Dear Friend --
Reef Check Australia, a volunteer based not-for-profit organisation, is under significant risk of closing its operations. And with that losing the incredibly valuable opportunity to empower everyday people to take action to protect our reefs and oceans at a time when our environment needs it most.
Monitoring the health of our reef network is critical to ensuring long term sustainability of this amazing natural environment. Just like the monitoring work we do on the Great Barrier Reef and other locations, maintaining an active database of our reef health further south will ensure the future of our reef environments.
Unfortunately, like so many charities and organisations, we too have been hit very hard by the COVID-19 crisis and we urgently need to raise funds to continue our programs.
Our target is at least $100,000. Not a small amount, we know. But this is what it will take to keep the doors open, and to continue our vital reef health monitoring program, our community Reef Ambassador program, and community led behavior change campaigns and clean ups.
Our waterways are under growing pressure from a rapidly increasing population, habitat loss, nutrient runoff, boating, anchoring, over-fishing, marine debris and climate change.
While reef health is deteriorating and people are becoming more aware of coral bleaching events and the overall health of our marine environment, we do know it is not too late to restore our reefs. Reef Check Australia exists to empower the community to make a difference.
Reefs are under threat, but we also know they are amazingly resilient systems and, with suitable management and protection, we can support resilient reefs into the future. We are committed to continuing our reef monitoring activities in the region and are asking the community to get behind our fundraising appeal.
Reef Check Australia has been helping people help reefs since 2001 and provides data to the global Reef Health database through monitoring more than 70 sites along the Queensland coast, from Port Douglas, Cairns, Townsville, Whitsundays, Mackay, Heron and Lady Elliot Island, Fraser Coast, Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales, and Ningaloo off Western Australia.
So, thank you for supporting us throughout the past 19 years as we work tirelessly to protect and inspire. If you’ve ever wanted to help protect reefs by helping to fund our work, now’s the time. You can help ensure we are a strong united voice well into the future by making a tax-deductible donation before 30 June.
Thank you, and best fishes
Jodi and the RCA team
