EcoMarines Foundation

🏝️ EcoMarines Adventure Day 2026: Tangalooma Island Resort! 🌊

Our 2026 Adventure Days officially launched with an incredible trip to Tangalooma Island Resort! EcoMarines Ambassadors hopped on the ferry, full of excitement for a day of hands-on learning and island exploration. 🚢

EcoMarines would like to say a massive thank you to our incredible long-term partners, Tangalooma Island Resort for sponsoring this day and making it all possible, as well as Urban Utilities for running a vitally important workshop that our EcoMarines Ambassadors adored. 💙

🔬 Inside the Workshops

EcoMarines Ambassadors participated in some eye-opening sessions designed to test their sustainability knowledge and provide alternative angles on every-day problems. Through these workshops, Ambassadors can champion environmental action back at home and school:

Urban Utilities Workshop 🧼: Students learned about the hidden dangers lurking in our wastewater systems and how "fatbergs" form when everyday items are wrongly disposed of. To bring the lesson to life, they mixed together glue and activating agents to create their own “mini-fatbergs” (slime!), vividly demonstrating how easily blockages can threaten our local waterways! 🦠

EcoMarines Challenges 🌿: Ambassadors rotated through challenges using flashcards to identify native plants, as well as matching environmental problems with real-world solutions. 🧩

Riparian Results 🌊: A hands-on demonstration using clay and sponges revealed how natural riparian vegetation slows down floodwaters, whereas concrete urban surfaces speed up runoff, increasing pollution and sediment.

☀️ Island Exploration & Conservation

The adventure continued outdoors as Tangalooma’s own Eco-Rangers led a guided Eco-Tourism Tour across the resort! 🌴🦜 Students soaked up the sun while learning about the island’s rich history and daily conservation efforts.

Everyone also refuelled with a delicious, hot lunch generously provided by Tangalooma Island Resort right after the ferry docked, giving teachers and students a perfect chance to connect before the day of adventure and education! 🥪

To cap off an unforgettable day, students proudly presented their own brilliant school sustainability initiatives! Our EcoMarines Ambassadors returned home inspired, energised, and loaded with fresh ideas for their next eco-projects. 💡🌱

See you back on Moreton Island in June, EcoMarines community! 👋🐋

🌱 Looking to ignite your students' passion for the planet while building essential life skills? Registration for Global Link 2026 is officially open!

Held from the 29th to the 31st of July at the stunning Tangalooma Island Resort, this dynamic event is co-hosted by Tangalooma Island Resort and the Institute of Education Network for Next Generation.

While we love seeing our EcoMarines schools shine, this incredible opportunity is open to ALL schools! If you want to empower your students to become environmental leaders, this is the perfect platform.

🌟 What is Global Link?

Global Link connects schools through interactive learning and friendly competition. Teams of students collaborate to research, analyse, and pitch actionable solutions to real-world environmental issues, whether the challenge is faced by your school, local community, country, or even on the global scale.

Students will utilise and develop critical thinking, teamwork, and presentation skills, capped off by hosting a live Q&A session with our esteemed panel of expert judges:

Michael Zeuschner: EcoMarines Board Member bringing extensive leadership and environmental advocacy experience. 💚

Dianne Aylward: EcoMarines Board Member dedicated to youth empowerment through conservation education. 💚

Dr. James Udy: A leading environmental scientist with deep expertise in marine and aquatic ecosystem health. 🔬

Dr. Kumi Kato: A renowned academic specialising in sustainable tourism and environmental ethics. 🎓

💡 Be Inspired by 2025’s Winners!

Check out what last year's Junior Category joint-winners presented about:

Bulimba State School: "Frogs in Our Schoolyard: Saving Local Species One Pond at a Time" 🐸

St Anthony’s Catholic College: "Forever Pens – Micro Plastic Recycling Project" 🖊️

📝 Ready to Join Global Link 2026?

Don't let your students miss out on this unforgettable educational experience!

🔗 Sign up today via the website: https://www.tangalooma.com/globallink

📧 Have questions? Get in touch with Melissa Hermes at [email protected] to register or ask any questions.

Let’s inspire the next generation of eco-leaders together! 🌏

🌟 Teacher Highlight: Pamela Ruggles 🌊

We are thrilled to shine a light on Pamela Ruggles, our dedicated EcoMarines lead at Carina State School! 👩‍🏫

Pamela proves you don’t need a massive schedule to make a massive impact. ⏱️💪 Despite working as a Teacher’s Aide with only one small session per week for the program, her passion has made waves across the community. 🌊 Her incredible efforts do not go unnoticed! 🌟

What’s on the Horizon for Carina State School? 🌅 Pamela has been busy laying the groundwork for a fantastic year of conservation and leadership:

Building the Ambassador Team: She is hand-picking dedicated EcoMarines Ambassadors. 🤝 We can’t wait to meet these student leaders! 🏅

Leaping into Action: Students recently channelled their creativity into a library display for World Frog Day, raising awareness for our amphibian friends! 🐸

Down in the Dirt: Assisted by Mrs Boyd, students are exploring different soil types and discovering how to best use them around the school. 🌱🔬

Wildflower Transformation: Exciting schoolyard changes! The team is converting an old sandpit into a wildflower area. With logs and mulch in place 🪵, they are gearing up to add soil and seeds by early spring. 🌸🐝

Island Adventures: Pamela is attending the Tangalooma Island Resort Adventure Day for more inspiration from Moreton Bay. 🏝️🐬

Going Green: The school is preparing for “Go Green for EcoMarines,” showing their spirit and commitment to our oceans. 💚🌊

Pamela is a true testament that every minute counts when protecting our planet. 🌍Thank you for your hard work and for inspiring the next generation of sustainability champions at Carina State School! 🏆 Keep up the amazing work! 🐢💙

Do you know an EcoMarines teacher who deserves a highlight? 🌟 Comment below 💬, DM us 📩, or email [email protected] to let us know! 📧

Make a Buzz today on World Bee Day! 🌼🐝💚

World Bee Day raises awareness of the critical role bees and other pollinators play in supporting healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, and global food production. Nearly 75% of the world’s flowering plants and around one-third of the food we eat depend on these hard workers. Yet, habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use continue to threaten bee populations worldwide. 🛑

In the EcoMarines program, these connections come to life! Students, teachers, sponsors, and community partners join forces to explore real-world environmental challenges. Through our citizen science initiatives, schools dive deep into data collection, tracking biodiversity, and directly contributing to pollinator conservation. 📊🌿

Through interactive workshops, outdoor activities, and our dedicated bee hotel resources, students learn about:
🌼 The importance of pollinators and biodiversity
🌱 Protecting native habitats and ecosystems
♻️ Sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact
🌿 How small actions create meaningful change

Thanks to the environmental science expertise of our incredible team members, EcoMarines provides the tools and knowledge schools need to make a real impact. For instance, did you know that many Australian native bees, like our Blue Banded Bees and Teddy Bear Bees, are actually ground nesters? 🪵️

To support them, you can build pollinator gardens that include areas of:
🧱 Clay & sand
🌱 Bare soil
🪨 Crushed rocks

Just as bees work together to support their hive, EcoMarines empowers young people to collaborate, lead sustainability initiatives, and bring environmental action back to their schools. By inspiring the next generation of leaders, we are helping build a future where people and nature thrive together. 💛

Ready to create positive change and inspire future environmental champions? Join the movement to help protect our pollinators! 🌏🐝

🔗 Head to https://www.ecomarines.org/ to register your school or learn more!

🌊 Part 4: Photo Booth Buzz! 🌊

The energy at the Ipswich Youth Sustainability Summit was absolutely electric, and nowhere was that more obvious than at our very own EcoMarines Photo Booth! 📸

With native animal plushies standing guard and whiteboards ready for some creative climate messages, we thought we were prepared for the crowd. But the Ipswich schools came out in full force! From massive group shots to solo snaps with our fluffy friends, the line couldn’t stop moving! 🐢

The enthusiasm was contagious! It was heartening to see so many students eager to capture a memory of such an impactful event, in fact, some loved it so much they hopped straight back in line for round two! 🔄

📸 Sustainability Snapshots!

We snapped so many fantastic photos that we couldn't possibly fit them all into one post! Swipe through to see a selection of our favourite moments from the booth. Check out these sustainability legends (and those plushies!)

🌟 A Massive Thank You

We want to give a huge shout-out to all the schools that participated, as well as the amazing Ipswich City Council for allocating us the space for the photo booth! Whether you are already a dedicated EcoMarines school or a newcomer looking to join our mission, your passion was inspiring. The efforts, ideas, and innovations shared at the Ipswich Youth Sustainability Summit prove that the future of Ipswich is in very capable (and eager) hands. 🌏💡

Give yourselves a massive round of applause! 👏

🌊 To Our Catchment Champions

As you head back to your classrooms, let's keep that momentum going! Whether you are just beginning your environmental journey or updating existing projects, we can’t wait to see all of your sustainability initiatives come to life. 🌿💧

🌊 Part 3: A Day Full of Surprises! 🌊

We are still buzzing from the incredible energy at the Ipswich Youth Sustainability Summit! Watching the next generation of sustainability leaders come together to brainstorm, collaborate, and take action for our planet was nothing short of inspiring. 🌎

We at EcoMarines want to say a massive, heartfelt THANK YOU to the Ipswich City Council! 👏 This event would not have been possible without their incredible support. From providing essential resources that kept our workshops running smoothly to allocating the perfect space for our young changemakers to gather, their commitment to our environment is truly shining. 🏛️💚

✨ Highlights of the Day:

A Special Visit: We were honoured to welcome the Mayor of Ipswich, Mayor Teresa Harding, who joined us to share an empowering speech. Her words reminded us all that local action leads to global change! 🎙️

Fuelling Change: A huge shoutout to the Council for providing a delicious, healthy lunch for all our hungry catchment champions. It kept the ideas flowing and the energy high! 🥪🍊

Catchment Leaders: Tamielle Brunt of Wildlife Queensland gave a fantastic speech to our budding Catchment Champions, inspiring their future projects and efforts.

Local Impact: The Ipswich Youth Sustainability Summit was such a fantastic opportunity for our local Ipswich schools to connect, share ideas, and lead the charge toward a more sustainable community. 🏫

Ipswich is leading the way by showing that when we invest in our youth and provide them with a platform, the possibilities for a greener future are endless. We are so proud of every student who participated and showed up with such passion! 🌟

Stay tuned as we share the amazing outcomes from this summit, alongside some exciting pics from our EcoMarines Photobooth! With how enthusiastic and innovative these students are, the future of our catchments is looking bright and clean! 🍃

🌊Part 2: Empowering Our Future Catchment Champions! 🌏

Alongside an array of exciting “Playground to Creek” activities and workshops, students attending the Ipswich Youth Sustainability Summit from Ipswich City Council also participated in Water Health identification during Natura Pacific’s Waterbugs workshop, and creative action planning during our Catchment Leaders Workshop!

🪲Natura Pacific: Waterbugs Workshop

The team from Natura Pacific brought the creek to life with an exciting, hands-on look at our native Waterbugs! 🔎 Students got up-close and personal with various macroinvertebrates, learning that these tiny creatures are actually some of nature’s best bio-indicators.

Students discovered how different species have different sensitivities to water quality, meaning the lives of those within our creeks can tell us exactly how healthy the surrounding area is! 💧 This workshop demonstrated how making sustainable, informed decisions today ensures these important species have a home tomorrow.

🚀 Catchment Leaders Workshop

Our young environmental champions stepped into the role of environmental consultants! Students focused on specific local sub-catchments, including the Bremer River, Bundamba Creek, Woogaroo Creek, and Black Snake Creek. 🗺️

Using the knowledge gained throughout the day, the students identified real-world problems facing these waterways and brainstormed insightful action plans. The best part? Many students realised that their clever "tips and tricks" for the catchment would work just as well back on their own school grounds and nearby waterways! 🏫 They presented their diverse solutions to their peers, proving that collaborative thinking is the key to a healthier environment for everyone. 📝

It was truly inspiring to see local students leading the way for Ipswich's environment, creating and presenting ideas that can help their community. The future of our catchments is looking bright! 💚💙

🌊 Part 1: We're All Connected in the Catchment!

What an incredible day of learning and action! Yesterday, May 6th, EcoMarines teamed up with Ipswich City Council and Natura Pacific for the Ipswich Youth Sustainability Summit. 🌏

We welcomed 10 schools to dive deep into the health of their local catchments. A huge shoutout to our dedicated EcoMarines schools; Raceview SS, Redbank Plains SS, Ipswich West SS, and Goodna SS, who led the way alongside 6 other fantastic schools championing environmental stewardship! 🏫

The students were divided into three teams named after local native icons:

🦎 Eastern Water Dragons (Deebing Heights SS, Ipswich Central SS, Westside Christian College)

🐢 Krefft's River Turtles (Goodna SS, Redbank Plains SS, Immaculate Heart Catholic PS, Ipswich West SS)

🐸 Green Tree Frogs (Raceview SS, Ipswich Junior Grammar School, Sacred Heart School)

Our "Playground to Creek" workshops were a splash! Here’s what the students discovered:

Volume & Velocity 💧: Using sponges (riparian vegetation) vs. clay (man-made structures), students saw how nature slows down water. This fan-favourite proved slow water is safe water! 🧽

Erosion & Sediment 🪨: Through hands-on modelling, teams explored how landforms change water movement and the impact of sediment when erosion occurs.

Nutrients & Pollutants ⚠️: A fast-paced matching game helped students identify pollution sources and find practical solutions to keep creeks clean at school and home. 🧼🚫

Riparian Condition 🌿: Students identified native vs. invasive plants, learning how vegetation acts as a natural filter and habitat for wildlife.

The biggest takeaway? We’re all connected in the Catchment! From school playgrounds to local creeks, every action impacts our waterways. It was inspiring to see these young leaders brainstorming ways to protect their environment. 💚💙

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we dive into our Catchment Leaders Workshop, and Natura Pacific’s exciting Waterbugs workshop! 🐞🔎💧

Deebing Heights State School Ipswich Central State School Westside Christian College Goodna State School Immaculate Heart Catholic Primary School Raceview State School Ipswich Junior Grammar School

🌿 Redlands Eco-Adventure Update! 🌏

Our North Redlands schools are buzzing! Program Coordinator Latisha recently visited some incredible students leading the way for a greener future. Check out these highlights:

📍 St Anthony's Catholic Primary School

The energy at Alexandra Hills was electric! ⚡ 4 Ambassadors and 12 keen students joined Latisha for a workshop during Citizen Science Month. 📱

App Experts: Students used citizen science apps to ID plants. They learned that while Passiflora edulis is edible, and the invasive Passiflora suberosa is one to watch out for! ❗

First Tracks: With no existing iNaturalist recordings at the school yet, these EcoMarines are the very first to contribute observations for their area! 🗺️

Sustainability in Action: From their Bee Hotel 🐝 and bird water stations, to a thriving veggie garden, these kids are doing it all.

Bush Tucker Dreams: They are currently researching a Bush Tucker garden, funded by a "popper" recycling initiative! 🥤

📍 Thornlands State School

Our Action-Planning workshop has resulted in lots of great initiatives;

N**e Food: Ambassadors are planning wrapper-free lunch days every Wednesday and Thursday! 🍎

Creative Cleanup: Students are brainstorming ways to turn recycled materials into art and organising regular school clean-ups. 🎨

Clean Campus: Their EcoMarines Teacher shared brilliant ideas like litter audits, "Go Green" days, and a monthly trophy for the cleanest eating area! 🏆

Green Travel: One group even proposed a "walking to school" program to lower emissions. 🚶‍♀️

🌊 What’s Next for Redlands?

We aren't finished yet! Latisha is looking to bring the EcoMarines experience to more areas soon. 🗺️

If you’re located in the southern Redlands area, keep your eyes peeled! We are looking for more passionate schools to join our wave of change. Stay tuned for potential workshop dates heading your way! 🗓️🐢