Here is a directory of different groups providing volunteer opportunities with on-ground conservation or environmental projects in the local region:

Conservation Volunteers Australia projects in Townsville region – check this website to confirm correct dates, meeting location and contact details. Projects include Creekwatch (water quality testing and surveys), Friends of Cape Pallarenda Quarantine Station and native revegetation nursey.

National Park Volunteers projects in Townsville region – click here to view all opportunities. Projects include:

• bird surveys at the Town Common in partnership with Birdlife Townsville. (more info here).
• weeding and revegetation at Florence, Nelly and Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island (more info here).
• Marine Animal Stranding Response – the Sea Turtle Foundation coordinates the marine animal stranding response efforts in our region. No prior knowledge is required however all volunteers must understake training before attending strandings and must have their own transport. Register your interest here.

Magnetic Island Nature Care Association – MINCA manages the Bolger Bay Conservation Park and regularly holds working bee days open to volunteers. Their website has some brilliant guides to the flora and fauna which you can volunteer to contribute material or photographs to. Click here for details about fortnightly work bees with MINCA.

Research-based volunteering – Reef Check Australia has volunteers monitor and report on the health of Queensland’s coral reefs. Volunteers conducting underwater surveys must be qualified divers. Click here to see other non-diving volunteer roles.

Sea Grass Watch is a global, scientific and long term assessment and monitoring program. The headquarters of this organisation is at Townsville’s James Cook University. Read this guide if you want to find out more about being a Sea Grass Watch volunteer.

Landcare – Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare Inc. is a not-for-profit, community Landcare group, dedicated to conservation and revegetation activities in the Townsville region. Their event calendar is the best place to look for upcoming activities. Some projects include:

• Mundy Creek Landcare in Garbutt at 4pm on the first Saturday of each month.
• Turtle Bridge site in Annandale on the Ross River at 9am on the second Saturday of each month.
• Ross River Bush Gardenhas its monthly meet at 3pm on the third Saturday of each month.
• Gondaloo Creek near the Townsville Hospital in Douglas has a community revegetation day at 9am on the fourth Saturday of each month.

It’s best to stay up-to-date with Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare on their Facebook page and to confirm your attendance by emailing [email protected] or calling 0428 428 542.

NQ Dry Tropics manages the Volunteering Dry TropicsFacebook page, which also connects you with environmental volunteering activities in Townsville.

Queensland Water and Land Carers offers a big directory of associated volunteers groups. Browse the directory if you are looking for groups and projects in Ayr, Charters Towers, Bowen as well as the urban centres.

Don’t want to leave your home? There are some fantastic citizen science projects you can assist in without even stepping outside! You can help researchers on Wildlife Spotter by classifying animals photographed by motion sensor cameras, including the threatened Northern Bettong native to our region. Bird enthusiasts can get involved with Birdlife Australia citizen science. There are hundreds of opportunities in Australia and around the world. Click here to find a project you want to get involved with.

Even more possibilities may be found on our page of Links to Other Environmental Groups and Sites.