2020 HANDBOOK www.ecomarines.com/ssp
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 Queensland 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 60 schools and 250 ambassadors! Points in blue show our secondary schools. Can you find your school?
EcoMarines Secondary Schools Anglican Church Grammar School Genesis Christian College St Columban's College (Churchie) Brisbane Bayside State College Hillbrook Anglican College St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace Brisbane Boys' College Islamic College of Brisbane Whites Hill State College Brisbane Grammar School (Boys) Mt Maria College Mitchelton Wynnum State High School Clayfield College
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/ssp. This has everything you need including information on:
• EcoMarines 2020 challenges and activities • Action Plan • Resources • 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 Brisbane 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 Quandamooka people 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 Marine Park • Moreton Island 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 dugongs 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 sand 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! • Humpback whale 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 its 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.
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 • 1 billion disposable coffee cups are used in Australia every year. • Deforestation is one of Australia’s biggest threats to our warming planet. 2020 ENVIRONMENTAL DAYS FEBRUARY 2nd – World Wetlands Day 11th – International Day of Women & Girls in Science 26th – Business Clean Up Day 28th – Youth and Schools Clean Up Day
MARCH 1st – Clean Up Australia Day 3rd – World Wildlife Day 7th – World Parks Week (7- 15 March) 8th – National Ground Water Awareness week (8-14 March) 21st – International Day of Forests 22nd – World Water Day 30th – Earth Hour
APRIL 18th – World Heritage Day 22nd – Earth Day 27th – National Sustainability Conference – Brisbane (27-28 April)
MAY 3rd – International Composting Awareness Week (3-9 May) 9th – World Migratory Bird Day 18th – National Volunteer week (18-24 May) 22nd – International Day for Biological Diversity 23rd – World Turtle Day
JUNE 5th – World Environment Day 8th – World Oceans Day 17th – World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
JULY 5th – NAIDOC week (5-12 July) 31st – Schools Tree Day 15th – National Science week (15-23 August)
AUGUST 2nd – National Tree Day 4th – National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day 9th – International Day for World Indigenous Peoples 17th – Keep Australia Beautiful week (17-23 August)
SEPTEMBER 1st – National Wattle Day and beginning of Biodiversity Month (1-30 September) 4th – National Walk to Work Day 7th – National Threatened Species Day 8th – National Bilby Day 16th – International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer 20th – Sustainable House Day 22nd – World Car Free Day
OCTOBER 5th – Australian Wildlife Week (5-8 October) 7th – World Habitat Day 16th – World Food Day 19th – Aussie Backyard Bird Count (19-25 October) 21st – National Ride2Work Day 24th – United Nations Day
NOVEMBER 8th – Australian Pollinator Week (8-15 November) 9th – National Recycling Week (9-15 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/ssp.
@Tangalooma EcoMarines @ecomarines_
Let’s have a wonderful year and work together to help save the bay!