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Environmental groups and gardens

Community gardens

Come together to learn new skills and experience the satisfaction of growing fruits and vegetables in the tropics, without the 'food miles'. It's recommended to make contact with a community garden before your first visit. Find one near you:

There are many more communities growing food together, including schools and kindies, as well as smaller, open neighbourhood 'Pocket Gardens' supported by Council. Find out more through the Green Space Our Place program.

Community groups

Connect with local sustainability groups for new practical skills, workshops, volunteering opportunities and events:

Advocacy 

Waste reduction

Marine debris clean ups

Sustainable living and permaculture

Urban green spaces

  • Green Space Our Place: a Council-run volunteer program for revegetation, gardening and guiding in local parks, gardens, waterways and walking tracks.
  • Tree Plotter Inventory: a database of trees on Council land that the community can help map and monitor.

Wildlife & tree planting

Citizen science

If you would like your group featured, contact: sustainability@cairns.qld.gov.au

For download

Useful links

EVENTS, NEWS & REMINDERS STRAIGHT TO YOUR DEVICE
my cairns DOWNLOAD IT FREE
EVENTS, NEWS & REMINDERS STRAIGHT TO YOUR DEVICE
my cairns DOWNLOAD IT FREE
Last updated: 05 January 2021

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Much needed in these heavy rains!
Click 'Going' to start growing! 🍍🍍🍍
Our friends at Plastic Free Cairns are supercharging reusables this year! ⁣ They're working with Blackbird Warehouse, helping customers build a new year's habit to BYO cup. Then, on #UseYourOwnCupDay, Jan 28th - they're aiming for 100% reusable cups, with no single-use cups available. At all. 😱⁣ It takes 21 days (or 3 weeks) to form a new habit. With personal reusable cups allowed throughout QLD again, what are you waiting for?? Plastic Free Cairns makes it easy to avoid packaging. 👉 Head to https://www.plasticfreecairns.org/Members/Member #plasticfreecairns #useyourowncupday #useyourowncup #byo #byokeepcup #reusables #stopsingleuse #stopplasticpollution ⁣#byomugshot Plastic Free Byron Plastic Free Townsville WA Plastic Free
Been feeling the heat recently? Try your hand at designing the coolest home for the tropics this Minecraft competition the whole family can play these holidays!
📣Personal reusable cups aka. keep cups are allowed again in QLD! It has been confirmed by QLD Health, as long as there are contactless pour arrangements in place. The Australian Restaurant and Catering Association recommends 5 steps for a contactless pour:⁣ ⁣ 1. Pour the coffee shot into an in-house vessel⁣ 2. Have the customer place the cup on counter⁣ 3. Pour the shot into the cup without touching it⁣ 4. Carefully pour steamed milk ⁣without touching the cup lid 5. Have the customer place their own lid on the cup⁣ ⁣ If your favourite cafe is still unsure, they can get free advice from Plastic Free Cairns. Remember, this service is at each cafe's discretion. If they're not ready, you can also dine in (and then pour into your own personal cup) or get a takeaway cup without a plastic lid.
The Queensland Government is proposing to include a ban on polystyrene (along with cutlery, stirrers, straws and plates) - likely starting mid 2021. Have your say on this important matter. https://haveyoursay.des.qld.gov.au/expanded-polystyrene-eps
👉Funding available for community events!
Practical advice for investing your superannuation in a more sustainable future 🌱🕰💰
Learn how we can reap the rewards of carbon storage in healthy soil 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾🌱
Want to learn about collectively owned renewable energy? This is the webinar for you! 🌞 🤓
🐦🐦Tweet tweet! It's time to step outside and record the backyard birds you've spotted in the name of citizen science and biodiversity 🐦🐦
⏳ Last chance to do the Our Cairns Survey, closing today, 5pm Friday the 16th. Have your say on the future of Cairns! 👉https://www.cairns.qld.gov.au/council/have-say/open/ourcairns
Join Victor Steffensen to talk about his best selling book Fire Country, with Barry Hunter talking about Indigenous Land and Sea Rangers in what looks to be a fantastic webinar.🌱
📣 Calling all parents, students, teachers and school leaders - do not miss this online event from the Sustainable Schools Network. Featuring Craig Reucassel (War on Waste, Fight for Planet A), young leaders, workshops and a finale of a Regional Queensland School Showcase, make sure you register now: 👉https://events.humanitix.com/connecting-regional-queensland-sustainable-schools-summit
TODAY 3:30- 6PM! Connections for Resilience - FNQ Educators Professional Development Event. http://connectionsresilience.eventbrite.com/ Please join the Zoom event,: https://bit.ly/33icbAj CHECK OUT THE PROGRAM BELOW!! You can switch between streams in the second half of the event any time using these links: - Community Wellbeing and a Smart Green Economy: https://bit.ly/33icbAj - Reef and Rainforest Resilience https://bit.ly/3kZscAY - Networking and Questions: https://bit.ly/3kZscAY
A fundraising (and hair raising) event for FNQ Wildlife Rescue
👉Check out the speakers for the Connections for Resilience - Cairns Educators Professional Development Event 👉Register: http://connectionsresilience.eventbrite.com/ This is great opportunity to learn how we can collectively inspire constructive hope in a changing world 🌱 Anyone working in education and all who are interested are very welcome to join. Australian Association for Environmental Education Inc. Cairns Regional Council Tangaroa Blue Wet Tropics World Heritage Area Terrain NRM Cairns and Far North Environment Centre JCU: James Cook University, Australia
👉Eco-anxiety: Exploring the Psychological Impacts of Climate Change. 🤓This research seeks to better understand individual experiences of anxiety relating to climate change and other environmental problems (e.g., global warming, ecological degradation and species extinction). To participate please click here: http://canberrahealth.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3t0xl4WcidDdP93
Registrations are now open for free online Global Smart Energy Summit 29-30 September ✅. This Smart Energy Council event is not to be missed! Learn more about the stellar line up and REGISTER FREE via link 🔗 http://smartenergy.org.au/global-summit #smartenergysummit #millionjobsplan #jobs #cleanrecovery