Parks
Environmental Open Day, Anderson Gardens,
Mundingburra
BDTNRM will have a display at this event which is being
organised by Townsville City Council Parks Services from 10.00am to
4.00pm on 23 September. It will comprise Council
departments relating to the environment, sustainability, leisure,
community, parks and gardens: other associated organisations have
been invited to attend.
Computer Mapping Workshops
AgForward is running these in partnership with BDTNRM.
08 October: Eungella
09 October: Collinsville
10 October: Belyando Crossing
11 October: Charters Towers
AgForward, offers landholders the chance to learn how to: display
satellite images of their property on a computer; add
infrastructure points to computer maps; link GPS points to computer
maps; save and print maps. Participants will receive digital
satellite maps, regional ecosystems maps and boundaries of their
property. One day course from 9.00am to 3.30pm. Laptops, lunch,
morning and afternoon teas all provided. $100 per enterprise.
Registration (closes 01 October) is essential as numbers are
limited. For more information or to register, contact Bree
Robertson on (07) 3238 6039 or bree.robertson@agforward.org.au
BDTNRM Celebrates Biodiversity Month
Biodiversity means ‘the variety of all life forms’.
During Biodiversity month, BDTNRM’s Biodiversity Programme
coordinator, Dr. Bronwyn Houlden is highlighting our activities
that contribute to a healthy and diverse region including work on a
number of endangered species such as the Northern Hairy Nosed
Wombat, the Black-Throated Finch, Elseya irwini Turtle and
local species such as the Nursery Frog and Leaf-Tailed Gecko. In
mid-September we will be sending Biodiversity information kits to
schools throughout the Townsville-Thuringowa area.
More about our Biodiversity month activities can be found on our
Media Release page: www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/mediareleases.html,
and for more information on any of BDTNRM’s Biodiversity
projects visit: www.bdtnrm.org.au/projects/biodiversity.html
Burdekin Water Quality Improvement Plan
workshop
A one day expert panel workshop to identify high ecological
values (HEVs) for the Burdekin waterways will be held on 11
October.
For further information, contact Sarah Connor on
4724-3544 or sarah.connor@bdtnrm.org.au.
Last
chance to register for Queensland Coastal Conference
This conference ‘Shifting Sands’ is being held in
Bundaberg, 17-19 September. Find conference program and
registration details on: http://www.iceaustralia.com/qldcoast07/program.html
New gateway to NRM in SA
South Australia has launched a new web gateway to its NRM
regional boards. You can view it at www.nrm.sa.gov.au/
View the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority’s 2006 Marine Monitoring Annual Report .
BBIFMAC have moved
The new address is: 144 Young Street, Ayr (across the road,
opposite Burdekin Canegrowers)
Contact details remain the same: Phone: 4783 4344; PO Box 205, Ayr;
Email: secretary@bbifmac.org.au
Weed Spotter Training Session
A brochure for the next Weed Spotter Training session at TAFE,
Pimlico Townsville on 12 October, can be found at www.bdtnrm.org.au/bio/bio/pgm/pests_weeds.html.
Registration is free.
To register, please contact Chris Gardiner on 4781 5738 or christopher.gardiner@jcu.edu.au.
National Threatened Species Day
September 7 highlights the problems faced by Australia’s
plants, animals and ecosystems that are under threat. It was on
this day in 1936 that the last Tasmanian Tiger died in captivity.
QueenslandFacts
Queensland has the greatest variety of plants, animals and
landscapes in Australia, making our state one of the world’s
most biologically diverse. Seventy percent of
Australia’s native mammals can be found in Queensland, as can
80% of all native birds, 429 species of reptiles, 120 species of
frogs and 11,074 species of plants.
Habitat destruction is the major cause of biodiversity
loss. Habitat modification through excessive grazing, altered
fire regimes, timber harvesting, mining and pollution have also
contributed to the loss of species. Some animals and plants
have to compete with introduced species for resources as
well.
Within Queensland, 16% of all vertebrates, 5% of butterflies and
13% of all plant species are endangered, vulnerable or rare.
Find more information on National Threatened Species week by
using the link from our Biodiversity page www.bdtnrm.org.au/projects/biodiversity.html
BBIFMAC General Meeting
14 September, Haller Financial Services, 15 Queen St, Ayr,
9.30am – 12.00pm. Guest Speaker Ray O’Grady of
O’Grady Rural, “Potential Role for BioChar
Production from Sugar Cane Trash & Bagasse and it’s Role
in Reducing Nutrient Retention and Soil Carbon Building”
.
Followed by Debora De Freitas, James Cook University workshop
(includes Light Lunch), 12.30–2.30pm: “Let’s
get together to talk about Public Participation and the Use of
Mapping Information in the Burdekin Dry Tropic
Coast”.
RSVP for Catering Purposes to Linda Kirk on
4783 4344 or secretary@bbifmac.org.au
Hidden Valley leaves no footprint
The general rule for ecotourism is to leave nothing but a
footprint behind and North Queensland operator Hidden Valley Cabins
and Tours has taken environmental sustainability to a new level by
offsetting all of its day-to-day carbon emissions. Hidden
Valley Cabins currently operates on solar for 19 hours a day and
will completely switch to solar power in coming months. Every guest
also leaves with a carbon neutral certificate proclaiming their
holiday’s green status.
For more information on the events above and more, go to
www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/on/index.html
This edition as well as past Burdekin Bites can be found on our
website:
www.bdtnrm.org.au/news/burdekinbites/index.html
Burdekin Bites is produced by BDTNRM, compiled and edited
by Kim Pritchard and Deborah Cavanagh.
We welcome your comments, ideas and contributions for future
e-bulletins.
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