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

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

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.

Photo: Landcare volunteers enjoying morning tea in the 'fig tree cafe'.

On a Tuesday morning, NQCC joined volunteers of Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare for a working bee at the slopes of Castle Hill. While we did some necessary watering and weeding, we enjoyed the view of a variety of natives thriving along the sun- bathed granite, as well as the diverse chatter of birds in the treetops. There was plenty to discover such as a bowerbird’s bower hidden in the shrubs right next to the track. With the work of the Landcare volunteers, the restoration of this beautiful hillside environment has formed homes for native wildlife like the bush turkeys, bower birds, echidnas, and wallabies.

We’re thrilled to share that this year’s Garage Sale Community Fundraiser has already raised $3,400 – and counting! This event is always a favourite in our calendar, and it’s easy to see why. It brings together generosity, good vibes, and a love for secondhand treasures – all while raising funds for a good cause.

Our 2022 Trivia Night Fundraiser was held on the 19th November at the Townsville Senior Citizens Hall in Belgian Gardens. It was a fantastic evening of fun, corruption and plenty of laughter thanks to 11 enthusiastic teams and our incredible volunteers who keep the night running smoothly.

Thanks to our attendees, raffle ticket purchasers, volunteers and prize sponsors we raised Over $4900! Money raised will support our environmental advocacy work here in beautiful North Queensland.

In Townsville, we marked World Wetlands Day by inviting organisations involved in wetland conservation to share their work with interested members of the community. We are so grateful for the contributions of NQ Dry Tropics, Coastal Dry Tropics Landcare, Wongaloo Conservation Park and the Townsville Dry Tropics Partnership for Healthy Waters, whose representatives volunteered their time to share valuable relevant information with us.