Volunteer Welcome Night: Growing Community, Action, and Connection

Last week at our Volunteer Welcome Night, we explored the many ways our community can make a difference for the environment - from hands-on action like plantings and events, to using your voice to advocate for change. It was a wonderful chance to connect with people who care about protecting North Queensland and to reflect on how NQCC supports these efforts while building strong community connections.

What do you love about living in North Queensland? 
The reef, the hills, the rivers, the wildlife - the places that make this region home.

This April, we’re celebrating those places through Love Where You Live, a month-long community fundraiser hosted by the North Queensland Conservation Council (NQCC).

From March 28 (starting with Earth Hour) to April 30, locals have been taking action for nature — and 15 dedicated fundraisers are already out there making a difference.

Now, we’re inviting you to support them.

Renew Australia For All is a movement of unions, social services, environment organisations, faith groups and industry working together to deliver a fairer, better and more secure future for everyone in Australia.

This week, I joined about 80 delegates from near and far descended on Parliament House to meet with senators, Federal MPs and policy advisors ahead of the federal budget.

There are many courageous leaders who have helped shape NQCC's history, and we should take every chance to recognise and celebrate their stories.

Margaret Moorhouse was an inspiration to many, and her lessons will ripple through our movement and community for many years to come. Personally, I was touched by Margaret's ability to advocate fiercely and fearlessly, but always with respect, and by her deep care for her fellow activists - even those new to the movement like I was when we first met.

As we come together to get our hands dirty, walk on Country or fight for North Queensland's future, we stand on the shoulders of giants. It's a privilege to carry that work forward together.

Thank you for standing with us and for all that you do.

- Crystal, NQCC Coordinator

The rain had only just eased enough for us to gather for our first Green Drinks of the year. There was something fitting about that - the air still heavy, the ground freshly washed - as new and familiar faces came together in community.

We were honoured to welcome Max Lenoy as our speaker for the evening. Max has recently joined NQCC as a Management Committee member and brings deep experience as a curriculum specialist in Indigenous education.

For National Heat Awareness Day, NQCC spent the morning at the markets talking with the community about something we all know well in North Queensland: heat. A big thank you to our wonderful volunteers who came along and had thoughtful conversations with people about how heat shapes daily life in Townsville.

Today we learned of the passing of a beloved friend and legendary environmental activist Margaret Moorhouse (aka Peggy Hyde). Our thoughts are with her family and all who knew her well.

We’ve been talking with locals about extreme weather - and again and again, heat comes up.

People tell us about the toll it’s taking on their bodies and daily lives. One local shared a story from a power outage:
“After the third night of really hot nights, my body was just done. I felt so sick I couldn’t eat, and I was crying.”

I hope our first edition of Paperbark for 2026 finds you refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for anything!

If you've entered the new year with a strong desire to: learn new skills, meet new people, live your values, take action in your community, or simply spend more time in nature, then we've got you sorted!

This year promises to be filled with opportunities to "think global, act local", with hands-on conservation activities, citizen science, political advocacy, fundraising, film nights, networking and more!

We look forward to having you join us this year in our strategic efforts for stronger nature protection and climate action. Thanks for standing with us!

- Crystal, NQCC Coordinator

2026 is off to a fantastic start for the North Queensland Conservation Council, and JCU Market Day set the tone beautifully. The campus was buzzing, the stalls were packed, and we were thrilled to meet so many students eager to get involved.