2021 HANDBOOK www.ecomarines.com/psp

ABOUT ECOMARINES

Tangalooma EcoMarines began in 2014 with a goal to educate the wider community about the importance of protecting Moreton Bay. Now, we’re a non-profit organisation providing programs to assist students in primary and secondary schools across Southeast to learn about and take action to help protect our environment.

We enable our wonderful ambassadors and support crew students to work with other schools, connect with local businesses, and learn from traditional owners and environmental experts. Student ambassadors encourage their school network to identify and tackle challenges impacting their local community in a fun and creative way.

We’re all on a mission to save the bay and would like to thank you for being a part of EcoMarines! This year we have over 77 schools and 300 ambassadors! Dark Blue shows our primary schools and light blue shows our secondary schools. Can you find your school?

OUR TEAM

Our team is small but mighty made up of Penny, Kylie, Hannah and Dini. We’re all passionate about making our world a better place, and we love working with you to do this! As we are only a team of 4, we need your assistance to increase our environmental impact.

Hannah Elias Penny Limbach Dini Kanagaratnam Kylie Roche Events and Program General Manager Program Coordinator Operations Manager Manager [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ECOMARINES ONLINE KIT

We have designed the EcoMarines online kit to help you with your efforts. You can access the online kit at www.ecomarines.com/psp. This has everything you need including information on:

• EcoMarines 2021 challenges and activities • Resources • Our song • EcoMarines Online Training (for any student in your school to complete!) • Support EcoMarines (including donating with our Containers for Change code: C10041492) • Events o Ambassador Training Day (Term 2) o Care 4 Country (weekend event as part of the Quandamooka Festival) o The Wave (Term 4)

OUR ENVIRONMENT

Our local environment is beautiful, special and important. Southeast Queensland has important farmland, forests and waterways where native birds and wildlife live. Moreton Bay is just 14km from City, yet it is home to 2,344 plant species, and many different species of marine and wildlife.

Moreton Bay is an important place for biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as for people! It is very special to the who have taken care of Moreton Bay for over 22,000 years using the diverse resources of the area to sustain themselves. It also provides us with a beautiful place to go swimming, snorkelling and explore under the sea

FUN FACTS: MORETON BAY

• There are 360 islands in Moreton Bay and the area is a protected • was formed approximately 183 million years ago • There are 9 whale species • You can find 6 of the 7 marine turtle species • There are over 120 species of coral • There are 800-900 in Moreton Bay- the largest population of dugongs close to a major city • 600 to 800 inshore bottlenose dolphins • 2000 loggerhead and over 10,000 green sea turtles • Moreton Island is the 3rd largest island in the world! It’s 98% sand and 2% rock. FUN FACTS: ANIMALS

• Did you know stingrays’ eggs incubate and hatch inside their bodies? They give birth by making a little pit in the sand for 2-6 babies that look like tiny tacos! • calves drink up to 600 litres of milk… per day! • Humpback whales have a life expectancy of around 48 years • Dolphins do not have a voice box. Sounds come from within their blowhole on the top of their heads, not from their mouths. • Turtles only start breeding when they are 30-50 years of age. • Did you know the temperature affects the gender of turtles at birth? Warmer beaches produce more females while cooler beaches produce more males. • Octopuses have 3 hearts, and the colour of their blood is blue • Jellyfish don’t have brain and have been around for 650 million years!

WHY IS ECOMARINES IMPORTANT?

EcoMarines is important because it is a driving force of change, led by students, that combats a range of environmental problems found in schools and communities across Southeast Queensland. We tackle issues such as: reducing human-created waste, picking up litter, planting native plants, eliminating single- use plastics, educating other people, and much more!

Here are some of the reasons we do what we do:

• The average plastic bag is used for about 12 minutes but can take up to 1000 years to decompose. • Every year plastic debris kills more than a million seabirds as well as 100,000 marine mammals. • Did you know 80% of marine pollution comes from land (and 80% of that pollution is PLASTIC)? • Did you know there are 5 giant garbage patches in the ocean? One is as big as Queensland! • Over 200 turtles wash up on Moreton Island every year, and it is estimated that 30% of turtles in Moreton Bay have eaten some form of plastic • Australians use up to 10 million plastic shopping bags every day, which adds up to 4 billion every year! • 1 billion disposable coffee cups are used in Australia every year 2021 ENVIRONMENTAL DAYS

These environmental days are great to celebrate with your EcoMarines and your school community! EcoMarines could host workshops, hold fundraisers, and share information on assembly. If you do celebrate an environmental day, let us know and send us some pictures!

FEBRUARY • 2nd – World Day • 11th – International Day of Women & Girls in Science

MARCH • 3rd – World Wildlife Day • 5th - Youth and Schools Clean Up Day • 7th – Clean Up • 19th – National Ride2School Day • 21st – International Day of Forests and Harmony Day • 22nd – World Water Day • 30th – Earth Hour

APRIL • 22nd – Earth Day

MAY • 2nd – International Composting Awareness Week (2-8 May) • 8th – World Migratory Bird Day • 17th – National Volunteer week (17-23 May) • 22nd – International Day for Biological Diversity • 23rd – World Turtle Day

JUNE • 5th – World Environment Day • 8th – World Oceans Day

JULY • 5th – NAIDOC week (5-12 July) • 30th – Schools Tree Day

AUGUST • 1st – National Tree Day • 2nd – Landcare Week (2-8 August) • 9th – International Day for World

• 14th – National Science week (14-22 August) • 16th – Keep Australia Beautiful week (16-22 August)

SEPTEMBER • 1st – National Biodiversity Month (1-30 September) • 7th – National Threatened Species Day • TBC – International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction

OCTOBER • 4th – World Habitat Day • TBC – Aussie Backyard Bird Count and National Bird Week • TBC – National Water Week • TBC - Enviroweek • 24th – United Nations Day

NOVEMBER • TBC – National Recycling Week • 1st – UN Climate Change Conference COP 26 (1 – 12 November) • 21st – World Fisheries Day

DECEMBER • 5th – International Volunteer Day and World Soil Day

TOP 10 WAYS PEOPLE CAN HELP

1. Pick up litter! This is so simple yet has a huge positive impact on our environment 2. Use a reusable water bottle, cups, and shopping bag 3. Wrapper free lunches 4. Compost organic waste 5. Recycle items like batteries, mobile phones 6. Get a bamboo toothbrush. These are a great alternative to traditional plastic toothbrushes. When it’s time for a new toothbrush, simply remove the plastic bristles and then the handle can be put in the compost where it will decompose! 7. Ask for your drink without a plastic straw. You can purchase reusable straws made from bamboo or stainless steel as an alternative 8. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products which contain less harmful chemicals 9. Most sunscreens contribute to coral bleaching… choose sunscreens that are better for the environment and you! 10. Get the conversation started! Help educate and spread awareness about making better choices for our environment!

To stay connected, ask your parents to follow us on Facebook and Instagram! And don’t forget to check out our website www.ecomarines.com/psp.

@Tangalooma EcoMarines @ecomarines_

Let’s have a wonderful year and work together to help save the bay!