Healthy Land & Water

16/10/2026

Households that plan together, stay safe together ⛈️

As disaster season is swiftly approaching, it is an important reminder for Queenslanders to make a severe weather preparedness ahead of summer.

The impact of natural disasters such as bushfires, flooding and storms affects Queensland more than any other state, placing additional stress on thousands of residents. The weather can’t be controlled but you can stay alert and be prepared for when the next disaster hits.

Small but important preparation steps bring peace of mind, and here in South East Queensland we are no strangers to intense weather systems.

👪Prepare an emergency plan for your family with a Household Severe Weather Emergency Plan: https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/prepare/make-plan

🏠For homeowners, prepare your home with these tips:

https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/prepare/protect-your-home

🐶There’s also an emergency plan for your furry friends: https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/pets

🐮The state’s first livestock severe weather plan for primary producers to prepare for disaster events and build resilience on their property: https://bit.ly/4jj2zwu

Visit the Get Ready Queensland website for more tips on preparing for natural disasters this summer: https://www.getready.qld.gov.au

📷Diana Virkki

14/10/2026

Want to make a difference for South East Queensland's environment? 🌿

Whether it's joining a local catchment or Landcare group, contributing to citizen science projects, or reporting wildlife sightings, there are plenty of ways to get involved close to home. Every action, big or small, helps protect the places we love.

Find a local group, discover volunteering opportunities, and explore ways to support nature in your own backyard. 💚

Read more here: https://hlw.org.au/news/ways-to-get-involved-in-protecting-seq-natural-environment

14/10/2026

12/10/2026

Residents in Logan, it's time to get bushfire prepared 🔥

If you live next to bushland, reserves, parks, or natural areas this is an excellent opportunity to learn about the relationship between the local environment's ecology, bushfire and your property.

Backing Onto Bush is a free, interactive workshop delivered by Healthy Land & Water's Fire Ecology & Preparedness Team, the workshop combines practical bushfire preparedness information with an engaging field walk to enhance your knowledge of the flora and fauna in your backyard.

This workshop includes:

Bushfire risk and preparedness.

Local vegetation, habitats and fire ecology.

Interactive guided bushwalk.

Practical steps to improve your property's preparedness.

Q&A with fire and land management specialists.

Free to attend. Light catering and refreshments provided. We can't wait to see you there!

📅 Saturday 14 November 2026.

Register your attendance here: https://events.humanitix.com/backing-onto-bush-or-logan

Supported by Logan City Council and the Queensland Fire & Biodiversity Consortium.

09/10/2026

30,000 frequent flyers have landed in the Moreton Bay wetlands for some much-needed rest and refuelling! 🐦

During the warmer months, South East Queensland becomes a summer sanctuary for approximately 30,000 migratory shorebirds – such as the bar-tailed godwit, far eastern curlew, and greater sand plover – flying in from across the globe to rest and refuel. 🌏
These feathered travellers follow the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, a 26,000km round trip that’s one of the world’s great migratory routes. But habitat loss and human disturbance are putting their journey and survival at risk.

Moreton Bay’s Ramsar-listed wetlands are critical to their survival, offering rich feeding grounds and safe roosting spots.

If you live in or visit the region, be mindful of the impact you’re making. Here is how you can be a shorebird hero:

🐕Keep dogs on a leash.

🚮Dispose of rubbish responsibly.

🚗Avoid beach driving during shorebird season.

🐈Keep cats indoors and report pest animals.

🚶Walk lightly in tidal zones.

Read on for more ways you can protect shorebird habitat: https://hlw.org.au/news/the-birds-are-back-in-town

Image 1 is from Curlew island located in Broadwater on the Gold Coast. This small, two-hectare island is the sourthernmost roosting and feeding site for migratory shorebirds that visit the Moreton Bay region and is vital habitat for species such as the endangered Far Eastern Curlew.

06/10/2026

Partnerships are creating lasting change across the Lockyer Valley. 🐨🌱

Recently, Healthy Land & Water welcomed Minister Andrew Powell to visit restoration projects that are delivering environmental benefits through collaboration between government, private industry and local communities.

From streambank restoration to koala habitat creation, these projects demonstrate what can be achieved when organisations work together toward a shared goal. The visit showcased how collaborative investment is improving water quality, restoring habitat, reducing erosion and building resilience across the landscape. More than 1,500 native trees have already been planted to support koalas and biodiversity, while targeted restoration works are helping protect waterways and agricultural assets.

Andrew Powell MP

04/10/2026

Sustainable, affordable and climate-resilient housing and urban development is essential for thriving communities 🍃🏡

This year’s World Habitat Day theme, ‘Adequate Housing for All’, highlights the importance of safe and secure housing as a fundamental human right. But habitat matters for wildlife too.

As climate pressures intensify and South East Queensland continues to grow, it’s essential that our towns and cities are planned and built in ways that support both people and nature. Protecting and restoring green spaces, waterways and wildlife habitat helps create healthier, more liveable and resilient communities.

World Habitat Day is an important reminder that urban development doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. By designing communities with nature in mind, we can create places where people, wildlife and ecosystems can thrive together.

03/10/2026

“See the world through their eyes” is the 2026 theme for World Animal Day 🐝🐨

This year’s theme invites us to change our perspective. We often approach life and problem-solving from a human-centric point of view, but what if we viewed future decision making, and its impacts, through a different pair of eyes.

When we take a second to slow down from our busy lives and shift our standpoint, our understanding and empathy deepens.

What animals are you grateful for in your local environment?

📷 Koala image captured by Chelsea Kluske.

📷 Turtle image captured by Diana Virkki.

27/09/2026

If you’re feeling the heat this spring, so are our wildlife 🔥

There are several simple ways you can help the critters in your backyard stay cool.

💧Provide sources of fresh, clean water around your property.

💧Ensure the water sources are different shapes and sizes for birds, insects, lizards and larger mammals. If the water container is deep, make sure to place a stone or sticks to act as a ramp for smaller wildlife.

💧If you own a swimming pool, always have a sturdy, makeshift ramp for animals who may have fallen into the water. Check pools and skimmer boxes twice a day for wildlife.

💧Keep an eye out for heat stressed animals – they may be acting different than normal. Heat affected wildlife could be confused, have collapsed or lose their balance.

💧Call a wildlife carer in your area if you find sick or injured animals on RSPCA Queensland 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625). Keep a towel and carboard box handy if you need to rescue a sick animal and leave them in a cool, dark, quiet place with water.

These small, proactive steps can be lifesaving for the local wildlife in your area.

26/09/2026

Rivers: the arteries of our planet 💧

World Rivers Day is celebrated by millions of people across hundreds of countries every year. The day was founded by in 2005 by river conservationists, Mark Angelo. This date is significant in encouraging stewardship for our waterways and raising awareness to how critical rivers are to the health of our planet.

Rivers provide various habitats for an extensive range of animal life – from tiny organisms to larger mammals including birds, fish, amphibians, insects and more.

Fresh waterways are excellent nutrient cyclers and create soil fertility – they transport and recycle nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium which come from soil erosion, flooding events and sediment runoff.

They are also the backbone of humans' freshwater drinking resources and for industrial processes that are essential to our civilisations such as agriculture and fishing.

Safeguarding and sustainably managing these lifegiving ecosystems is essential for the wellbeing of the planet and human survival.

What are you doing to celebrate World Rivers Day?