Environmental news can feel pretty heavy sometimes, so we're going to try and keep Paperbark positive this month!

To start with, here are some stats we think you might like...

• More than 8,400 solar panels have been installed at Townsville state schools (Qld Government media statements), furthering an initiative that has been pushed for and supported by conservation and climate groups for many years.
• According to a new survey, 85% of Townsville residents either support or strongly support our region becoming a hub for renewable-powered industry and manufacturing (Solar Citizens). 
• Operation Habitat Auto has removed a whopping 18.71 tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish from the Port Access Reserve so far (learn more about the project). 

We hope you enjoy this month's edition of Paperbark!

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  
  • Local media for our flying foxes
  • Submissions
  • Green Drinks
  • Farewell, Matt
• Calls to Action:
  • Cut Emissions, Create Jobs (QCC petition)
  • Move Beyond Coal online launch party
• Other Opportunities:
  • Planet Conscious Townsville Event
  • Support other local environmental groups 
• Get Behind Us
  • Become a monthly donor!
  • Give us your vote at Grill'd
  • Buy a t-shirt!

Happy NAIDOC Week! We hope you can get along to an event near you (find Townsville events here) to help mark this important week in the spirit of this year's theme: "Get up! Stand up! Show up!"

The past few weeks have been choc-full of government policy and budget announcements with implications for our environment, so we will continue to do our best to keep you well-informed as things unfold.

We have also been keeping busy out and about, carrying out engagement, education and advocacy (locally and in the southeast) - and there's plenty more of that to come! 

We hope that you enjoy this edition of Paperbark as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.

In this edition:

• Announcements
  • Funding for National Parks
  • Plastics Ban Progresses
  • Decarbonising Queensland?
• NQCC Updates:
  
  • What We're Working On
  • Eco Fiesta
  • Ministerial Roundtable
  • Member Event
• Coming up:
  • JCU Market Day
  • Green Drinks
• Calls to Action:
  • Become a Litter Hero
  • Waddananggu Celebration: Webinar
  • Tell Lockton to say no to Adani
  • Reef Restoration & Adaptation Advisory Group
  • Low Emissions Agriculture Road Map: Have your say
• Some Good News
  • New National Park for FNQ
  • Climate Election Report

What a rollercoaster of a month that was! We hope that you are getting some well earned rest and prioritising self-care after the ups and downs of the election, whether you were actively campaigning, supporting others who were, or watching on from a safe distance. 

We are optimistic about what the election result means for the future of democracy, diversity and climate action. At the same time, we recognise that the hardest work is ahead of us if we are to mitigate the climate and extinction crises before it is too late.

If you aren't already, please consider becoming an NQCC member or a monthly donor. We need your support now more than ever.

In this edition:

• National Reconciliation Week
  • NQCC update
  • JCU Mabo Lecture
  • Mabo Day Festival
  • GBRMPA's "Managing Sea Country" Webinar
  • Uluru Statement From the Heart
• NQCC Updates:
  
  • Election Activities
  • Townsville Climate Rally
  • Strand Night Market
  • Cotters Market
  • Pimlico Careers Expo 
• Coming up:
  • Eco Fiesta
  • June Green Drinks
• Recommended Resources: 
  
  • "What Regions Need on the Path to Net Zero"
  • Psychology for a Safe Climate
• Some Good News
  • Yellow Crazy Ants funding
  • Hells Gates Dam delayed

With the political parties' election campaigning well underway, we hope you've been having some productive conversations with family and friends about the things that matter to you.

There are some opportunities coming up this week to come together with others to take meaningful action! On Thursday evening you can join AYCC for letter writing or attend an online screening of "Regenerating Australia", followed by small group actions, facilitated by Climate for Change. Then on Friday, you can volunteer with our stall at the Strand Night Market, where we can have climate conversations face-to-face. In another week's time, we can come together to recharge our batteries with some of that vibrant Green Drinks energy!

Some handy resources you might like to share with your friends and family in the lead up to the election:

• Vote Climate One's Traffic Light Election Guide
• ABC's Vote Compass
• Solar Citizens' Renewable Energy and Clean Transport Scorecard

We also recommend approaching the candidates of your electorate (at community events or online) to let them know that you want to see action on climate change, along with specific examples of why it matters to you and what you'd like to see happening in/for your electorate. If you'd like help with that, please get in touch with us!

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  
  • Strand Night Market (helpers needed!)
  • Green Drinks
• Opportunities & Actions:
  • AYCC letter writing
  • "Regenerating Australia" online screening
  • Yellow crazy ants: take action
  • Be a Litter Hero
  • Add your climate story
  • Tour de Carmichael
  • Free community organising training

It's been a bit of a rollercoaster following the environment news of late (a mass coral bleaching event during a La Niña year, a coal exploration licence rejected by the State Government, the release of an IPCC report on climate change mitigation) - and now the election has been called for 21 May!

We have a big six weeks ahead of us, endeavouring to make #ClimateActionNow an election priority for North Queenslanders. This work will be supported by our Cool it for Climate fundraiser, which has raised over $6,600 so far! If you haven't had the chance to chip in yet, why not head over to our fundraising page now?

Thank you for supporting our fundraising efforts and campaign work at this critical time - enjoy the read and keep an eye on your inbox in coming weeks for updates and calls to action!

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  
  • Cool it for Climate Fundraiser - final days to donate!
  • Hells Gates Dam funding announcement and response
  • Member Group Update
  • Celebrate Earth Day at Green Drinks
• Opportunities & Actions:
  • #ClimateActionNow Digital Day of Action
  • Share the Results of ACF's Climate Poll 
  • Be a Litter Hero with Tangaroa Blue
  • Could Qld have an electric future?
  • Tour de Carmichael returns in 2022!
  • Foundations of Community Organising - Free Training!

As we swelter through yet another heatwave here in NQ, our thoughts go out to all those experiencing massive and widespread flooding further south.

We all know that we need CLIMATE ACTION NOW, and in an election year it is more important than ever to talk to our friends, family, neighbours and colleagues about it. 

Things you can do:

• Contact us to pick up a "Climate Action Now" sign or sticker to display somewhere visible;
• Watch this powerful 37-minute documentary - "The Coal Miners Defending The World’s Most Controversial Coal Mine";
• Sign up to our Cool it for Climate fundraiser, running from 8th March until the 8th of April!

In this edition:

• Some Good News:
  • A new National Park for NQ 
• NQCC Updates:
  • Climate Action Townsville meetings
  • JCU Market Day
  • Climate Conversations at Cotters
  • Cool it for Climate Fundraiser - now live!
  • Green Drinks
• Opportunities & Actions:
  
  • Volunteer with Fair Bite's Coffee Project
  • Clean Up Australia Day events
  • Love Food Hate Waste Challenge
  • Fix Waratah Coal's Trademark
  • Townsville Electric Vehicle Experience
  • Women's Environmental Leadership - weekend retreat

Welcome to 2022! We are so honoured to have you with us.

Last week the Australian Government announced $1 billion over nine years to support the health of the Great Barrier Reef. While we strongly support innovation, restoration and projects that help to improve ecosystem health, we know that CLIMATE ACTION NOW is required if we are to limit the worst impacts to the Reef. This is what we'll be pushing for in this year's federal election. Want to help? Join us here!

Our thoughts are with all those in mourning following the recent passing of Suzie Smith - a beloved champion for nature in North Queensland. We encourage you to read this beautiful tribute from Wildlife Qld Townsville Branch, which highlights her commitment, her character and her legacy, which will live on through all those who knew her.

In this edition:

• Some Good News:
  • Congrats to Carolyn Dixon!
• NQCC Updates:
  • Climate Action Townsville
  • Green Drinks
• Opportunities & Actions:
  
  • Tangaroa Blue: Citizen science from your couch!
  • End Deforestation in Qld - petition
  • Have your say about an Independent EPA

As November comes to an end, we're starting to catch our breath after a very busy few months! We all know that conservation issues don't disappear at this time of year, and that our environment needs us to be engaged all year round. As such, the second half of this Paperbark edition is filled with ideas and opportunities to contribute and engage, from wherever you might be!

Some good news from this month...

• Sunshine Coast Council officially declared a climate emergency. Congratulations to the wonderful people involved in this campaign!
• Townsville City Council is one step closer to grandfathering cats off of Yunbenun Magnetic Island, thanks to proposed changes to their animal management laws. Well done to MINCA for raising awareness and encouraging submissions!
• The State Government announced $125,000 over two years to support the recovery of the Mt Etna Ghost bat colony. This comes after 50 years of campaigning from conservationists in the region.

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  
  • Trivia Night and Mega Raffle
  • Environment Minister Roundtable
  • QCC's Evening with the Minister
  • Townsville Waterways Forum
  • Green Drinks
• Online Actions:
  • Tell Steven Miles to stop the Waratah coal station
  • Have your say on the future of Qld's Renewable Energy Zones
  • Provide feedback on Qld's Draft Resources Industry Development Plan
  • Join the #StopAdani end-of-year celebration
  • Get involved with "Soils for Science" - a citizen science project
  • Complete a survey about the use of drones in conservation work (or share with someone who can help)

As another massive month comes to a close, it is important to reflect on the powerful local actions that have taken place in our little corner of the world. 

As you are reading this, Scott Morrison is representing us in the Glasgow climate talks, where he expects to get away with shallow promises and dodgy deals to save face among world leaders, all the while abandoning his responsibility to protect Australia's people and ecosystems.

Meanwhile, we've seen North Queenslanders take real action to stand up for nature in so many wonderful ways. Through meetings, media, submissions, strikes, artworks, clean ups and petitions, people like you have made a real difference, and we couldn't be more proud of our community.

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  
  • Postcard Art Auction
  • Tree Advocacy Update
  • Flying-fox Reform: Media
  • NQCC at the International Rivers Symposium
  • Meeting with Scott Stewart MP
  • School Strike 4 Climate
• Coming Up: 
  
  • Townsville Waterway Forum
  • Green Drinks
  • Trivia Night & Mega Raffle
  • Evening with the Minister
• Online Actions:
  
  • Fix Compostable Packaging in Queensland
  • Stop the Cut of Species Recovery Plans
  • Protect Birds from Mouse Poisons

September was a whirlwind of Postcard Art, exciting campaign developments and our AGM! Hence September's Paperbark is only reaching you now. We hope you don't mind.

Our 2020/21 Annual Report has just been released, and we're very excited to share it with you. It outlines a lot of activities that we are incredibly proud of from the last financial year. We hope you enjoy the read!

This edition of Paperbark is packed full of recommended reading, calls to action and date savers. Why not treat yourself? Find a quiet place and maximise your enjoyment of this humble newsletter - you won't regret it!

In this edition:

• NQCC Updates:
  
  • AGM
  • Tree Advocacy Update - have your say!
  • Burdekin Update
  • St Benedict's Ecofest
• Actions & Activities: 
  
  • Art Auction: Sat 9 Oct 6pm
  • School Strike 4 Climate: Fri 15 Oct 9am
  • Green Drinks: Fri 15 Oct 6pm
  • Pitch Your Project
  • Townsville Waterway Forum
• Further Reading & Events
• Support Us