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Dear %%First_Name%%,
Welcome to the winter edition of our e-newsletter and I hope it finds you well. There is plenty of good news to report from your favourite coral reef organisation. From multiple awards, the sucessful launch of our education program and a preview of a new volunteer initiative, to a heartening start for our SEQ monitoring season, it's all go at Reef Check Australia.
I am proud to be a part of an organisation that is going from strength to strength and continues to receive unstinting support from industry partners, academic institutes, resource managers and our loyal volunteers. Next time, I should be ready to reveal to you all the latest string to our bow - a new coral reef health database.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our departing project officers from this season's Great Barrier Reef project. Nick Greenwood and Joel Stibbard did a fantastic job running surveys and certainly set up a hard act to to follow for next year's candidates. See www.reefcheckaustralia.org/opportunities.html for a full job description if you know someone who has what it takes!
Thank you all for your support.
 
Mark Miller
Board Chair
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super start for seq season
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Despite some windy and rainy weather that delayed our survey season kick off until late June, we have managed to conduct 13 surveys on nine sites from Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast, including three brand new sites!
 We've done a liveaboard weekend and have been working to expand our connections with local dive operators, who have been positive about our work so far. Our survey teams have been treated to sightings of whales, grey nurse sharks and wobbegongs galore and there's still more to see!
If you'd like to get involved with some temperate surveys or you know somebody who might like to take the surveyor course this September, contact seq@reefcheckaustralia.org to find out more.
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in the spotlight
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Operator Profile | Beuchat Dive Centre, Moreton Bay
Wally Lancaster and his enthusiastic team are a regular feature out in the Moreton Bay Marine Park. Whether you're a seasoned diver seeking an exhilarating new site to explore, a newbie looking to get an Open Water ticket or you'd like to give freediving a try, you can be assured of a professional yet personal service.
A favourite of our team in SEQ, Wally generously provides in-kind berth space for survey teams on a regular basis: "We enjoy helping RCA by having them on our dive trips. They are able to impart a new interest and perspective to us and our customers on any marine site, regardless of visibility, current and other conditions we all focus on."
As specialists in scuba diving, snorkeling and freediving gear backed by the esteemed European equipment brand, all hire gear is top quality, as is the tuition and safety standard. The on-board catering isn't bad either - lumpy hot chocolate's a must for the surface interval!
To find out more and book a trip out in the Bay, visit the website at www.beuchatdivecentre.com.au.
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ReEF IQ SUCCESS
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Reef IQ, our new educational program, has had tremendous success following its launch in June, having been downloaded by over 100 schools in its first two weeks. The courses offer a simple but exciting way of achieving curriculum outcomes whilst educating students about coral reefs, sustainability and coral reef monitoring.
 Jo Roberts, Education & Outreach Officer is delighted with Reef IQ's progress and has recently been selected as Queensland representative for the Marine Education Society of Australiasia as a result. Congratulations to Jo!
Reef IQ is targeted to Years 4-7, but has been successfully piloted with classes up to Year 9. The entire program is easily downloadable for FREE from www.reefcheckaustralia.org/for-teachers.html
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AWARD WINNING PROJECTS
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 2009 has marked an exciting new step for Reef Check Australia. Our monitoring project has been recognised by the prestigious Banksia Environmental Awards, being selected as one of just four finalists in the Water Category. This is a fantastic accolade from the Oscars of the Environment and, whilst we were pipped to the post by our good friends at SEQ Healthy Waterways this year, we hope to go one step further and take home the prize next time!
On a local scale, we have also been credited for our education work by Townsville City Council, picking up the Community Group Award at the Environmental Excellence and Sustainability Awards presentation at June's Eco-Fiesta. Our thanks to TCC and also to the Townsville/Visy recycling centre, who are our project partner for this Reef Recycling initiative.
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thank you max
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Thanks to our increased profile, we are delighted to welcome a new silver sponsor - the Max Fabre Foundation, who has generously donated $25,000 to our ongoing monitoring project. The trustees believe our organisation very squarely serves the ideology and goals of the Foundation, set up by a man who loved the sea. As the single largest non-tied donation RCA has ever received, this is a wonderful gift and will make a significant difference to our operations.
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2010 year of the volunteer
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2010 has been officially declared the Year of the Volunteer for Reef Check Australia. Our volunteers will already have had a sneak preview of this with a special questionnaire asking for their thoughts on volunteering for the organisation.
Watch this space for further news on a whole year dedicated to the recognition and appreciation of our most precious resource - our dedicated volunteers.
Congratulations to the lucky winners of our questionnaire prize draw:
1st: Deb Pople (Quiksilver watch)
2nd: Kristin Keane (Quiksilver rash vest)
3rd: Guy Shepherd (Quiksilver towel)
The questionnaire is still open for any volunteers who haven't yet completed it. Contact communications@reefcheckaustralia.org for a link to give us your valuable opinion. The results will be circulated in the coming weeks so keep an eye out in your inbox!
STAY IN TOUCH
If you ever need to contact any of our team, you can reach us at the following:
Mark Miller, Board Chair: manager@reefcheckaustralia.org
Marie-Lise Schlappy, Science Operations Manager: science@reefcheckaustralia.org
Jo Roberts, Education Officer: education@reefcheckaustralia.org
Jenn Loder, SEQ Coordinator: seq@reefcheckaustralia.org
Gemma Routledge, Marketing & Communications: communications@reefcheckaustralia.org
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