Wetlands celebration – Sunday 5th February 2023

A wetlands celebration from 8-11am Sunday 5th  February at G.J. Walter Park in Cleveland will mark World Wetlands Day 2023.

The local wetlands celebration will be held on the shores of the Moreton Bay Marine Park – an area designated Wetlands of International Significance since 1993.

This free family event will feature live music by Folk Redlands, a long table breakfast, community stalls and environmental displays. Talks by leading marine ecology experts will also focus on why it’s vital to look after and restore wetlands everywhere for our planet’s future.

This wetlands celebration event is one of many being staged in communities around the world with “Wetlands Restoration” as the theme this year.

The latest estimates show that wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests.

UQ Associate Professor Ian Tibbetts who has spent his career researching and teaching Moreton Bay’s marine ecology will explain what makes our local wetlands so important to the area’s biodiversity and environmental health.

There are seven key benefits of restoring or looking after wetlands:

1. Revive biodiversity – 40% of the world’s species live or breed in wetlands. Restoring wetlands powers the local food chain and attracts wildlife.
2. Replenish and fllter water supply – Wetlands naturally filter water, remove pollutants and boost the local water supply
3. Store carbon – specific wetlands such as mangroves, intertidal marshes and seagrass beds are exceptionally efficient carbon sinks
4. Blunt the impact of floods and storms – Wetlands can act as sponges against excess rainfall and flooding, buffer coastal storm surges and can shield communities in extreme weather
5. Improve livelihoods – wetlands create livelihoods in fish and aquaculture and also provide goods like reeds and grasses. These opportunities often benefit Indigenous populations
6. Boost eco-tourism – A restored wetland can be a sustainable magnet for visitors, a natural attraction that draws tourists along with opportunities to serve them.
7. Enhance well-being – Revitalised wetlands provide a place to relax and experience nature

Organizers of the Wetlands Celebration

This event is organised by the Toondah Alliance, a group of community and environmental organisations devoted to saving Toondah Harbour from inappropriate development.  They include: ACF Community Bayside, Birdlife Southern Qld, Birdlife Australia, Australian Marine Conservation Society, Koala Action Group, Qld Wader Study Group and Redlands 2030 Inc.

Facebook events for the wetlands celebration

WORLD WETLANDS DAY – A FREE EVENT FOR EVERYONE!

World Wetlands Day 2023

 

 

 

Redlands2030 – 29 January 2023