2022 HANDBOOK www.ecomarines.com/ssp - Tangalooma EcoMarines
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2022 HANDBOOK www.ecomarines.com/ssp
ABOUT ECOMARINES Tangalooma EcoMarines began in 2014 with a goal to educate the wider community about the importance of protecting Moreton Bay. Now, we’re a non-profit organisation providing programs to assist students in primary and secondary schools across Southeast Queensland to learn about and take action to help protect our environment. We enable our wonderful ambassadors and support crew students to work with other schools, connect with local businesses, and learn from traditional owners and environmental experts. Student ambassadors encourage their school network to identify and tackle challenges impacting their local community in a fun and creative way. We’re all on a mission to save the bay and would like to thank you for being a part of EcoMarines! This year we have over 85 schools and 340 ambassadors! OUR TEAM Our team is small but mighty made up of Penny, Jason, Dini and Fran. We’re all passionate about making our world a better place, and we love working with you to do this! As we are only a team of 4, we need your assistance to increase our environmental impact. Penny Limbach Jason Castle Dini Kanagaratnam Fran Chicas General Manager Business Manager Program Coordinator Program Coordinator penny@ecomarines.com jason@ecomarines.com dini@ecomarines.com fran@ecomarines.com
ECOMARINES ONLINE KIT
We have designed the EcoMarines online kit to help you with your efforts. You can access the online kit at
www.ecomarines.com/ssp. This has everything you need including information on:
• EcoMarines 2020 challenges and activities
• Action Plan
• Resources
• Support EcoMarines (including donating with our Containers for Change code: C10041492)
• Events
o Ambassador Training Day (Term 2)
o Care 4 Country (Term 3)
o The Wave (Term 4)
OUR ENVIRONMENT
Our local environment is beautiful, special and important. Southeast Queensland has important farmland,
forests and waterways where native birds and wildlife live. Moreton Bay is just 14km from Brisbane City, yet
it is home to 2,344 plant species, and many different species of marine and wildlife.
Moreton Bay is an important place for
biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as
for people! It is very special to the
Quandamooka people who have taken care of
Moreton Bay for over 22,000 years using the
diverse resources of the area to sustain
themselves. It also provides us with a beautiful
place to go swimming, snorkelling and explore
under the sea
FUN FACTS: MORETON BAY
• There are 360 islands in Moreton Bay and the area is a protected Marine Park
• Moreton Island was formed approximately 183 million years ago
• There are 9 whale species
• You can find 6 of the 7 marine turtle species
• There are over 120 species of coral
• There are 800-900 dugongs in Moreton Bay- the largest population of dugongs close to a major city
• 600 to 800 inshore bottlenose dolphins
• 2000 loggerhead and over 10,000 green sea turtles
• Moreton Island is the 3rd largest sand island in the world! It’s 98% sand and 2% rock.
FUN FACTS: ANIMALS
• Did you know stingrays’ eggs incubate and hatch inside their bodies? They give birth by making a
little pit in the sand for 2-6 babies that look like tiny tacos!
• Humpback whale calves drink up to 600 litres of milk… per day!
• Humpback whales have a life expectancy of around 48 years
• Dolphins do not have a voice box. Sounds come from within their blowhole on the top of their heads,
not from their mouths.
• Turtles only start breeding when they are 30-50 years of age.
• Did you know the temperature affects the gender of turtles at birth? Warmer beaches produce more
females while cooler beaches produce more males.
• Octopuses have 3 hearts and the colour of its blood is blue
• Jellyfish don’t have brain and have been around for 650 million years!
WHY IS ECOMARINES IMPORTANT?
EcoMarines is important because it is a driving force of change, led by students, that combats a range of
environmental problems found in schools and communities across Southeast Queensland.
Here are some of the reasons we do what we do:
• The average plastic bag is used for about 12 minutes but can take up to 1000 years to decompose.
• Every year plastic debris kills more than a million seabirds as well as 100,000 marine mammals.
• Did you know 80% of marine pollution comes from land (and 80% of that pollution is PLASTIC)?
• Did you know there are 5 giant garbage patches in the ocean? One is as big as Queensland!
• Over 200 turtles wash up on
Moreton Island every year,
and it is estimated that 30%
of turtles in Moreton Bay have
eaten some form of plastic
• 1 billion disposable coffee
cups are used in Australia
every year.
• Deforestation is one of
Australia’s biggest threats to
our warming planet.
2022 ENVIRONMENTAL DAYS
These environmental days are great to celebrate with your EcoMarines and your school community!
EcoMarines could host workshops, hold fundraisers, and share information on assembly. If you do
celebrate an environmental day, let us know and send us some pictures!
FEBRUARY
2nd – World Wetlands Day
11th – International Day of Women & Girls in Science
MARCH
3rd – World Wildlife Day
5th - Youth and Schools Clean Up Day
6th – Clean Up Australia Day
21st – International Day of Forests and Harmony Day
22nd – World Water Day
25th – National Ride2School Day
26th – Earth Hour
APRIL
22nd – Earth Day
MAY
1st – International Composting Awareness Week (1st – 7th May)
14th – World Migratory Bird Day
16th – National Volunteer week (16th- 22nd May)
22nd – International Day for Biological Diversity
23rd – World Turtle Day
JUNE
5th – World Environment Day
8th – World Oceans Day
JULY
3rd – NAIDOC week (3rd - 10th July)
29th – Schools Tree Day
31st – National Tree Day
AUGUST
1st – Landcare Week (1st – 7th August)
9th – International Day for World Indigenous Peoples
13th – National Science week (13th – 21st August)
15th – Keep Australia Beautiful week (15th- 21st August)
SEPTEMBER
1st – National Biodiversity Month (1st- 30th September)
7th – National Threatened Species Day
TBC – International Day of Awareness on Food Loss
and Waste Reduction
OCTOBER
1st – World Habitat Day
17th – Aussie Backyard Bird Count and National Bird Week (17th-23rd )
17th– National Water Week (17th – 23rd)
TBC - Enviroweek
24th – United Nations Day
NOVEMBER
7th – UN Climate
Change
Conference COP 27 (7th – 18th)
9th – National Recycling Week (9th – 15th)
21st – World Fisheries Day
DECEMBER
5th – International Volunteer Day and World Soil Day
TOP 10 WAYS PEOPLE CAN HELP
1. Pick up litter! This is so simple yet has a huge positive impact on our environment
2. Use a reusable water bottle, cups, and shopping bag
3. Wrapper free lunches
4. Compost organic waste
5. Recycle items like batteries, mobile phones
6. Get a bamboo toothbrush. These are a great alternative to traditional plastic toothbrushes. When it’s
time for a new toothbrush, simply remove the plastic bristles and then the handle can be put in the
compost where it will decompose!
7. Ask for your drink without a plastic straw. You can purchase reusable straws made from bamboo or
stainless steel as an alternative
8. Use environmentally friendly cleaning products which contain less harmful chemicals
9. Most sunscreens contribute to coral bleaching… choose sunscreens that are better for the
environment and you!
10. Get the conversation started! Help educate and spread awareness about making better choices for
our environment!
To stay connected, ask your parents to follow us on Facebook and Instagram! And don’t forget to check out
our website www.ecomarines.com/ssp.
@Tangalooma EcoMarines @ecomarines_
Let’s have a wonderful year and work together to create a
community of environmental heroes!
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