholder in Buderim and you have a desire to help this beautiful species recover in the area, please contact Jacqui Smythe at Maroochy Waterwatch on 5476 4777 or jacqui [at] maroochycatchmentcentre [dot] org [dot] au
Annual Membership Due
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUE
Your annual memberships are due for renewal at the start of each financial year (i.e. July 2012 to June 2013). Membership benefits include newsletters every second month, library access and involvement with regular workshops covering many aspects of conservation, biodiversity and natural resource maintenance/management. You will also have access to a knowledge base through others involved in the groups and enjoy meeting like-minded people.
Maroochy Waterwatch Inc: Membership fee of $11.00
Donations are also welcomed. Donations will help the eorganisation to protect and improve the water quality and biodiversity of our creeks and rivers, and all the life that depends on them. The work we do with local landowners, schools and other organisations helps ensure our creeks and river will be sustainable into the future.
If you intend on making a donation to our organistaion please make a separate cheque payable to Maroochy Waterwatch Trust Fund Inc. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Please download and complete the Membership Form (updated 18 July 2012).
Free trees for schools!
Click here for more infomation.
May Newsletter Out Now
Today is World Water Day
It’s World Water Day today,
This year the theme is Water and Food Security. Please take the time to buzz around the website to learn more about the global issues surrounding water. Click here for more information.
Maroochy flood workers honoured at graduation
A group of ten jobseekers who helped restore the Maroochy River following the devastation of the 2011 floods have been honoured for their work on a State Government funded job skills project.
Maroochy Waterwatch, a Nambour based non-profit organisation, engaged, trained and supervised the workers for a project involving flood mitigation and restoration of the Maroochy River and its catchments.
The project has now trained and prepared 20 unemployed people for work through two 21 week job skills projects.
A Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) spokesperson said the project was part of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative which gives unemployed and underemployed people job related assistance and skills training.
“This was an important project that has helped restore a beautiful part of Queensland and helped the area recover and move on from the devastating floods of January 2011,” the spokesperson said.
“The work these people did has also equipped them with skills to work in nurseries and in revegetation and environmental sectors.
“The group worked at a range of sites including Nambour, Eudlo, Woombye, Hunchy and Coolum – all areas that encompassed tributaries of the Maroochy River.
“The main site they worked on was at the Petrie Creek Canelands rehabilitation site at Bli Bli.”
CEO of Maroochy Waterwatch Cerran Fawns said the project was successful for a number of reasons.
“It was a privilege to have the opportunity to be able to change people’s lives and help Queenslanders reach their employment potential whilst looking after the environment after the floods of 2011,” Ms Fawns said.
“From the project four participants have already found employment in various industries.”
Project participant Malika Van Herberghen said the project had helped her develop skills in the area in which she wants to work.
“This project has helped me to develop my passion and understanding of natural processes while gaining hands on skills in the environmental and management industries,” Malika said.
Another participant, Hannah Lewis, said: “It was great exploring different aspects of the environmental industry with opportunities to explore different career paths than my past retail experiences allowed”.
The Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative is part of the State Government’s $1 billion Queensland Skills Plan which aims to provide individuals and industry with the skills and workforce for the 21st Century.
Twelve months after receiving assistance 67 per cent of participants from the program are either in employment or further training.
For more information on the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925.
Photo caption: Project participants (from left) Jason Hancock, Isiah Beezley, Margrit Rechsteiner, Damon Nomad, Nicole Jean, Hannah Lewis, Malika Van Herberghen.