So, the Great Barrier Reef isn't "in danger"... but for how long?

UNESCO's draft decision may seem like good news, but Australia has been put on notice. It's clear that more must be done to protect the Reef - and that means tackling the biggest threats, not tinkering around the edges.

A favourite time of year for many, June has brought us EcoFiesta, Reconciliation Week, a Member Gathering and our biggest Community Garage Sale yet!

The action has been a little bittersweet though, as we farewell Luna, who has brought so much to our organisation over the past two years and will be sorely missed.

Funding long-term positions in organisations like ours can be really tough. That's why we're so grateful to everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts this year. With just hours to go, we're inching ever closer to our EOFY target, and donations are always welcome!

It's a jam-packed update this month, but before we dive into it I want to thank everyone who made a submission to the State Development Bill last week. The Bill aims to undermine environment and community to fast track development, and we're determined to stop it.

If you didn't get a chance to make a submission, don't worry - I suspect there will be plenty of opportunities for us to raise our voices together in the months ahead.

Thank you for all that you do. Please enjoy this edition of Paperbark.

Crystal, NQCC Coordinator

Last night's General Meeting brought together long-time members, people considering joining NQCC, volunteers, interns, and friends of the organisation for an evening of conversation, fresh wood-fired pizza, and a look at what's ahead.

It was also a little bittersweet. After more than two years with NQCC, our Community Campaigner, Luna, was farewelled at the meeting.

What environmental issues matter most to young people?

Have you ever wished there were more trees in your neighbourhood? Wondered what could be done about plastic pollution, climate change, or protecting wildlife? Or thought, "Someone should do something about that!"

If so, we'd love to meet you.

Join us for a free, interactive Future Council Youth Workshop, where you'll have the chance to share your ideas, hear what other young people care about, and discover how your voice can help shape the future of our community.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall and shared their thoughts, experiences and ideas. We were excited to see so much interest in the campaign, with more than 50 people signing up to support it and stay involved. It was a great start for our campaign, getting attention and positive responses from decionmakers too.

"Australia has always been multicultural." ❤️🖤💛💙🤍💚

This year's Reconciliation Week theme - "All In" - inspired us to reach out to Townsville Multicultural Support Group, to connect some of the newest members of our community with some of the oldest enduring cultures in the world - right here on this continent.

Dear Luna,

This weekend, as our mega Community Garage Sale bursts into life, I'm both grateful and humbled by our mighty volunteers and generous supporters.

The connection we get to make with each other while at Green Drinks or Climate Cafés, doing citizen science, fundraising or finding and sorting rubbish is so important in this age of disconnection and isolation.

On a related note, this year's Reconciliation Week theme is "All In", and you're invited to reach out to someone in your life could use some inclusion in our Reconciliation journey. There are some great resources from Reconciliation Australia that could help guide some conversations.

June is always a busy month, and we're looking forward to connecting in the cooler weather at Eco Fiesta and at our upcoming Members' Event!

Thanks for helping us to step up for community, climate and nature.

- Crystal, NQCC Coordinator

What do you get when 30 community volunteers spend a Sunday morning exploring mangroves, saltmarshes, parks and carparks? A cleaner coastline - and 160kg of rubbish removed from the environment.

The clean-up, organised by North Queensland Conservation Council, NQ Wildlife Care and Healthy Waters Partnership, brought together community members determined to make a difference around the Barnicle Street boat ramp.

Volunteers collected an astonishing amount of litter, including tyres, a fridge door, broken glass, textiles, shoes and more than 18kg of soft plastics. While the clean-up area was relatively small, the volume of rubbish highlights the ongoing challenge facing our waterways and wildlife.

A big thank you to everyone who took part, and to TIDY Up Townsville Group and Earthwatch Australia for joining us on the day and lending a hand.

Every piece of litter removed is one less threat to wildlife and our waterways.

All photos: Jo Hurford.

Scroll through the photos below to see the day in action.

Last week we came together for candlelight, soft drizzle on leaves above us, and honest conversation about the climate crisis and how it lives in us.

Last week’s Green Drinks evening brought together community members for a relaxed night of conversation and a growing awareness of how deeply local lives in North Queensland are connected to distant ecosystems.

This month we were joined by Erin Miles, community campaign organiser with the Bob Brown Foundation. Erin, who is also a James Cook University research student, spoke about current campaigns focused on Antarctic marine ecosystems - particularly the expanding industrial harvest of Antarctic krill.