The Gold Coast’s Biggest Tree Planting is back. Hosted by the Gold Coast Catchment Association and supported by SEQ Water, come down to Numinbah Valley to help Reef Check Australia and other community members plant 15,000 native trees. Enjoy live music, food trucks, wildlife shows, indigenous workshops, native plant sales, interactive environment stalls and kids nature art and craft.

The RCA team are excited to be part of this huge event and will have a stall there on the day. Thanks to City of Gold Coast for supporting our work in this region.

You can find out more at the Facebook Event page. 

Come and join Reef Check Australia and friends at The Bearded Lady, Brisbane, for an evening of discovery, inspiration and appreciation of our local marine, coastal and catchment environments. Each month we have a new, interesting and engaging speaker.

This month we'll hear from Professor Catherine Lovelock, who is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on climate change and its impacts on coastal plant communities, as well as the role of coastal wetlands in climate change mitigation or Blue Carbon. 

Catherine will introduce us to Blue Carbon. Mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrass have high levels of organic carbon, called Blue Carbon, in their soils and biomass. This capacity to accumulate and store carbon over time is important for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby mitigating climate change. This talk will explain how conserving and restoring coastal wetlands can provide a wide range of benefits for coastal communities and the Great Barrier Reef, as well as helping mitigate climate change and generating new income streams for land-holders in Queensland and globally.


Entry is $3 (which gets you pizza at the end).

As the venue is a bar, under-18s are most welcome but must be accompanied by an adult. And a 5 year gap is necessary, ie. 17-yr-old can not be accompanied by a 18-yr-old.

For more information or to RSVP email ambassadors@reefcheckaustralia.org or head over to our Facebook Event page.

This initiative is hosted by Reef Check Australia, and proudly supported by Queensland Government Community Sustainability Action Grants, with amazing in-kind support from The Bearded Lady.

Join the Scuba Surveyor Team in Townsville!

If you're a PADI Advanced Open Water diver, or equivalent, and you've always wanted to get more involved in reef research - now is your chance.

Reef Check Australia is running SCUBA Surveyor training as part of Reef Ecologic’s Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science Program, which is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

Reef Check Australia SCUBA Surveyor training is a fun way to meet a tribe of reef-mind people, find out more about our beautiful reefs, boost your dive skills and build your capacity to actively contribute to scientific research. You don't need to have previous science or survey experience--we'll provide you with comprehensive training to safely collect great quality data to help look after reefs. 

When you successfully complete the surveyor course, you will receive a Reef Check EcoDiver certification and a PADI distinctive speciality certification.

Once qualified, you’ll be eligible to join our teams of surveyors in the watercollecting Reef health data on long-term sites in Townsville and throughout the Great Barrier Reef.

APPLY HERE

The Reef Check Australia Coast to Coral Community Lecture series is now on the Gold Coast! Join us and friends at the Karma Collab Hub Miami for an evening of discovery, inspiration and appreciation of our local marine, coastal and catchment environments. Each month we have a new, interesting and engaging speaker.

This month, our speaker is Dr Liz Hawkins, the Founding Director and Executive Officer of Dolphin Research Australia. Dr Liz Hawkins is a researcher and educator with a passion for raising environmental awareness and empowering communities to conserve marine life and their oceanic homes. 

Dolphin societies are as complex and similar to those of humans. Every individual dolphin has a role to play in the community, with certain individuals being integral to facilitating cultural learning and maintaining the stability of populations. Learn about how dolphins work together to survive in an ever changing environment. Dr Hawkins will share the latest scoop on the population abundance, trends and health of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose and Australian humpback dolphins in Moreton Bay/Quandamooka and beyond.

During the talk, Dr Hawkins will introduce you to some of the central dolphin characters that she has got to know over her 18 years of research experience. You’ll also find out how citizen science is playing an important role in creating a clearer picture of dolphin populations and building understanding about how local dolphins may be influenced by human activities.


6pm: Event opens 
6:30: Grab a seat (will go fast!)
6:45: Talk kicks-off
7:30: Pizza & good conversation!

Entry is $3 including a slice of pizza! 

For more information or to RSVP, head over to our Facebook event page or email ambassadors@reefcheckaustralia.org.

This initiative is hosted by Reef Check Australia, and proudly supported City of Gold Coast Council, with amazing in-kind support from The Karma Collab Hub Miami! 

Thanks for your interest in becoming a Reef Ambassador on the Gold Coast!

The Reef Ambassador program is a ground-breaking project, training community outreach volunteers to actively inspire, motivate and support their communities to better understand and help protect local marine environments. This program mentors volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in reef ecology, communications, behaviour change principles, and project planning to support positive locally relevant action for the reef. 

These Ambassadors will become enthusiastic community leaders, promoting information about the condition of our coral reefs and educating communities on what they can do to help.

We only offer a limited number of training courses each year and while we already think you are awesome for wanting to get involved, we cannot accept every applicant. Your application will be reviewed and we'll advise you of the status. Don't worry, there are plenty of additional opportunities to get involved!

PLEASE NOTE: To participate on a Reef Ambassador training course, you must be able to attend all training dates, and commit to at least 6 months of volunteering. Also note that prior to starting this application that you will need to have a copy of a current resume ready to complete this application.

Training dates include: September 14 & 15 (full 2 days workshop: 9am-5pm)

Please see costs and further details at: https://www.reefcheckaustralia.org/reef_ambassadors

Expressions of Interest close: August 31, 2019.  APPLY HERE

Thanks to the City of Gold Coast Council for supporting our work in this region.

Join our Reef Ambassador Program in Townsville!

The Reef Ambassador program is a ground-breaking project, training community outreach volunteers to actively inspire, motivate and support their communities to better understand and help protect local marine environments. This program mentors volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in reef ecology, communications, behaviour change principles, and project planning to support positive locally relevant action for the reef. 

Reef Check Australia is running Reef Ambassador training for Townsville based volunteers who live locally and wish to stay involved over multiple events, projects and seasons.

These Ambassadors will become enthusiastic community leaders, promoting information about the condition of our coral reefs and educating communities on what they can do to help.

This training is part of Reef Ecologic’s Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science Program, which is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

We are currently opening Expressions of Interest for September.

PLEASE NOTE: To participate on a Reef Ambassador training course, you must be able to attend all training dates, and commit to at least 6 months of volunteering. APPLY HERE

Coming up in September will be a rare opportunity to attend Reef Ecologic's "Reef Leadership" workshop at Orpheus Island. 

This workshop is open to current Reef Check Australia Scuba Surveyors to be trained in complementary programs such as GBRMPA's "Eye on the Reef" program. 

Additionally, Reef Check Australia will be offering the opportunity for marine science professionals to become Reef Check Divers through this subsidised program.

The workshop is  part of Reef Ecologic's Integrated Coral Reef Citizen Science Program, which is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

•  Dates: Sept 21-23 - Additional surveys available for RCA divers Sept 23-26
• Location: Orpheus Island Research Station
• For more information: https://reefecologic.org/project/gbrf-community/

Register your interest: link

These September school holidays, Reef Check Australia will partner with Palm Beach Surf Club to teach kids (7-12yrs) about Marine Ecosystems!

We invite kids to come and learn about some of the creatures that make up our marine ecosystems. Join us for the opportunity to get hands on and learn about the different marine megafauna found in our local marine environment. There will also be the opportunity learn some basic marine ecology through hands on games!

There are limited spaces available, so if you do register, please ensure you show up or let us know prior if you are unable to attend and we can allocate the space to another child.

Parents are required to stay, but welcome to chill out at the Palm Beach Surf Club deck and enjoy a drink or snack whilst the children participate in the workshop.

Entry is via gold coin donation, with all monies given back to the Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club to help support their Nipper activities.

Head over to the Facebook Event Page to find out more and register. 

Thanks to the City of Gold Coast Council for supporting our work in this region.