Dear {{recipient.first_name_or_friend}}  It's October already, meaning Christmas is just around the corner (less than 90 days away...what!!!) With the beautiful spring weather upon us, our teams have taken advantage of the clear skies and have been busy spreading the ocean conservation message and cleaning up our beaches. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Conscious shopping News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Conscious Shopping. Think about your purchases!  With Christmas just around the corner many people are busy creating gift lists, organising get togethers and preparing menus. It's a great opportunity to spend time with your friends, family and loved ones. For this months "Action of the month" we are asking everyone to think about where your Christmas products are coming from. How many kilometres have they travelled to get to you? How are they packaged and what they are made from? Following on from our July Action of the Month (Plastic Free July), we urge you to consider purchasing products locally (or at least in Australia), products made from recycled materials, items shipped in compostable or recycled packaging or ditching "stuff" altogether and think about giving experiences instead. When organising get togethers, don't use single use plates or cutlery. If you don't have a big picnic set, get everyone to bring their own reusable plates, cups and cutlery. This creates less waste, even paper plates and bamboo cutlery have to be disposed somewhere. These small actions add up to big wins for our environment. Next month we will bring you details of some small local businesses that you can support when ticking off your Christmas shopping list.   News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website! South East Queensland With our surveys all wrapped up for the moment, our team have been busy with information stalls, renewing their first aid certifications and helping with clean-ups. Gold Coast Whale Festival Reef Check Australia joined in the fun and festivities of the Gold Coast Whale Festival 2021 put on by Humpbacks & High-Rises. So many amazing groups came together to make the event a reality, and what a beautiful day to all meet up! Thank you to the City of Gold Coast for their support. Empowering people to protect our reefs and oceans is the core of what we do, and it would not be possible without ongoing support. Thank you also to our amazing volunteers for being so flexible and making it work! Photo credit: Angel Pesut, Mark Buckley and Nerida And thanks to the myriad of other groups that make such festivals possible! Spirit of Gold Coast Whale Watching Volunteering Gold Coast Sea Shepherd Australia Sea World Cruises Ocean Connect Sea World Research, Rescue & Conservation myGC Ngarang-Wal Gold Coast Aboriginal Association Incorporated City of Gold Coast Chloebehrens SSL Productions QLD Whales and Climate Griffith University First Aid Refresher Some of our team updated their first aid skills recently to make sure we are able to offer immediate response in the unlikely event of an emergency, either during our activities or in everyday life. Resuscitation is an important skill and one that we feel everyone should consider adding to their skillset. Microplastics Survey    On a beautiful spring day we had the privilege of joining Visionary Ocean Warriors for a clean up at Golden Beach and learn about undertaking AUSMap surveys for microplastics. We also watched as an enthusiastic group of young people sorted through the larger items of debris collected to be catalogued into the AMDI database. These people are the ocean guardians of the future and we commend them for their efforts. MEAM kicks off Finally after delays caused by bad weather and a false start caused by a COVID lockdown, the Mooloolaba Ecological Assessment and Mapping (MEAM) Team finally hit the reefs of the Sunshine Coast. Several of our Reef Checkers are part of this group run by UQ. They aim to map the shallow water reefs around Mooloolaba. Check out this video created using photogrammetry. Tallebudgera land based clean up Reef Check Australia and Gold Coast community volunteers joined forces to clean up Tallebudgera Creek on the Gold Coast earlier this month as a part of a series of beach and underwater clean ups run by Reef Check Australia to document and remove marine debris along the length of the Queensland coastline, looking at several key debris hotspots over a two year period. Tallebudgera won ‘Australia’s cleanest beach in the Keep Australia Beautiful Australian clean Beach awards’ in 2010/2011, however recent reports have shown that the area has become a hot spot for marine debris.  Two different methodologies to monitor and document debris in the area were used.  Microplastic surveys along the high tide mark showed no microplastics found in this area, however many lightweight plastics, beverage containers and ‘the usual suspects’ of plastic straws, cigarette butts and snack wrappers were found strewn amongst the vegetation; not unexpected due to the amount of wind experienced by the team on the day. However, the amount of plastic entwined in and under roots of nearby trees was a little unexpected; showing just how long such items hang around in the natural environment. The area is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, as evidenced by the team early on a Monday workday morning. Whilst the rubbish only weighed 2 kg, it consisted primarily of lightweight plastic items, with 375 pieces of rubbish making up the haul from the team which illustrates just how easy it is to make a difference. As school holidays move into full swing, its important to remember to dispose of rubbish correctly wherever you are.  Want to join in the next event? Sign up to receive our Enews letter and follow us on socials for regular updates and event locations! This project has received funding support from the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program. Tallebudgera underwater clean up Trained Reef Check Australia divers visited Tallebudgera Creek last week to undertake an underwater clean up below the surface of this popular location.  A beautiful sandy beach frequented by holiday makers and locals alike, the rock wall leading out to the ocean is a treasure trove of rocks, seaweeds, macroalgae, octopuses and nudibranchs. And Marine debris. The dive team removed 36m of fishing line and 11 pieces of fishing debris over a period of just 1 hour. The site is relatively shallow, and an important nursery for a variety of fish species. Further towards the river mouth, over 30 meters of fishing line and tens of lures were removed by snorkelers the day prior. All debris is removed (if safe to do so), disposed of safely and documented through the Australian Marine Debris Initiative. Want to join in the next event? Sign up to receive our Enews letter and follow us on socials for regular updates and event locations! This project has received funding support from the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program. Great Barrier Reef Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island beach clean up Reef Check Australia hosted a beach cleanup event at Horseshoe Bay, Magnetic Island as a result of collaborations between local Townsville and Magnetic Island residents and community groups. Our collective efforts resulted in more that 2.5km of beach cleaned, 13kg of debris removed from the natural environment and more than 800 individual items collected. Memorable items found were a tinny and bags of plant pest Prickly Pear which have been reported to local groups and council. An AUSMAP microplastics survey was also completed and we are so pleased to report that none were found however there were still many small items such 313 cigarette butts and almost 100 hard plastic remnants. Huge thankyou to Kaspa and Lawrence from @snorkeldownunder, MICDA, Townsville City Council and the wonderful team of Reef Check Volunteers and locals who helped on the day. Want to join in the next event? Sign up to receive our Enews letter and follow us on socials for regular updates and event locations! This project has received funding support from the Queensland Government’s Community Sustainability Action grant program.   Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Life on the Brink - A series of podcasts where Gabe and Alex chat with conservationists and ask them the big questions. Check them out here    Radiolab - a platform for long-form journalism and storytelling. Apparently these 2 podcasts are pretty good! Did you know that our annual survey reports are available on our website? Head over to our website to view reports for the Great Barrier Reef and South East Queensland. Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean and waste reduction innovations:    Virgin sharks? Check out this article Baby shark born in all-female tank Australia a litter hot spot Did you know Australia is considered a litter hotspot? Litter Hotspots Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.  10 October 2021: Beach Clean Up - Bowen. Email [email protected] to register. 12 October 2021: Coast to Corals - Seaweed Solutions 18 October 2021: Beer Yoga 23 October 2021: Clean Up Dive Gold Coast Seaway. Email [email protected] for more details. 30 October 2021: Beach Clean Up - Forest Beach. Email [email protected] to register. If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2021 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia1/377 Montague RdWest End, QLD 4101Australia  

Dear Suppporter Fathers day is fast approaching. Tired of buying "Stuff"? Instead of socks and jocks this year why not Adopt A Reef for Dad, a unique gift that also helps our reefs. Head on over to our website to find out more information. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Connect to Nature! News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Get back to nature. Reconnect with the world around you!  Image from Geran De Klerk - Unsplash I recently read something along the lines of "If we can't connect to nature, how are we going to advocate for it?" and these words really resounded with me. We've seen that hashtag #protectwhatyoulove, meaning people only care about what they connect with. So, in order for more people to care and collectively make positive changes for the world around us, we need more people (including ourselves!) to connect with nature. A simple task, within reach for us all. Make time to go for a walk, listen to the birds, feel the wind on your skin, immerse yourself in the water, smell that flower or savour the taste of your morning coffee. Be present, soak it all in. What do you hear, smell, feel, touch, and even taste? Our lives are so busy these days. It's these small moments of mindfulness that create gratitude and a sense of appreciation and connection with what is around us that are more important than we realise. Immersion in nature is immensely beneficial to mental health as well as general wellbeing, especially in present times (look up tree bathing if you haven’t heard of it!) So, what will you make time for right now, to connect with nature and yourself?   News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website! South East Queensland Sunshine Coast Surveys The team took advantage of the weather, and jumped at the chance to check out Kings Beach; a local gem so often forgotten by many. It takes a bit of planning to visit Kings Beach; the tides, the visibility, the timing; everything has to be perfect. Luckily for the team all the conditions aligned perfectly, allowing us to get out and check in on one of our favourite local spots. Here is what Rachel McVeigh; RCA survey diver had to say; 'What a fabulous few days of local diving with the RCA Team! I’m always amazed at the diversity of corals right here in our watery back garden! It seemed like all the polyps were out feeding – what a delight to see! Its especially always a pleasure diving with Julie and Jodi because their expertise is phenomenal and they are so eager and ready to share their knowledge – thanks ladies! I’ve got to admit that I have a new crush! Egg Cowries! And we actually got to witness one on the Kings Beach survey laying eggs. Her gorgeous black-spotted mantle covering her smooth bright white shell underneath. Just amazing!' Want to see what Rachel is talking about? Check out the photos attached below. If you are interested in checking out this site for a snorkel; get in touch, we love to share information about our gorgeous local environments! This survey is made possible through funding through the Sunshine Coast Council Environment Levy Partnerships Grant. With such a good window of favourable weather conditions our teams also managed to complete three surveys at Mudjimba, one at the Inner Gneerings and three at Currimundi. Whilst it was a hectic few days we were super happy to get all of our surveys done following delays caused by poor visibility, windy weather and lockdowns. OH and on the last day out we were treated to a wonderful display by a pod of whales, dolphins and oh so many turtles! These surveys are made possible through funding through the Sunshine Coast Council Environment Levy Partnerships Grant. Plastic Free July Plastic free Sunshine Coast is a way to connect the community on the Sunshine Coast to come together and promote sustainability and plastic-free living - through beach clean-ups, showing eco swaps on social media, promoting and working with local small eco businesses, working with sustainability organisations and just providing a platform for all of these to come together. The event for Plastic Free July with the Sunshine Coast Council was the perfect example of providing this platform for everyone to come together and it was very special! Was such an amazing day with 25kgs of rubbish picked up, 23 eco business stalls, sustainability workshops, live music and a plastic-free coffee van! plastic free Sunshine Coast hopes to deliver more events like this again to the community. Although 23kg might not seem like much, every little bit counts, and of this, hundreds of pieces of small, lightweight plastic was removed from the environment. A Day on the Bay Brisbane-based Reef Check Ambassador Krystel Stevenson and Adriana Robayo attended a community engagement opportunity with River to Bay Brisbane. The group runs a range of river tours from bar hopping to Island hopping. The tour we attended was the Best of Moreton consisting of a snorkel at Tangalooma wrecks, lunch at Stradbroke Island and a history tour at St Helena Island. This opportunity allowed Reef Check to engage with the community. Whilst snorkelling with the guests we were able to point out different species and guests even helped us fill out a ReefSearch slate. We then spoke about the important work Reef Check does and provided ways the community can assist in supporting our reefs, the conversation continuing over lunch. It was a great day filled with sunshine, laughs and wildlife. Great Barrier Reef During the Reef Leadership workshop on Orpheus Island back in March, the snorkellers were very excited when they encountered a VERY large Porites coral. At 5.3m tall and 10.4m wide it turns out it is one of the oldest on the Great Barrier Reef, estimated to be 400 years old. Read about it here!   Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Books   Reef Life: An Underwater Memoir by Callum Roberts In this book Callum recounts his work on coral reefs, starting from his first introduction to coral as a University student through to recent times as an acknowledged professional. His story's highlight the shifting baseline syndrome and how this makes people blind to past losses when they set their baseline by what they first see. Inheritors of the Earth by Chris D. Thomas For anyone interested in conservation this book provides an interesting perspective on changing biodiversity. You may not agree with everything the author says, but it is worth considering opinions that may differ from yours. If nothing else you may learn something you did not know, I know that I did.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean and waste reduction innovations:    Apparently female octopuses throw things at males that are harassing them, who knew?. Read more in New Scientist   Check out this neat video about research being done using Drones to monitor turtles. It also highlights the work of Reef Check Malaysia and the work they are doing to address plastic pollution.   Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.    6 September 2021: Beer Yoga 8 September 2021: Clean Up Dive Gold Coast Seaway (email [email protected] for more details) 13 September 2021: Clean Up Dive Tallebudgera Creek (email [email protected] for more details) 14 September 2021: Coast to Corals - East meets West: Conservation efforts in the UAE If you missed any of our Coast to Coral online events, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here     Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation

Dear Supporters We are really pleased that we have been out on the water doing reef health surveys during the last month, even if the water is chilly.  Meanwhile our ambassadors have been out and about spreading the word on all things marine and encouraging people to go plastic free, not just for July, but for ever! Read on to see what we have been up to. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Time for a winter (spring) clean! News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Time for a winter (spring) clean! Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash Winter has come at us hard this year (doesn't it always feel like its getting colder and colder each time!) and whilst Reef Check Australia's main purpose is protecting our marine environments, and we will continue to do what it takes to do exactly that, it must be noted that many of us do not like cold weather. Finishing off some long term reef health monitoring in Moreton Bay recently, it was down to 15 degrees Celsius! During these cold months we certainly feel grateful for the fact that we have a roof over our head and a warm comfortable bed to sleep in. How about you? It's an alarming fact that around 116,000 Australians don't have this luxury and the pandemic has only made things worse. Whilst we may not all have the ability to donate money, many of us might find that if we took a look in our cupboards, we would have excess clothes or blankets that we don't need, and that would certainly benefit others without this luxury. It may not yet be spring, but why not have any early winter/spring clean and donate your clean excess clothes and blankets to a charity. There are many charities such as Sheltered by Grace, St Vincent De Paul and the Salvation Army doing amazing work with those less fortunate. Some places will donate goods directly to the homeless, others use store fronts to sell the second hand goods and raise much needed funds to provide support. Don't have anything to donate but in the market for some new clothes or homewares? Check out your local charity stores. You can get some amazingly good clothes and homewares at a bargain price and help raise funds this way. Plus you are recycling and reusing which is also amazing for our planet. Know of any other charities in need? Let us know and share the love!   News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website! South East Queensland Moreton Bay Surveys With sunshine and low winds a team of surveyors headed out over 2 days to complete our winter surveys in Moreton Bay. Conditions were lovely with good visibility although the water was rather chilly. We were pleased to see the amount of Sargassum algae had decreased, as had the levels of silt. Our surveyors are constantly amazed by the incredible amount of lovely hard and soft corals there are in these environments, providing important habitat for juvenile fish and estuarine species. Thanks to Port of Brisbane and Go Dive for making these surveys possible and a big thanks to our volunteers who entered all of the data. Thanks to Port of Brisbane for supporting these surveys. Peaks to Points Festival Our team had a great day at Peaks to Point Family Day at Oxley Creek Common on Sunday . Braving the wind, our ambassadors enjoyed talking all things Reef Check, encouraging people to save our reefs and oceans. There was no shortage of people drawing their favourite sea critter either, even a Saw Shark! Thank you to Port of Brisbane for supporting our Reef Ambassadors and community outreach in the region. Cook Island and Kirra Reef A very excited team headed south to the Tweed River and hooked up with Kirra Dive to make a fast trip out to Kirra Reef and Cook Island. Surface conditions at Kirra Reef were amazing and only a slight ripple greeted us at Cook Island. Kirra Reef is a highly variable environment, with algae beds giving way to clean rocky substrate covered in soft corals and anemones. Cook Island was teaming with fish and lots of lovely corals. The area is known for it's turtles and we were lucky enough to be distracted by a turtle during our survey. Thank you to City of Gold Coast for supporting these surveys. Seaside Scavenge Reef Check Australia happily supported this event again this year. Over 26kgs of rubbish was removed from Caloundra beaches which could be swapped for donated pre-loved goods. An all-round win for the environment, rubbish removed and goods given a new home instead of disposal. Congratulations to the team from Visionary Ocean Warriors for another successful event.  Great Barrier Reef The GBR team had an extremely busy May and June completing 9 beach and underwater cleanups as part of The ReefClean project before the end of the 2020/2021 financial year. The wind was not on our side and some trips were scheduled multiple times but we got there in the end! Jenni and Nathan wanted to say a big THANKYOU to the 39 legendary Reef Check Australia volunteers over 5 separate trips spanning 700km between Port Douglas and the Whitsundays. YOU collected 32.8kg of marine debris in addition to RCA surveys. A huge achievement and amazing outcome for our reefs and oceans! The next round of these trips will be coming up in the next few months again. The ReefClean project is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation and a number of partner organisations including Reef Check Australia.   Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Books   A Fortunate Life - A.B. Facey Not ocean related: "You Aussies probably all already know it but I remember reading it when I first moved to Australia and even though I can't remember any details, I remember thinking this was a nice, beautiful read" Hannaleena Vaisenen. Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg After volunteering in Northern India, Hugh came to realise that the children there were remarkably positive despite the hardships they endured. He recognised that they possessed gratitude, empathy and mindfulness and shares this revelation and how we can all live a happier life. Sharks - A history of fear in Australia by Callum Denness This book is an interesting read on the history of fear of sharks in Australia. The author has researched shark encounters and interviewed the people involved. He also explores the role sharks play in indigenous history.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean and waste reduction innovations:    We have all heard about the problem of "ghost nets" - discarded fishing nets that trap marine life. A charity in the UK has been recognised for their work in removing this hazard. Ghost Fishing UK wins Plastic Free Award How cute is this? A baby Tiger shark has been spotted in the Cocos Islands - read more here.  The problem with Oodies: hooded blankets are cosy but they are not great for oceans or our healthThe thing that makes hooded blankets comfy and unnaturally soft is also what makes them bad for the environment and our health.Read in The Conversation   Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.    9 August 2021: Beer Yoga 10 August 2021: Coast to Corals - Carnivorous Sponges 27 August to 5 September 2021: Horizon Festival If you missed our recent Coast to Coral online event, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here       Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation

Dear Supporter We hope this email finds you all well and staying warm. Whilst the weather has continued to make in-water activities difficult we have been busy with events spreading knowledge on how people can make a positive impact even with a minor behaviour change.  Which is rather relevant as we head into Plastic Free July. Take a read to see what we have been up to recently and what is coming up soon for Reef Check Australia. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Plastic free July!. Inspire Change - Amber Moran Tax Time News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Plastic Free July.   Image sourced from Abode of Chaos.  Plastic Free July; how can you minimise your plastic addiction? Welcome to July! 6 months into the year, that means it's time to check in; how are you all doing? What has been working for you this year, and what have you been working on to change? We have been working hard cleaning up our waterways as we conduct annual reef health surveys, and we can't help but notice the sheer amount of plastic we find both above, and below the surface of the water. Our General Manager was lucky enough to be a part of the Exxpedition recently; a team of women sailing (currently sailing virtually) around the world, visiting the 5 gyres, and documenting marine debris as well as working on strategies to actively reduce our plastic addiction, clean up our oceans, and create innovative ways to move towards a circular economy. It has been fascinating. Did you know that the number one contributor of plastic micro-particles in the ocean can be attributed to washing our clothes? Every time we wash our clothes, additional micro-particles are washed down the drain, resulting in trillions of tiny particles making their way into our waterways and oceans, into our marine life and eventually back into our own bodies. Wow! Scary, right! We have all heard the slogans; there is no such thing as away: when we throw something out, it has to go somewhere. So with this in mind, and following on from last months action to care for our planet, we are challenging ourselves, and you in this months action of the month: join plastic free July, and see how many ways you can switch our collective plastic addiction. How many days can you go without using any form of single use plastic. It's tougher than you think. For some hot tips and tricks on some of the best products we have found, check out our FB, Instagram, and Linked-in pages. We will be sharing our hottest tips and tricks from all our volunteers, partners and staff so we can all learn from the wins and losses to make the best choices possible. Have your own tips, tricks, wins or challenges you want to share? Please do! And remember to tag us @reefcheckaustralia so we can share your tips with everyone else. Happy exploring, and good luck! Inspire Change Amber Moran is a CoralWatch ambassador and now Reef Check surveyor. Amber had been wanting to join the RCA team for so long!!! Amber is self-confessed Reef Check tragic with some great friends who are ambassadors and surveyors. I really wanted to take my surveying skills to the next level and join my friends on upcoming RCA surveys. Here Amber recounts some of her training adventures and shows us how we can all inspire change today.  The Reef Check Australia Whitsundays Citizen Science Project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation@reefcheckaustralia @reefecologic @reefcatchments   Tax Time End of the financial year it almost here.Want to make a tax deductible donation and help support our reefs? You can adopt a reef or make a one off or recurring donation via our website . Our reefs will thank you!   News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website! South East Queensland Gold Coast Green Week Our team of ambassadors participated in a number of events to support the Gold Coast Green Week during June. Ambassador Gina Broadbent gave an online presentation on the Gold Coast reefs, including their health and what we regularly see at these reefs. If you missed this presentation it is available on our You Tube channel at this link. What Lies beneath Meanwhile ambassador Susy James hosted an online Beeswax Wraps session, showing how easy it is to make your own reusable wraps and ditch the single use plastic wrap. We even had participants from South Africa - how good it is that! Missed the event? Watch it now. Thanks to City of Gold Coast for helping support these events. UQ Winter Roadshow Redcliffe Sunday 20th June at Sutton’s Beach Redcliffe turned on the sunshine and low winds for a perfect winter’s day. Corinna, Krystal and Colin joined the UQ Marine Society and wooed the crowd to have their photos taken in front of the Green Screen with their favourite “Speech Bubble” Low tide made the UQ guided tours during the event all the more interesting by seeing recent lava formations with attached live oysters, & recent existence of sting ray sand pits – in all, an interesting tour of the ecology of the beach intertidal zone, not to be missed.  Thank you to Port of Brisbane for supporting our Reef Ambassadors and community outreach in the region.   Great Barrier Reef Sharing knowledge with local Ngaro Traditional Owners As part of the Reef Check Australia citizen science project in the Whitsundays, we are working with Traditional Owners to share knowledge and support their desire to enhance their capacity to care for country. Reef Check Australia coordinators Nathan Cook and Jenni Calcraft met with Ngaro Traditional Owners Peter Pryor and Merv Pryor to discuss ways to improve knowledge exchange about Indigenous culture surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. It was great to sit in the park at Riverway today and be inspired by Peter and Merv, their love for country, knowledge, respect and sharing. In the coming weeks we will be developing some communications products that will hopefully help share knowledge about the cultural history of the Ngaro people of the Whitsundays. The Reef Check Australia Whitsundays Citizen Science Project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, supported by Reef Check Australia ,Reef Ecologic Reef Catchments, and CoralWatch.   Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Books   Coral Finder 2021 by Russell Kelley This is the newest version of Russell's awesome Coral Finder for Indo Pacific Corals. It takes you step by step through identifying your coral.  There are also associated online learning videos to help you navigate your way through identifying corals. Leading without authority by Keith Ferrazzi In this book Keith reveals how you can get people around you to cooperate and collaborate, even if you are not their supervisor or boss.  Life Lessons from the Ocean by Richard Harrington Richard explores how we can learn from the ocean in order to manage our everyday lives.   Podcasts In this amazing podcast, Simon Pierce, Whale Shark Conservation Biologist talks about how he grew to love and study whalesharks and the amazing work he is doing for their conservation.  Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean and waste reduction innovations:    Looking for unique Homewares made from recycled materials? Checkout this site: Homewares, Handmade and Recycled by MAB   Another paper published on the 20 years of annual Heron benthic surveys and still going. Title: Fine-scale time series surveys reveal new insights into spatiotemporal trends in coral cover (2002–2018), of a coral reef on the Southern Great Barrier Reef.Link: Report It follows the just recently published data paper:Title: Benthic and coral reef community field data for Heron Reef, Southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia, 2002–2018Journal: Nature and Scientific dataAuthors: Chris Roelfsema, Eva M. Kovacs, Kathryn Markey, Julie Vercelloni, Alberto Rodriguez-Ramirez, Sebastian Lopez-Marcano, Manuel Gonzalez-Rivero, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, & Stuart R. PhinnLink: Report   Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.    13 July 2021: Coast to Corals - Introduction to Coral Taxonomy 18 July 2021: Come and say hi at the Peaks to Points Festival 10 August 2021: Coast to Corals - Carnivorous sponges and other sessile marine invertebrates - stay tuned for the link. 27 August to 5 September 2021: Horizon Festival If you missed our recent Coast to Coral online event, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here       Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2021 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia1/377 Montague RdWest End, QLD 4101Australia      

Dear Supporter It's officially winter and the end of the financial year is fast approaching. Like many of you we are endeavouring to comply with all of our commitments before then. We just need the weather to cooperate.  Take a read to see what we have been up to recently and what is coming up soon for Reef Check Australia. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Care for the planet!. Inspire Change Tax Time News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Care for the planet. Its June already! How did you spend your May? What intention did you set for yourself for the month, and what habits did you put in place to make sure you succeeded, and to track your progress? As mentioned previously, we believe that in order to best protect the world around us, we first need to look after ourselves and each other. Over the past few months we have been giving you some of the tips, tricks and tools we use for actioning these ideas. With a solid understanding of how to look after ourselves, and each other, we now want to take a look at the ways we can all make that extra step towards looking after the world around us. Which leads me to this months action of the month: caring for the planet. Let's be honest. The earth needs our help. Or more likely, we need the earths help; because it will live on well after we do. Which ever way you look at it, we believe we should do all we can to help protect the environment around us, and the critters that live amongst it. So this month we are going to look at the ways you can assist with looking after this glorious world around us. There are a million different ways that you can choose to protect our earth; lands, oceans, mountains and the like. So let's just start with the top three that we believe can make a big difference. Donate to your favourite cause (that’s us, right?)I know I know, another person asking you to donate. But the reality is there are thousands of not-for-profit organisations doing their very best to better understand, monitor and protect the natural environment, and they need your help. Every little bit helps, so if you can, please think about a monthly giving donation. Even a one off donation is very much appreciated! Or think outside the square and look at adopting a reef for that someone special for a truly unique gift idea, and make an ocean of difference. All donations big or small are tax deductible, and with EOFY just days away, make your dollars work towards protecting our reefs and oceans. Volunteer your timeIf you don’t have the ability to donate money at the moment, but are still keen to help out where you can, think about volunteering your time. Time is the most precious thing we all have, so how can you utilise some of yours for the betterment of yourself, others and the planet? Become a Reef Ambassador, a SCUBA surveyor, or an event volunteer. If you like to organise events, maybe you can help organise a fundraiser in your local area! We have plenty of resources to help you on your way. Head on over to our website for inspiration. Beer yoga, Gin Yoga, trivia… just some of the ideas others have come up with so far! Take action- from wherever you are.Back in February we asked you to take a look at your carbon footprint. To do more, we need to know more, so after better understanding how your actions impact the world around you, what changes did you, and/or can you make to minimise your impact? Can you choose green energy? Can you shop local, or say no to single use plastic? Can you eat less meat, or use public transport? Or is there something else that you have been wanting to commit to? What are the top three things that you can do or change to make the biggest impact? Feel free to share your wins and challenges with us online; Facebook, Instagram, Linked In, or email. How will you focus on caring for the planet this month?   Inspire Change Lynndel Oui is Ngaro Traditional Owner who, along with her daughter Milda, recently became Reef Check Australia Ambsssadors. Lynnddel & Milda joined a Reef Check Australia expedition in the Whitsundays region of the Great Barrier Reef in October 2020 learning how to care for their sea-country using citizen science methods and techniques to collect valuable data on the health of our reefs. During the trip they journeyed with some amazing people and were inspired to make a difference for the health of our Reefs. The Reef Check Australia Whitsundays Citizen Science Project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Reef Check Australia, Reef Ecologic, Reef Catchments, CoralWatch. Watch our video here Tax Time Want to make a tax deductible donation and help support our reefs?    News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website! South East Queensland Palm Beach Gold Coast An intrepid team were up before sunrise and headed south to Palm Beach. Surface conditions were amazing, with no wind and sunshine although there was still some swell around. Recent reports on visibility indicated it was patchy and we certainly encountered this. Our team braved the surge and successfully completed both surveys, recording numerous octopus, urchins, anemones and wobbegongs. Thanks to City of Gold Coast and Gold Coast Dive Adventures for making these surveys possible. Gold Coast Seaway written by Cheryl Tan, RCA SCUBA Surveyor Lovely Monday morning survey dives took place on the Gold Coast seaway. The visibility was not as great as it has been in the past, but it was enough for us to enjoy the site. A group of 5 reef check divers completed 2 surveys, one at "the pipes" and the other at the "southwest wall". All in all, we saw some cheeky cleaner shrimp, eels, schools of fish hanging around the pipes and ended our last survey with a cleanup of fishing lines and hooks that were wrapped around rocks. Over a kg of debris was removed in just one very quick clean up! It was chilly in the water but the gorgeous sun and provision of hot piping drinks after the dives were well worth the effort the team put in. Thank you for another great day in the water! Thanks to City of Gold Coast for supporting these annual reef health surveys. Logan Eco Action Festival It was a beautiful sunny day for the Logan Eco Action Festival, with quite a number of people enjoying the sunshine and the many stalls supporting the environment and sustainability. The Reef Check team had a wonderful time playing guess that sea creature, draw your favourite sea creature with the young and young at heart. We also enjoyed many interesting conversations with the community on the importance of our oceans and what we all as individuals can do to help save our oceans and promoting the work that Reef Check Australia do. It was particularly nice to see the reaction of people when they saw the Flinders book and discovered that we have these beautiful reefs so close to home! Thank you to Port of Brisbane for supporting our Reef Ambassadors and community outreach in the region. Great Barrier Reef Hardy Reef - Whitsundays Last month our GBR team had the opportunity to visit Hardy Reef in the Whitsundays for a combined survey and social trip. We conducted 8 surveys at two different sites and were treated to a drift dive back to the pontoon and the end of our big weekend of surveys. HUGE thank you to the RCA team for helping to collect  all the data and of course to Cruise Whitsundays for the support! World Science Festival written by Rachel King, RCA Reef Ambassador On Friday the 7th of May Jenni, Caitlin and Rachel headed to the Museum of Tropical Queensland to represent Reef Check as ambassadors of citizen science. This day forms a part of the World Science Day celebrations, coinciding with the reopening of the Museum in Townsville. This was a great opportunity to connect with young students from local schools in the Townsville community with hands on citizen science activities and we took the opportunity to dust off our greenscreen! We transported visitors to John Brewer Reef with some fantastic reefscape backdrops supplied by the amazing photographer Matt Curnock. We also set up a mini transect with different fish, invertebrate, substrate and impacts that can be found on our surveys and encouraged students to help us conduct reef surveys using ReefSearch datasheets. Overall, a great event with lots of teachers showing interest in doing more with us in the future. Reef Catchments Marine Classroom Last month we were invited to spend three days and two nights at Scawfell Island out of Mackay with Reef Catchments from the Mackay-Whitsunday-Isaac region as part of their joint partnership with the Reef Assist Marine Classrooms project. Students from Sarina SHS had an incredible opportunity to study both marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the GBR learning about reef health monitoring with Reef Check, marine debris with Tangaroa Blue and invasive weeds with Reef Catchments whilst building meaningful connection to the oceans, the group and themselves. Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Books   Underland A Deep Time Journey by Robert MacFarlane Robert reaches back into the deep history of the planet, through the layers of rock and ancient buried objects, and forward to the future, the legacy of the anthropocene and the world we bequeath our descendants. The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler Not marine based but this book explores how athletes of extreme sports achieve their goals and how their methods can be used in everyday life. Reef Heresy by Peter Ridd This book provides interested Australians with a scientific based account of conditions of the Reef and the information to properly understand its condition.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean and waste reduction innovations:    HAVE YOU GOT CHILDREN OR KNOW ANY? Check out this #kidscareaboutclimatechange drawing contest (http://kidscareaboutclimate.org). They plant a tree for every entry & will film a giant banner of drawings in forests around the world & hopefully showcase both at COP26. It ends 30 June. https://youtu.be/KRNjSuRQYnU Don't know what to do with your old "beyond repair" wetsuit? Donate them to help out flying fox rescuers. Contact Jodi L Jones directly. Read about this divers rare encounter with a white Grey Nurse Shark.   Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.    4 June to 6 June 2021: Pranafest Tuesday 8 June 2021: Coast to Coral: Check our Calendar for more information Wednesday 9 June 2021: What lies beneath.. a deeper look at Gold Coast Reefs Thursday 10 June 2021: DIY Beeswax Wraps Monday 21 June 2021: Beer Yoga at the Brewhouse 27 August to 5 September 2021: Horizon Festival If you missed our recent Coast to Coral online event, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here       Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.  Make a Donation   Copyright © 2021 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia1/377 Montague RdWest End, QLD 4101Australia      

Dear {{recipient.first_name_or_friend}}  The weather has been fickle up and down the coast but Reef Check Australia has still been active both on and off the water.  Take a read to see what we have been up to recently and what is coming up soon for Reef Check Australia. This months email includes: Action of the Month: Care for each other!. PRANAFEST Getting to know our volunteers News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Care for each other. As another month passes, and it feels like time continues to speed up, always racing away from us, I am reminded of a story I heard recently about life being like a giant bus. The bus of life comes down the road and you jump on. It has no brakes and no instructions. It has no map; it just keeps moving- with or without you. It doesn’t care if you are sick, how much money you make, or how successful you are; nor how you define success. It just keeps going. Until one day it doesn’t. Sounds a little scary, right? And yet it's oh so true! How many times have you caught up with a friend; realising it's been months since you saw them. Or you look at your calendar and realise another month has gone. Or six. Time is flying… are you using the tailwind to your advantage, or are you gripping on for dear life? Would you recognise the difference? Last month’s action of the month focussed on looking after yourself; put on your oxygen mask before assisting others. Now that you have that covered (or at least made a start.. right?) we want to take a look at how you can look after those around you; your community; as well. Time is the most precious thing we have. We all have exactly the same number of hours in a day, minutes in an hour, seconds in a minute. So how are you showing up in those seconds, minutes, hours? Are you living the life you want? Are you showing up in the world how you want to be seen? What does this even mean? Your community is all the people around you. It’s the people you interact with on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis. It's anyone you choose to share time with. It’s the people you turn to when stuck, it’s friends and family, coworkers, peers, and anyone with whom you have an impact through your decisions, buying power, words and language. How are you showing up for any of these people? Thinking of all the people you interact with; how are you showing up with them. Are you present? Do you actively listen to what they have to say? Are you attached to your phone, to scrolling, to watching people's online life, whilst real life and real people are in front of you, sharing their most precious resource; time; with you- right here, right now? This month's "Action of the Month" is simple. Just choose to be present. In anything. In everything. Switch off your phone, your computer, your TV and pay attention to those around you. Go for a walk in nature, and really look at how amazing the world around you is. Stop trying to multitask (badly, I might add) and be in the moment. In meetings; in-person and online. And see what happens when you choose to be present. This small change can make huge differences in your work, your life, and your relationships with your community. Are you up for the challenge?   PRANAFEST Following on from the Action of the Month; to care for each other, and last month's action of looking after yourself first, PRANAFEST offers the perfect blend of the above, set amongst the beautiful mountains of the hinterland to immerse yourself fully in this first of its kind experience. Created by The Flow State Experience’ PRANAFEST is the first edition of the teams Sunshine Coasts’ ultimate wellbeing & music retreats. PRANAFEST is a totally immersive experience of connectedness within yoga, music, art, country, community & culture is a first of its kind. With an incredible, world-class team of facilitators, PRANAFEST offers an epic 3-day retreat-style event June 4 - 6. The full experience is going to be one powerful, collaborative energy shift ~ a journey to inspire self-love, community elevation and expansion. Sounds gorgeous, right? The festival is blessed to have some of Australia’s foremost thought leaders, yoga teachers, breath-work facilitators, musicians, meditation experts and inspiring mentors. The first lineup announcement includes New Earth Metta, Dubarray, Gwyn Williams, Oka & Sound of Hemp, Dan Pauro, Chris Lane, Art of Connection, Liquid Lyrics, Nirvair Devi, Manoa and Flow Song with so many more to be unveiled for a completely transformational experience. So if you were thinking of how you might take the step into better understanding yourself and those around you... look no further! The best part? Reef Check Australia is PRANAFEST's Charity Partner. We will help with the waste management, with donations from the event going towards supporting reef health monitoring along the length of the QLD coastline. This also means that we are able to offer our Reef Check Australia supporters a special code that will get you 10% off your ticket... but get in quick! We only have 10 of these passes up for grabs. CODE: Togetherforouroceans Tickets available now https://events.humanitix.com/pranafest/tickets With zipPay available through Humanitix (Buy now, pay later. Interest-free) For more information visit www.pranafest.com.au   Getting to Know our Volunteers at Reef Check Australia | Tara Humphries Where are you from? Sunshine Coast, QLD. What motivated you to join our team? I recently helped out with raising awareness for Reef check at the beer yoga night and I enjoy getting involved in the beach cleanups and world environment day festival. What project are you planning on focusing on? I love to engage children in learning about our beaches + reefs and how to protect them -I’d love to do more with that in the future. What animal do you think best represents you? Osprey. Night owl or early bird? 100% Early bird.  Flying or invisibility? Flying. Favourite food? Vietnamese Favourite marine animal? Whales. Thanks Tara for being an important part of Reef Check Australia.     News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website! South East Queensland Clean Up Amity Point An awesome team of volunteers headed over to Amity Point on Stradbroke Island to clean up some of the fishing debris, a result of the popularity of this area. Our volunteer Marzia Coslan shares her thoughts on the event: It was great to be part of the event funded by Healthy Land and Water. I always feel that seeing the amount of rubbish being picked up straight from the sea has a huge impact on public awareness. The only thing I would change is doing it more often to keep it in everyone's mind...and also to catch up more regularly with my Reef Check mates! This project was supported by Healthy Land and Water, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. Yoga Events: Earth Hour To celebrate Earth Hour, our South East Queensland and Great Barrier Reef teams organised Yoga by Candle Light. Tiffany aged 14 shares her insight on the event: Earth Hour yoga was a great event for all ages. It was amazing how everyone came together so easily. The yoga by candlelight was thoroughly relaxing and everyone finished feeling peaceful. The partner yoga was a lovely opportunity to experience a connection with others. This is definitely something I hope to do again next year! Thanks to our Yogi's Gabriella Salmon (SEQ) and Tracy from Live and Breath Yoga (Townsville) for donating their time and skills to these amazing events. Gin Yoga By Liz Buccheri Brisbane-based Reef Check Ambassador Krystel Stevenson organised and ran an incredible Gin & Yoga event in Milton this month. With the help of a few more Brisbane Ambassadors, Devin Rowell and Liz Buccheri, RCA welcomed a small group of community members to an hour-long Vinyasa yoga session that included 2 tasty gin cocktails throughout the night. The delicious gin was house-made at our venue, Warehouse 25, and was infused with calming botanicals like lavender and lemon myrtle which really enhanced the relaxing vibes of our yoga session. Our yoga instructor, Em, who is a fellow ocean lover and Reef Check supporter, ran an incredible session that left us all feeling relaxed yet empowered. She did a wonderful job of incorporating our drinks into the yoga poses that we did which was fun for everyone! She also incorporated many of RCA’s key ideals and messages into the session, including her focus on the significance of water throughout the night, and her final message to end the session about the ways that we can all protect and conserve our planet. The community members that attended the event all had an incredible time and some who were not aware of what RCA does were able to ask questions and learn a bit from our ambassadors. Overall, the night was filled with fun and enthusiastic, like-minded people who were all super passionate about our oceans and extremely supportive of RCA’s cause! Great Barrier Reef Over the last few months, Reef Check GBR team has hosted stalls at the Townsville Cotters Markets, Airlie Beach Markets, and Ocean Film Festival, Townsville. A number of our ambassadors and surveyors helped to spread the word about Reef Check and their citizen science monitoring. The reception was positive, gaining a few potential volunteers and entertaining some kiddies with "Who Am I" reef games. We are hoping to hold more regular stalls leading to greater community engagement for our GBR chapter. - Ingrid Naschwitz Reef Citizen Science and Leadership Workshop at Orpheus Island Research Station Kailash Cook, Reef Check Australia Ambassador, Surveyor and Reef Ecologic Intern shares his experience at the Orpheus Island Research Station. Read now in News. Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Books   Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts In this book conservation biologist, Callum Roberts explores just how early in our history exploitation of the seas began and what can be done to start to repair the damage. Also available as an audio book.   Shark Drunk by Morten Stroksnes The art of catching a large shark from a tiny rubber dinghy in a big ocean is a quirky and interesting book about the North Atlantic and coastal history of Norway.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean and waste reduction innovations:    Parents - what do you do with old school uniforms? How's this for a great idea - Read more  Did you know there is such a thing as a Blanket Octopus? - check out this amazing YouTube video Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.    Tuesday 11 May 2021: Coast to Coral: What the Wreck is it! Diving into Queensland's wrecks and reefs Sunday 23 May 2021: Come visit our stall at Logan Eco Action Festival 4 June to 6 June 2021: Pranafest Wednesday 9 June 2021: Gold Coast Green Week: What lies beneath... A deeper look at Gold Coast reefs 27 August to 5 September 2021: Horizon Festival If you missed our recent Coast to Coral online event, remember you can always catch-up by taking a look at our YouTube Channel here       Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation   Copyright © 2021 Reef Check Australia, All rights reserved.You have received this newsletter because you have given Reef Check Australia your email address. If you would prefer not to receive any further emails, please click the unsubscribe link in your email.Our mailing address is: Reef Check Australia1/377 Montague RdWest End, QLD 4101Australia      

Having returned from a life-changing five days at the Orpheus Island Research Station, I can honestly say I have a renewed sense of appreciation for the outstanding coral reef environments we have in Far North Queensland. I also have a renewed sense of optimism for the future of these ecosystems knowing that there are people from all walks of life who will look after, monitor, and take action to protect coral reefs around Australia. The Reef Citizen Science and Leadership Workshop brought together people from all over Queensland and even as far away as Brazil to learn about different citizen science techniques and how to use them practically around the reefs. The unique facilities of the Orpheus Island Research Station allowed us to have hands on field work experience on a healthy coral reef. Even classroom work was entertaining as we had access to a coral reef aquarium to practically demonstrate many marine ecological processes and relationships rather than comprehending a diagram. After being postponed due to cyclone Niran, we were blessed with sunny skies and clear waters. This just enhanced the in-water experience and made conditions perfect to experience some of the most spectacular events the marine ecosystem had to offer. We counted over 1500 Tridacna spp (Giant Clams), we observed and measured an estimated 682 tonne Porites coral bommie and we encountered two large Rhinopristiformes (Shovelnose Rays) in our time at sea. By the end of the workshop, we had successfully submitted eight Reef Check Australia surveys, 21 Reef Health and Impact Surveys, 10 Coralwatch surveys, 10 Rapid Monitoring surveys and began to write a scientific article on the Porites coral bommie. This data on remote locations such as Pelorus and Orpheus is invaluable to monitoring the health of these reefs and will be used to management across Australia and the world. The most valuable aspect of the trip for me, was taking the time to step out of the day-to-day life with like-minded people and be reminded together of how lucky we are. We in North Queensland live everyday going to work and gathering in World Heritage listed environment. Unfortunately, we often get so caught up in our busy lives that we take these incredible environments for granted. It is workshops like these that immerse us in our beautiful home and remind us how lucky we are to have this at our doorstep. We only have a limited number of days on this planet, so take these opportunities to appreciate our situation, enjoy the beautiful environment we have here in Australia and try to give something back. Whether that be through a citizen science survey or just making efforts to reduce your carbon footprint. Above all, make sure that you are aware of how lucky you are to live the life you have. By Kailash Cook, Reef Check Australia Ambassador, Surveyor and Reef Ecologic Intern

Dear {{recipient.first_name_or_friend}} --  Hello and welcome to 2021! We hope your festive season was exactly that; festive! and that you were able to take some time out to enjoy the things you like to do, that you replenished your soul, enjoyed the outdoors, and are ready and rearing for a fantastic 2021. Taking inspiration from our involvement and participation in the THRIVE Festival over New Year’s Eve, January's Action of the month is to plant the seeds of intention for the year ahead. To start the new year, this months email includes: Action of the Month: Plant the Seeds of Intention for the Year Ahead Thriving into the New Year Clean-up for the Hatchlings Beer Yoga with Reef Check Seaside Scavenge Hunt & Beach Clean-up at Caloundra Getting to know our volunteers News from the Field Brain Food Current Coral Affairs Get With the Program Plant the Seeds of Intention for the Year Ahead What does this mean? For us, it means preparing for the year ahead. To think about what we want to achieve in the year ahead, and how we plan on doing that. Individually, what changes do we want to make in our life, career, relationships, friendships, or impact in the world around us? This is no easy task, but it's important to take the time and really get clear on what you want to achieve. Set your intentions. Write them down. It might be a word, a statement, an image. But be clear and get ready. Because these intentions, these seeds, we are going to plant them. You can do so physically, metaphorically, or both. You choose. But this seed of thought, of intention, or purpose; this is what will drive you through the next 12 months. Once the seed is planted, it's not set and forget. It needs nutrients to grow. So what practices, habits, and plans will you put in place to nurture it? Is it self-care, learning more, personal development, a new course, or simply dedicating time to any of the above? What is the keystone habit that will drive you ahead this year? What are the nutrients (those habits, plans, etc) that you will pour into and over your seed of intention to ensure it grows and blooms? So sit back, relax, and set your intentions for the year. And get ready to watch them bloom.   Thriving into the new Year! Written by Kade Chambers, Reef Check Australia volunteer. My passion, love for the ocean, and marine life has drawn me to the very addictive hobby of diving. It is through this love of the ocean and diving where I met Jodi and started to learn about Reef Check Australia. Since first meeting Jodi and the Reef Check team on their fundraising trip aboard Saltwater Eco Tours I have since joined them for an underwater clean up dive, and exploratory snorkels in Morton Bay. I have also been on a few recreational reef dives with Jodi, which were very educational; she is a book of knowledge on reefs and marine critters. Since learning about RCA, I wanted to find all the ways I could get more involved, so as soon as I heard they needed volunteers for THRIVE, I jumped at the chance to hang out with awesome people helping out, for New Years Eve. And WOW what an unbelievable festival! As a volunteer with RCA we were responsible for waste removal. As a part of this, we sorted and kept all the cans and bottles from the event, with all proceeds from the refund scheme donated to RCA. Even though I was collecting rubbish I probably had my best New Years to date, volunteering with Jodi, Scott, Lisa and Michael (other RCA volunteers) was made really fun. I’m pretty sure I can speak for all volunteers when I say we all had a really good night and made some money for RCA, and did our bit for the environment. It feels good to start 2021 doing something so awesome. Hats off to Jodi and the Reef Check team for their awesome work and making life for volunteers easy and enjoyable. Looking forward to the next event I can help out at.   Clean-up for the Hatchlings 2021 We are pleased that this important annual Sunshine Coast event is still able to go ahead with a COVID safe plan in place. There are still places available to help clean-up our beaches for our impending turtle hatchlings (and the entire marine ecosystem). We would love you to join us by registering at Eventbrite here. Once on there you can select the beach you wish to attend, if your first choice is not available we encourage you to select another one. There will be a QR code for sign in at the beach on the morning. Please remember to bring your own gloves, plus a hat, sunscreen, and water bottle. After the beach clean-up there is a free sausage sizzle and some prize awards at La Balsa Park at Buddina. Who does not love a free sausage sizzle???? Okay, there will be Mushrooms for the vegetarians and they are pretty awesome as well!   Beer Yoga with Reef Check  What an EPIC beer yoga event to be our last one for the year! Last month we were joined by the epic SCOTT from Younion Yoga to help us find our zen in amongst the Christmas craziness. It was nice to be able to take some time out, stretch and relax with a tasty brew in hand thanks to Your Mates Brewery before the full craziness of the silly season hit. Thank you to everyone who continues to support Reef Check Australia in any way that you can. Keen to help us kick off the next beer yoga for 2021? Stay tuned for details!   Seaside Scavenge Hunt & Beach Clean-up, Caloundra Reef Check Australia was at the Seaside Scavenge in Caloundra, on the Sunny Coast at the end of last year. This event was a fun-filled day where local community was able to pick-up rubbish in exchange for pre-loved clothes, books, toys, and furniture. Despite the very windy conditions the event was a great success which resulted in 65kg of local rubbish being collected by the enthusiastic ocean and earth lovers. The event was led by Poppy from the Visionary Ocean Warriors, who are an inspiring group of young people dedicated to protecting our oceans. The day was filled with fantastic local music, educational information booths and great guest speakers which included Sea Shepherd, Tangaroa Blue and our very own Jodi Salmond from Reef Check Australia (who also MCed the event!). A big thank you to Julie, Olga and Toni for helping out on the day (you guys rock!).   Getting to Know our Volunteers at Reef Check Australia | Ben Brauer Ben is the coordinator of New Beginnings (www.newbeginnings.net.au). ''I’ve been interested in the Marine Environment from age 5, and was pleased to be able to include marine programs into my non-profit charitable work in Queensland. For me being a part of the Reef Check Ambassador program was a valuable multi-faceted experience, bringing new knowledge for my youth marine conservation work, the possibility for cooperation with other like-minded organisations, and my first snorkel in quite a while. Above all, meeting so many lovely people, all intent on reef conservation. Thanks to all of you!! It seems I will return to some of the bays we stopped at when I take part in the Whitsunday Cleanup Flotilla on my own boat later this month. So, more knowledge gained during our RCA trip of the anchorages and channels we transited that I hadn’t been to before. Reef Check Ambassador Ben Brauer (left), with our Reef Check GBR Coordinator Nathan Cook   Where are you from? Originally from Germany, but a long-time Australian resident, currently living on the Gold Coast. What motivated you to join our team? New knowledge, new cooperations. What project are you planning on focusing on? Currently my charity’s Youth Programs, including our recently introduced Youth Marine Conservation Programs. What animal do you think best represents you? Eagle (my companion from early in life) Night owl or early bird? Early bird. Flying or invisibility? Definitely Soaring! Favourite food? I’m a Foodie. All kinds.   Thanks Ben for being an important part of Reef Check Australia.     News from the field Stories and updates from our teams out & about. Check out some of these regional stories on our website! South East Queensland Clean up at La Balsa | Mooloolah River Written by; Rachel Mcveigh, RCA scuba volunteer. It was so good to get back in the water with RCA at La Balsa, a river survey dive site. There’s always something to learn from the team leaders about the substrate, impacts, and how to identify rare species.Conditions were good to us on the day and visibility fair, considering the huge storm a couple of days prior in the region. We even saw a stick pipefish (I have never even heard of those before!) and removed over 10kg of rubbish from a short clean up on the way back. Thanks for the laughs as always guys. I love being a part of the Reef Check Australia team, and I look forward to more activities in the new year!     A Talk at Mooloolaba State School Our General Manager, Jodi Salmond, was invited back to her old primary school last month to talk to year 6 students about work in the environmental sector, and to how best to align their futures with their current goals. 'It was a beautiful experience to be able to give back to the school that kicked off my love of the ocean, and my passion for working as a marine biologist. It was great to hear so many awesome stories from the students as to what they are currently doing, and what they want to do in the future. It looks like we have a wonderful array of passionate scientists growing up on the Sunshine Coast!' Thank you to Mooloolaba State School for the invitation and for fostering such environmental stewardship in the next generation.     North Queensland Bowen Beach Clean Up & Citizen Science Surveys On Saturday December 5 a band of willing citizen scientists joined forces at Rose Bay in Bowen for a collection of citizen science activities to help the local environment. Co-led by Reef Check Ambassadors and Ngaro Traditional Owners Lynndel and Milda Oui, volunteers participated in a number of beach and in water activities collecting data for a range of citizen science programs. As part of the Reef Check Ambassador program we try to inspire ambassadors to lead projects and activities in their local area. On this occasion, as part of Reef Check’s Whitsundays Citizen Science Project, we are specifically trying to engage and support Traditional Owners to learn about the Reef and get involved in actions to support its ongoing health and resilience. In this way we hope to also support and strengthen sea country connections in the region. The event also featured Reef Check Australia GBR Coordinator Nathan Cook and Reef Check Ambassador Nerida Higgins from the Whitsundays as well as local CoralWatch Ambassador Kate Buchanan and some teachers from the local high school. The team of volunteers kicked off by conducting an Australian Microplastics Assessment Program (AUSMAP). This program involves the random selection of locations along a 50m transect at the last high tide mark and sifting the top layer of sand to find 1-5mm plastic pieces. It is pretty cool and we relied on the younger volunteers with good eyesight to find the tiny bits of plastic. Thankfully we didn’t find many. We conducted a Tangaroa Blue clean up along the beach and amongst the rocks. It was hot work and we were thankful for the shade offered by the nearby picnic area. Volunteers sorted and cataloged the rubbish found using Tangaroa Blue’s data collection sheet which allocates rubbish into a variety of categories. All of this information is submitted to Tangaroa Blue’s Australian Marine Debris Initiative database and assists in knowing what the problems are to enable the development of source reduction programs. Toward the end of the event Reef Check Australia GBR Coordinator, Nathan Cook and Reef Check Ambassador Nerida Higgins from the Whitsundays jumped in the water and completed some in water surveys. Nathan completed three Eye on the Reef Reef Health and Impact (RHIS) assessments while Nerida completed a CoralWatch Coral Health survey. All this data feeds into respective databases to help management know about and protect our marine environment.   The Reef Check Australia Whitsundays Citizen Science Project is funded by the partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation     Alma Bay, Magnetic Island gets a clean on a windy Saturday The crew from Reef Check Australia headed to the little alcove that is Alma Bay in Magnetic Island for a beach and underwater clean up. It was an extremely windy Saturday, but that did not stop the volunteers' enthusiasm for some citizen science activities. 13 volunteers ranging in age from 0 (yes, a 10-month-old who admittedly didn’t do much!) to 68 participated in a marine debris clean up on the beach, and 3 hardy scuba divers braved the choppy seas to explore the underwater world for any rubbish. Underwater we found quite a bit of broken glass and not much else, no doubt washed away by the waves and surge. The team also completed a complementary AUSMAP survey on Alma Bay beach. AUSMAP is the Australian Microplastics Assessment Project and is conducted in conjunction with the regular Tangaroa Blue clean up on the adjacent beach. Overall the team collected 4kgs of marine debris, much of it small plastic pieces, clear plastic film, plastic and glass bottles, and cigarette butts. Community engagement and raising awareness is a key component of citizen science activities. It was a busy Saturday at the beach with many visitors who came and chatted to the volunteers about what we were doing and why. It was great to be able to share knowledge and inspire people to look after their own backyard. With all of these events the rubbish was weighed, counted and sorted, and the data submitted to Tangaroa Blue’s Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) database. By processing the data this way we can determine the primary contributors to the rubbish we find and look at source reduction programs to stop it getting into our natural ecosystems in the first place.   These clean ups were part of the @reefclean project, funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by @tangaroablue Foundation and a number of partner organisations including Reef Check Australia      Brain Food Reviews and details on books, documentaries, and podcasts that we have come across, & wanted to share. Books   The Overstory | By Richard Powers Shortlisted for the Man Booker in 2018, The Overstory is a brilliant and passionate book about humans and their relationship to trees and the natural environment. - Read more   Documentaries/Films  Mission Blue | Sylvia Earle Feature documentary about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle , and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries. Watch now on Netflix   Podcast   The Regenerative Journey | Charlie Arnott The Regenerative Journey podcast is a must for anyone who is curious about regenerative agriculture and the wide ranging and significant benefits of its adoption and practice, not just for farming communities but also for anyone who eats food and cares for the planet! Available on Spotify.   Current Coral Affairs Check out some of the latest news and research about our ocean:   After 20 years of research and lobbying efforts, the Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF) is thrilled to announce a major legislative victory for ocean life in Mozambique. - Read more      Partying dolphins and rare sea slug among 2020 highlights in UK seas. - Read more     Researchers exploring the depths of the northern Great Barrier Reef have found a rare species of "walking" fish never before recorded in Australian waters. - Read more   Get with the Program Here's what we've got coming up in the next few weeks, keep checking the website for more updates.    Saturday, 30 January 2021: Clean-up for the Hatchlings Wednesday, 3 - 7 March 2021: Citizen Science & leadership workshop - Orpheus Island More exciting events are being planned for 2021....stay tuned and keep an eye on our socials & events pages to keep up-to-date Thanks for reading! If you want to help our work to empower more people to protect Australian reefs, please consider making a monthly tax-deductible donation.    Make a Donation