A combined Townsville Council, State Government, Commonwealth and
community based initiative to maintain and enhance our waterways in the
coastal dry tropics.


Increasing Community Engagement in Townsville Coastal Catchments for Biodiversity Project
Funded by the Australian Government's Caring for our Country program.


2011 Sub Projects
 

Activities and Events


Bluewater Creek | Bohle Northshore | Bohle Riparian | Bohle Wetland | Clemant Wetlands | Cocoa Creek | Community Nurseries | Creekwatch | Cungulla Foreshore | Cungulla Wetland | GBR Habitat | Geoffrey and Alma Bay | Horseshoe Bay Habitat | Horseshoe Bay School | M.I. Weed Awareness | Mundy Creek | Nelly Bay Catchment | Nelly Bay Turtle | Northern Beaches | Oak Valley Finch | Paluma Catchment | Petersen Creek | Rainforest Birds Book | Ross River | Rowes Bay Foreshore | Rowes Bay Wetlands | Saunders Beach | Toomulla Foreshore | Town Common Bike Trail | Town Common Concept | Town Common Volunteers | Townsville Planning Scheme


Short Title: Rainforest Birds Handbook


Title: Improving Wet Tropics Rainforest protection through Community Skill Building and Rainforest Birds Handbook


Location: Townsville LGA


Organisation: BirdLife Townsville


Project Summary:

BirdLife Townsville will invite schools from the Reef Guardian School program to participate in the project and particularly those planning to visit the Rainforest Education Centre at the Paluma township in the Wet Tropics. Presentations will detail the main threats to our rainforests with examples of well managed rainforests and rainforests in poor condition and the causes of these conditions. Remedial action options to overcome these threats will be presented and supported with a range of resources including powerpoint presentations, fact sheets on threats and a new Rainforest Birds Guidebook. The guidebook will feature the Southern Cassowary and other unique rainforest species with guidance to enable students to determine the condition of their local rainforest catchments.

Completed actions and events:

•    Project confirmed - March 2012

•    Rainforest Birds of the Southern Wet Tropics booket produced - August 2012

•    60 page A5 book featuring the Southern Cassowary and other unique rainforest species (indicator species to enable students to determine the condition of their local rainforests) including;
o    Managing threats to the Rainforest,
o    Feature Bird – Southern Cassowary,
o    Rainforest Birds of the Southern Wet Tropics,
o    Index of Common Names.

Rainforest bird book available at:
http://www.birdlifetownsville.org.au/12-08-09%20Rainforest%20Birds%20Lres.pdf

Managing threats to the Rainforest
The Wet Topics World Heritage Area has the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforests on earth. They are a living museum of how land plants have evolved since the break-up of Gondwana 40 million years ago, from ancient ferns, conifers and cycads to the more highly evolved flowering plants. The Wet Tropics is also a living record of the evolutionary history of animals – being home to some species that have changed little since ancient times such as the Musky Rat-kangaroo and the Chowchilla.” (p.4)

•    Four school workshops - Reef Guardian Schools preference and in particular schools planning to visit the Rainforest Education Centre at the Paluma township in the Wet Tropics
o    Detail of the main threats to our rainforests and the remedial actions required to overcome these threats (examples of well managed rainforests and rainforests in poor condition and the causes of these conditions)
o    Range of support resources including powerpoint presentation/s and fact sheets on threats

Rainforest Birds of the Southern Wet Tropics

extract from the book:

Managing threats to the Rainforest
"The Wet Topics World Heritage Area has the oldest continuously surviving tropical rainforests on earth. They are a living museum of how land plants have evolved since the break-up of Gondwana 40 million years ago, from ancient ferns, conifers and cycads to the more highly evolved flowering plants. The Wet Tropics is also a living record of the evolutionary history of animals – being home to some species that have changed little since ancient times such as the Musky Rat-kangaroo and  the Chowchilla.” (p.4)