What is ClimateWatch? How can you be involved in this important program? Dr Lisa Ryan, an Environmental Education Officer with Sunshine Coast Council and an Adjunct Research Fellow with the Sustainability Research Centre at the University of the Sunshine Coast, will present an overview of the ambitious and important ClimateWatch program. ClimateWatch is a citizen...

Brittany Elliot and Dr Ben Gilby from the University of the Sunshine Coast will be sharing their findings of coastal beach dune research on April 23. The work has important implications for coastal dune restoration and the potential to assist local councils and environmental groups better target sites and plants for rehabilitation. The aim of...

Graeme Sait, the co-founder and CEO of Nutri-Tech Solutions, is an author/educator responsible for over 300 published articles and a popular book, “Nutrition Rules!”. He is an internationally sought-after speaker, specialising in soil, plant, animal and human health and wellness. This has led to an emphasis on planetary health, in recognition of the link between...

World Environment Day Festival 2021 Be part of #GenerationRestoration and join the Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) in launching World Environment Day Festival 2021! This year's theme is ecosystem restoration, and they are taking people on a journey throughout ecosystems across the Sunshine Coast. Natalie Frost, WED Festival Coordinator says “This is the first year...

It is with great anticipation that Judith Hoyle will be the guest presenter at NPA’s Friday Forum on June 11th. Judith became an avid birdwatcher in her 20’s and is now the driving force behind the efforts to save Toondah Harbour from development. Of that campaign she says, ‘With the backing of my committee and...

Annie Nolan is Noosa Council’s Carbon Reduction Officer.  For the past 4 years Annie has been implementing Noosa Council’s Strategy to achieve net zero emissions for Council by 2026.   During this time Ms Nolan has project managed the implementation of capital projects including the installation of over 600kW of solar PV across Council buildings...

Don’t miss this opportunity to see and hear an expert in their field explain the miniature world in an easy to understand manner.  Author and presenter Michelle Gleeson (a.k.a. the Bug Lady) is the guest speaker at Friday Environment Forum on July 16. Insects have roamed our planet for nearly 400 million years. During this...

Are you intrigued by the turtles who continuously return to the Sunshine Coast? Don’t miss Kate Hofmeister who is the co-ordinator of TurtleCare Sunshine Coast, a large citizen science program that delivers important conservation and research on a breeding population of critically endangered loggerhead turtles. This program runs in partnership with the State Government’s Queensland...

Like all the world’s coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is under threat. Citizen science dramatically increases the amount of data available providing managers with valuable information to better inform decisions. At Friday Environment Forum on August 13, Di Shun Wah will share her experiences on a recent citizen science expedition which was partnered by...

Noosa Shire Council has a vision of an efficient, free flowing, innovative transport system that enhances resident and visitor experiences which would result in sustainable environmental outcomes. Promotion of electric bikes (e-bikes) amongst a broader cycling-based behaviour change will be the focus of Renee Black’s talk at the next Friday Environment Forum at the NPA...

With current environmentally-damaging food systems, struggling to produce enough nutritious food for the world’s growing population, scientists are exploring alternative protein sources. Edible insects are a promising option. They are highly diverse with more than 2,100 edible species, highly nutritious being rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and other micronutrients, and have a low environmental...

Technically part of Australia but a long way from it, Christmas Island is a natural wonder and its unique fauna have been the subject of more than one Sir David Attenborough documentary. Jessica, a wildlife specialist and photographer, will take you on the journey that she took to view the spectacular annual Red Crab migration...

The glossy black-cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami is an iconic but threatened bird species, admired by many for their beauty and unique behaviour. Climate change and inappropriate fire regimes are major drivers of decline in threatened species, and the glossy black-cockatoo, being a habitat specialist, is likely to be vulnerable to such changes. Alex Western, an ecologist/geologist,...

The platypus is an amazing monotreme, but little is known about where they specifically live. Tamielle Brunt, a PhD Candidate at the University of Queensland is studying platypus populations within south-east Queensland. She is also an assistant project officer at the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland (WPSQ), running their PlatypusWatch Network. This network aims to...

December 11th, 2021 marks the one-hundredth anniversary of the rediscovery of the Paradise Parrot by Cyril Jerrard of Gayndah. So it is timely to reflect on the bird’s terrible fate. For several decades before Jerrard’s sighting, the species was feared to be extinct. Its rediscovery raised hopes for its survival, but its resurrection was brief....

This comprehensive history of Noosa comes straight from the heart of award-winning writer Phil Jarratt who has lived here for more than 30 years. In many ways it is a love letter to his adopted home, but the Noosa story is not always a pretty one, and Phil does not flinch from the harsh realities...

Conservation and development on the Sunshine Coast 1960-2020 Friday Environment Forum guest speaker and author Elaine Green will discuss this new release on February 25.  For the first time the development of the Sunshine Coast, including Noosa, is followed through six decades of ongoing population growth.  Campaigns to preserve natural areas have at times been...

Over 100 years ago, oyster beds were common throughout the Noosa estuary. There is still evidence of those beds today. Unfortunately, by the early 1900s, Noosa’s oyster beds had become functionally extinct through dredging and overharvesting. This drastic habitat change contributed to declines in local fish stocks such as snapper, bream and mullet. The story...