2013 State and Territory Landcare Awards

Coastcare Award

About the Category
This award will be made to a community group/network for excellence in activities that have contributed to the significant improvement of local coastal and/or marine environments, including estuaries, coastal and marine wetlands and salt marsh ecosystems.

Selection Criteria:

1. Describe the projects undertaken by the group/network that have increased community awareness and engagement with coastal environmental issues linked to  local and/or regional environmental/ natural resource management plans.
2. How has the group/network’s activities improved the sustainable use and/or management of coastal natural resources? Provide examples of results.
3. Demonstrate how the group/network’s activities have targeted the causes and symptoms of local coastal environmental issues.
4. How has the group/network developed local and/or regional partnerships for Coastcare activity? For example with local councils, businesses, school, other community groups, academic institutions etc.
5. What challenges did the group/network encounter in the development and implementation of coastal protection activities and the strategies used to address these challenges?

www.ausmepa.org.au

Redmap Presentations June 2013

Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre is hosting Redmap for several presentations in regaional NSW. 

Redmap 'invites the Australian community to spot, log and map marine species that are uncommon in Australia, or along particular parts of our coast.'

Presentations by Professor Natalie Moltschaniwskyj, Associate Professor – Marine Science School of Environmental & Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle – all presentations commence at 5:30pm:  (Entry is FREE for all Redmap presentations).  We hope you can find your way to one of the 4 presentation venues for a really interesting interactive program that you can contribute to:

• Monday 3rd June – Tathra Surf Lifesaving Club
• Tuesday 4th June – Club Sapphire, Merimbula
• Wednesday 5th June – Narooma Golf Club
• Thursday 6th June – Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre, Eden

www.ausmepa.org.au

SPOTLIGHT ON: Holloways Beach Environmental Education Centre

Louise admiring some of the excellent posters created by students

Queensland, Australia, is luckier than most to have 26 environmental and outdoor education centres spread throughout the state. 

The most northerly of these is Holloways Beach in Far North Queensland near Cairns. Off shore lies the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

The centre is a camp for all of the schools in the Cairns area as well as a day excursion destination.

Boating skills, science studies. leadership and sustainability activities make the centre a popular draw card for students in the region. Along with a diverse natural area to explore the camp has a variety of aquarium specimens including 'Snappy Tom' the baby crocodile and a touch tank. 

Touch tank

Snappy Tom

Like all Environmental Centres around Australia, Holloways Beach are invited to receive AUSMEPA's free poster packs as either pre or post visit resources for visiting schools.





www.ausmepa.org.au

Wave Glider brings fresh ocean data to Australia

Liquid Robotics has set loose 4 robot data collection Wave Gliders across the Pacific. Here's some information from their website http://liquidr.com/pacx/pacific-crossing.html

PacX Wave Glider "Papa Mau" arrives in Australia, setting a new world record!

PacX Wave Glider “Papa Mau”, completed his 9,000 nautical mile (16,668 kilometers) scientific journey across the Pacific Ocean to set a new world record for the longest distance traveled by an autonomous vehicle. Throughout his journey, Papa Mau navigated along a prescribed route under autonomous control collecting and transmitting unprecedented amounts of high-resolution ocean data never before available over these vast distances or timeframes.

During Papa Mau’s journey, he weathered gale force storms, fended off sharks, spent more than 365 days at sea, skirted around the Great Barrier Reef, and finally battled and surfed the East Australian Current (EAC) to reach his final destination in Hervey Bay near Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia.

“To say we are excited and proud of Papa Mau reaching his final destination is an understatement,” said Bill Vass, CEO of Liquid Robotics.



www.ausmepa.org.au

ECO Environmental Careers and Opportunities Expo, Brisbane

Thanks very much to the Reef Guardians here for bringing this event for students, parents and teachers to our attention. 

We are advised that It will be held Tuesday 23 July 2013 at The Edge, Southbank, Brisbane.

Wild Mob, Volunteers for Wilderness Conservation here, is partnering with the Land Trust, Nudgee Beach Environmental Education Centre and The Smith Family to host this great event, highlighting the opportunities that are available. 

The event includes:

·         A range of industry professionals sharing their experiences

·         Study options for the future

·         Volunteer opportunities

·         Interactive displays and stall

·         Education workshops

·         Lucky door prizes.

There are two sessions, from 10-2pm (schools) and from 3-6pm (students and parents). For more information and to register, please email Renee at Wild Mob on renee@wildmob.org.

www.ausmepa.org.au

TeachWild Marine Debris Art Competition Alert 2013

See TeachWild website here

Join TeachWild and the fight against marine debris by putting your hands up and showing your support.

For this year’s World Oceans Day, TeachWild is asking all schools and community groups to participate in a national art competition. We are asking classes to create artwork in the shape of a hand using only marine debris found to tell the message. You can use the rubbish found from your local beaches, creeks, rivers or anywhere else that ultimately ends up in the oceans. The more creative you can get the better. We will also have a sustainability prize pack for the winning class (more details to follow).

To find out how you can get involved in TeachWild’s national art competition 

Please register your interest in participating in the fight against marine debris by contacting Nonnie Kamau (see below) by email for more details. Artwork will be showcased at an event in early June therefore places will be limited by registering your interest. 

Quick facts on the competition:

ü  Competition is in recognition to World Ocean’s Day on June 8.

ü  Artwork is to be made up marine debris and made into the shape of a hand

ü  Get your class to submit video questions for CSIRO scientists to answer at the event

ü  Entries close May 17^th 2013

So hands up! Who would like to work towards cleaner marine environment?

For further information contact: 

Nonnie Kamau  mkamau@earthwatch.org.au

Programs Support

Earthwatch Australia

www.teachwild.org.au

126 Bank Street, South Melbourne, VIC 3205

Office: +61 (03) 9016 7590  l   Direct: +61 (03) 8102 1206  l   earthwatch.org.au

Connect with Earthwatch on      

www.ausmepa.org.au

WETPAPER announces marine education resources

Good friends at publishers, Wetpaper, have announced new teacher resources that will be of interest to teachers in Australia.

____________________________________________

FOUR NEW resources for 2014 Marine Science 

Marine Research Skills (Text book)

SEE TABLE 1 BELOW

Snorkelling transects, inexpensive sampling devices and oceanographic equipment, locate position GPS, safety, risk assessment PLUS how to snorkel or sample data from a surfboard or boat, drive a small research dingy and moor at a buoy to study tidal flows, locate sampling sites positions on a chart, plot a course and work out time for daily research activities, send a radio message back to a research station, analyse weather and tidal information for research projects and much more. 

REF: Workbooks and Project Books

http://www.wetpaper.com.au/

Marine Science Exercises (Homework book)   

SEE TABLE 2 BELOW

Combines ALL the exercises and worksheets from existing 25 years of Wet Paper curriculum development into one resource. Separate Year 11 and 12 sections to allow concept to be repeated and become more complex (a la Syllabus requirements). Great for new or replacement teachers as a survival guide. 

REF: Oceanography Exercises

http://www.wetpaper.com.au/products/StudentWorkbooks/oceanographyexer.html

REF: Marine Biology Exercises

http://www.wetpaper.com.au/products/StudentWorkbooks/mbexcercise.html

Research Bay (Practice Chart)   

Based on Pages 32-33 Navigation Workbook 2^nd Edition, Research Bay takes in all the exercises on the soon to be out of copyright Hillsborough Channel (1964) chart.  Charts are A3 and available in bundles of 100 at low cost

Marine Science Flipbooks (Homework web based books)   

Find out more at http://www.wetpaper.com.au/fliptrial/

Feedback or questions

Bob Moffatt

Mobile 0418 769 790

bmoffatt@wetpaper.com.au

 www.ausmepa.org.au