Youth Ambassadors on Stradbroke Island

Youth Ambassadors – It’s Our Turn to Change the Tide!

South Stradbroke Island – Marine Debris Project

by Charlie-Jane Hamblyn and Zara McConachy

South Stradbroke Island is a destination for tourists and locals alike. Located on the South East coast of Queensland within the Moreton Bay Region (Quandamooka Country), this beautiful and unique island ecosystem has fallen victim to a devastating and increasing marine debris problem. Earlier this year, Cyclone Oma caused severe weather that resulted in parts of the island that usually remain untouched becoming overwhelmed with marine debris. Large amounts of remains created by the waste habits of humans were pushed by the cyclone above the tide line and alongside the litter left from travellers. This waste is now wreaking havoc on the islands’ beautiful and unique ecosystems. Read more “Youth Ambassadors on Stradbroke Island”

The School for Field Studies at Orpheus Island, October 2019

Twenty-nine students and staff from the School for Field Studies (SFS) visited Orpheus Island from 10-12 October 2019. Marine debris was our focus on the day that we arrived on Orpheus and we made our way over to Figtree Bay in the afternoon heat. Once there we divided into three teams and set about our two tasks.

Our first task was to sort the bags of debris collected, but not sorted, by the previous SFS group who visited Orpheus in July. That group did a thorough job of clearing up adjacent Big Rock Bay, which was accessible on that occasion on the low tide. Two groups set about sorting their predecessors’ booty while the third group braved the heat and began to clean up Figtree Bay. Read more “The School for Field Studies at Orpheus Island, October 2019”