Pioneer Catchment & Landcare Group Inc.

29/10/2026

🐭🌿 On the trail of the elusive mangrove mouse!

Today, we were delighted to partner with the Yuwi Land and Sea Rangers at Shellgrit Creek to install trail cameras in the hope of capturing a glimpse of one of our region’s most elusive and fascinating residents - the mangrove mouse (Xeromys myoides).

These small, secretive mammals inhabit coastal wetlands and mangrove environments, and are nocturnal, making them incredibly difficult to observe in the wild. By setting up trail cameras, we hope to uncover more about their movements and behaviour, helping us better understand and protect this remarkable species and the fragile habitats it calls home.

Every sighting, every image and every piece of data helps build our understanding of these unique ecosystems and supports the conservation of the wildlife that depends on them.

A huge thank you to the Yuwi Land and Sea Rangers for joining us in this important work. 💚

Now comes the exciting part - waiting to see who visits our cameras! Fingers crossed we capture some footage of this elusive little local!

Thanks go to Stanmore Resources for the funding to help this project happen.🌟

19/10/2026

🌱🎉 AND THAT’S A WRAP AT WOODLANDS, ANDERGROVE! 🎉🌱

The last plant is in the ground! 🪴 Almost 14,000 native plants later, the team has officially crossed the finish line — and what an incredible effort it’s been!

A massive THANK YOU to the amazing teams at Pioneer Catchment Landcare, Sarina Landcare, Healthy Land & Water, Mackay Regional Council and the community for all the hard work, sweat and dedication that have gone into making this happen. 💚

It takes a huge team effort to get nearly 14,000 plants in the ground, and we couldn’t be prouder of what everyone has achieved together!

16/10/2026

Pioneer Catchment Landcare – Annual General Meeting

Join PCL for our Annual General Meeting at the Leap Hotel as we celebrate another fantastic year of Landcare!

Enjoy a free lunch, connect with our team, members, volunteers and community supporters, and hear about the exciting projects, achievements and positive environmental impact PCL has made across our region.

We are also delighted to welcome our special guest speaker, Justin Webber, local artist, passionate fisherman and founder of Headwaters Art & Fly Shop.

Originally from South Africa, Justin has called Mackay home for over 20 years. Combining his love of fishing, wildlife and creativity, Justin draws inspiration from our incredible natural environment. Come along and hear his inspiring journey of turning a passion for nature and fishing into a successful local business.

Everyone is welcome! Join us for a relaxed afternoon of great company, inspiring stories and a celebration of the people and projects making a difference in our local environment.

Lunch is complimentary – registrations are essential.
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/annual-general-meeting-tickets-2003528154644

14/10/2026

Thanks OzFish and Mackay Area Fish Stocking Association. A great day of fishing for research.

14/10/2026

Come celebrate with Sarina Landcare.

🎉 Community Fun Day – Celebrating 25 years of Sarina Landcare!🌿

Don’t forget to register at the Sarina Landcare display for your chance to win a Lucky Door Prize! 🎁

🦋 Kids – are you ready for an adventure? Grab your Landcare Adventure Pass and explore the Sarina Community Native Gardens! Visit the stalls, discover nature, find the answers and collect your stamps along the way. 🌱🌳

Bring the family, explore, learn and connect with your local community. We can’t wait to see you there! 💚

📍 Sarina Community Native Gardens | 17 October, 10am–1pm

Mackay and District Turtle Watch
Conservation Volunteers Australia
Reef Catchments
Mackay Regional Council & Mackay Regional Pest Management Group - Pest Education Trailer
Wildlife Whitsundays
Mackay Regional Council - Parker the Library Van
Sarina Scout Group
Sarina Neighbourhood Centre
Sarina 4WD & Outdoor Centre
Queensland Rural Fire Service

27/09/2026

🌱 What a day for plants! 🌱

On Saturday, PCL was proud to support the Mackay Regional Council Nursery team with their Free Plant Giveaway - and what a fantastic response from the community!

More than 1,000 customers came through the gates, with over 3,500 native plants finding their way into the hands of the Mackay community. 🌿

Of these, 2,000 plants were given away through the Council’s “4 free plants with your rates notice” initiative, helping residents add more natural habitat to their gardens and properties.

A huge thank you goes to our amazing PCL volunteers who make these events possible. From propagating and growing the plants, to nurturing and caring for them through the nursery process and then helping out on the day - there is a lot of work behind the scenes that goes into getting these plants ready for their new homes. 🌱

And a big thank you to the Mackay Regional Council Natural Environment Centre nursery team for running such an efficient and well-organised day!

It was wonderful to see so many people taking home native plants and getting excited about helping to expand natural habitat in their own backyards.

That's what community Landcare is all about 💚

21/09/2026

🌿Platypus Pursuit 2026! 🌿

What better way to spend a morning than searching for one of Australia’s most iconic and elusive animals in the beautiful Eungella National Park?

Our annual Platypus Pursuit survey at Broken River was a fantastic opportunity for students from Pioneer State High School to get out of the classroom and into the field, working alongside PCL and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) to undertake citizen science monitoring.

For many of the students, this was their first visit to Eungella – and for many, their first time seeing a platypus in the wild! 💚

Alongside providing an incredible nature experience, the students were contributing to a monitoring program that has real conservation value. PCL has been undertaking annual platypus counts since 2020, building a valuable long-term dataset for QPWS. Community-led monitoring such as this helps provide additional capacity to continue collecting important information about platypus populations and their habitat.

A HUGE thank you to:

💚 Pioneer State High School – for the students who patiently watched, listened and searched the river for our elusive platypus and embraced the experience so enthusiastically.
🌳 QPWS Ranger Luke – for sharing your knowledge and supporting the survey.
🌿 Friends of Parks Queensland – for funding the project and making this valuable combination of conservation science and nature-based education possible.

Science, conservation and connecting young people with nature – this is what citizen science is all about! 🌏💚

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16/09/2026

🌱 Seagrass flowering season has officially begun, which means it's time to get muddy!

Join local seagrass scientists for a hands-on volunteer event helping restore precious seagrass meadows across our region.

📍 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵
Help collect seagrass flowers for the nursery at Coral Sea Marina in Airlie Beach, supporting vital restoration efforts at Sarina Inlet. You'll also learn how seagrass meadows sustain marine life, explore the intertidal zone and enjoy free snacks with fellow ocean lovers.

Dates:
- Saturday 26 September
- Saturday 10 October

No experience needed, just bring your enthusiasm and be prepared to get a little muddy!

👉 Register your interest: https://ap1.hubs.ly/H01n3wV0

The Seaforth events are funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and delivered by Reef Catchments in partnership with CQUniversity Australia and OzFish Unlimited.

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