While the rain and strong weather events are a natural part of life in the Wet Tropics, cyclones can leave a big impact on our fragile foreshore ecosystems.
Native vegetation can be damaged by strong winds and flooding, invasive weeds can quickly spread into disturbed areas, and large amounts of debris can wash up along the coastline. Plastics and other inorganic waste often become trapped through dunes, waterways, and coastal vegetation, creating long-term impacts for wildlife and the health of the ecosystem.
We’re excited to share that we’ve received a new round of funding, jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, to to help clean up and restore an important section of the Mission Beach foreshore following recent cyclone activity.
Our foreshore is much more than just a beautiful beach. It’s an important ecosystem that supports all kinds of life, from shorebirds and insects to reptiles, marine life, and native coastal plants. Healthy foreshore vegetation helps stabilise dunes, reduce erosion, filter runoff, and maintain important habitat connections between the beach, wetlands, and rainforest.
Over the coming months, we’ll be undertaking cleanup works focused on removing invasive weeds and inorganic debris from the area, helping these ecosystems recover and protecting them into the future.
We’d also love to involve more of the community along the way. If you’ve been wanting to spend more time outdoors, help care for local ecosystems, or learn more about Mission Beach’s unique foreshore environments, this is a great opportunity to get involved.
We’d especially love to hear from schools or youth groups interested in participating and learning more about our local coastal ecosystems and the challenges they face after major weather events.
If you’d like to volunteer, or would like to organise a school group visit, please get in touch with us at hello@cassowaryconservation.org