Upskilling Sustainability

30/10/2026

How wild is your backyard? 🌿🦋

What if supporting biodiversity didn't require a big patch of bushland, a conservation project or even a green thumb?

Sometimes, it starts with what we choose to plant.

The Sunshine Coast Council's Rewilding Your Backyard resource explores how choosing locally native plants can help support insects, birds and other wildlife, and why even small changes to our gardens and balconies can make a difference.

🌱 Curious about what you can do to make your own backyard a little more biodiverse?

Explore the resource:
https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/environment/education-resources-and-events/environment-resources-and-publications/backyard-conservation/rewilding-your-backyard

And join us next Saturday as we take the conversation From Global to Local to the Backyard, exploring how global biodiversity goals connect with the actions we can take right here in our Sunshine Coast Biosphere.

📅 Saturday 7 November | 9am–12pm
📍 UniSC, Sippy Downs

Expect practical activities, new connections and ideas for bringing biodiversity action home!

🎟️ Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/from-global-to-local-to-the-backyard-bringing-biodiversity-cop-to-the-sunshine-coast-biosphere-citizen-cop-2026

30/10/2026

24/10/2026

📣 Hope, community and collective action on display at Rising Tide: Taking the Channel

What an incredible evening at Rising Tide: Taking the Channel - Kabi Kabi & Jinibara Country / Sunshine Coast!

It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of students, staff and community members coming together to watch Taking the Channel, connect with one another, and reflect on the power of collective action. The film tells the story of thousands of everyday people uniting to challenge the impacts of the coal industry and advocate for a safer climate future.

One of the strongest messages from the evening was that this wasn't simply a protest. As Greg remarked, it was more of a"profestival". While the documentary highlighted the urgency of the climate crisis, it also showcased something often overlooked: joy, connection, creativity and hope.

As Carmine reflected, injustice and anger are often what come to mind when people think of protest. Yet what stood out in the film was an overwhelming sense of optimism, fun and community. It demonstrated collective action at its best, showing how meaningful change becomes possible when people work together towards a shared goal. The actions portrayed were thoughtful, collaborative and grounded in reasonable, community-focused demands.

Fien reminded us that action takes many forms. While protest is one important avenue, meaningful change can also come from joining a community group, attending workshops and events, contributing to policy submissions, volunteering, or even having conversations that inspire others to act. Every action has the potential to create a ripple effect.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, shared their perspectives, and helped create such an inspiring atmosphere. Events like this remind us that creating a more sustainable future isn't something we do alone. It happens when communities come together, learn from one another, and take action in ways that align with their values and strengths.

🌱 Together, we can create the ripples that become waves of change.

22/10/2026

🌿🐝 Want to make a real difference for nature right here on the Sunshine Coast?

Join us for Citizen COP 2026: From Global to Local to the Backyard, a fun and inspiring morning of hands-on activities, learning and community connection at UniSC.

You'll get to:

✅ Make native seed bombs
✅ Learn practical ways to support local biodiversity
✅ Connect with other sustainability-minded people
✅ Discover how small actions at home contribute to bigger global biodiversity goals

Whether you're an experienced gardener or just curious about sustainability, everyone is welcome.

📅 Saturday 7 November
⏰ 9am-12pm
📍 University of the Sunshine Coast

This special event is presented with Backyards for Biodiversity SEQ and Gardening with Ingrid, with support from People for Nature.

🎟️ RSVP here: https://events.humanitix.com/from-global-to-local-to-the-backyard-bringing-biodiversity-cop-to-the-sunshine-coast-biosphere-citizen-cop-2026

🌱 Bring a friend, bring your curiosity, and help us finish the year in collective action for a more sustainable future.

💚 Share this post and help spread the word!

19/10/2026

Don't forget! The Rising Tide Film Screening is happening this Thursday, 22 November at 5:30 PM. Join us at UniSC Sunshine Coast. RSVP here: https://www.risingtide.org.au/filmttc-sunshinecoast

18/10/2026

Reminder! Join us this Thursday, 22 November from 5:30.

🎬 Join us for our next UniSC Sustainability Collective and Ecological Society event! 🌏

Ready to be inspired, challenged, and part of an important conversation about our collective future?

We're excited to invite you to our upcoming sustainability film screening, where we'll come together to explore some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time through the power of storytelling.

This is more than just a film. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded people, share ideas, and discover how we can all contribute to a more sustainable future.

📅 Date: Thursday 22 October
🕒 Time: 5:30pm arrival for a 6:00pm screening, concluding around 8:00pm
📍 Location: University of the Sunshine Coast
🎟️ Cost: Free (a $5 donation is appreciated) & free on-campus parking from 5.45 pm

Whether you're passionate about sustainability or simply curious to learn more, everyone is welcome.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Find out more: https://www.risingtide.org.au/filmttc-sunshinecoast?recruiter_id=51816

11/10/2026

🎬 Join us for our next UniSC Sustainability Collective and Ecological Society event! 🌏

Ready to be inspired, challenged, and part of an important conversation about our collective future?

We're excited to invite you to our upcoming sustainability film screening, where we'll come together to explore some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time through the power of storytelling.

This is more than just a film. It's an opportunity to connect with like-minded people, share ideas, and discover how we can all contribute to a more sustainable future.

📅 Date: Thursday 22 October
🕒 Time: 5:30pm arrival for a 6:00pm screening, concluding around 8:00pm
📍 Location: University of the Sunshine Coast
🎟️ Cost: Free (a $5 donation is appreciated) & free on-campus parking from 5.45 pm

Whether you're passionate about sustainability or simply curious to learn more, everyone is welcome.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Find out more: https://www.risingtide.org.au/filmttc-sunshinecoast?recruiter_id=51816

22/09/2026

🌿 Nestbox Project Update: Small Steps, Big Wins for Gliders! 🌿

There’s some exciting news from the Greater Glider Insulated Nestbox Project!
Thanks to community support, insulated nestboxes installed in the Blackbutt region are continuing to provide much-needed habitat for native gliders. After seeing several Greater Gliders take up residence in the nestboxes, the project has now celebrated an even bigger milestone – a Greater Glider joey has successfully been raised in one of the nestboxes and has been spotted peeking out at the world for the very first time! 🐾💚

And the good news doesn’t stop there.
Recent footage has also captured a Yellow-bellied Glider visiting one of the nestboxes. While it’s too early to know whether it will become a permanent resident, this is a significant and encouraging development. Evidence of Yellow-bellied Gliders engaging with nestboxes has been difficult to obtain, making this sighting particularly exciting.

These outcomes demonstrate how innovative conservation solutions, combined with community involvement, can help support and strengthen populations of Australia's threatened wildlife.

Every successful occupancy, every joey raised, and every new species interaction is another positive step towards protecting these remarkable animals and the habitats they depend on.

👏 Congratulations to Steve Chumbley and everyone involved in this important project. We can't wait to see what happens next!

The Infinite Horizon-African Travel Specialists

22/09/2026

Check out upcoming events – places are filling fast!

🎲 The Adaptation Game (TAG)
29 September | 5:00–8:00 pm | UniSC Sunshine Coast

Join us for The Adaptation Game (TAG), an interactive game where you’ll navigate real-world climate scenarios, make decisions and explore how our choices can help build a more prepared and resilient community.
Expect teamwork, unexpected challenges and plenty of opportunities to think differently about climate adaptation. No climate expertise required!
Hosted by the UniSC Sustainability Collective in partnership with Upskilling Sustainability and Sunshine Coast Council.
Register for The Adaptation Game - https://events.humanitix.com/play-tag-the-adaptation-game
Spots are limited and registration is essential. If you register but can no longer attend, please let us know so we can make your spot available to someone else.

💬 Climate Curious
Wednesday 7 October | 12:00–1:00 pm | Near Cafe C, under the Student Guild Marquee, University of the Sunshine Coast Sippy Downs Campus.

Our monthly Climate Curious session is back!
Climate Curious is a relaxed, informal drop-in space for open climate conversation. No expertise needed, just curiosity.
There’s no registration required. Just drop by, grab a seat and join the conversation.
Climate Curious runs on the first Wednesday of every month, so feel free to save the series in your calendar.
And please bring along a friend, fellow student or colleague who might enjoy a relaxed conversation about climate!
🌿 From Global to Local to the Backyard: Citizen COP 2026

Saturday 7 November | 9am - 12pm | UniSC Sippy Downs Campus - Room TBC

Join Upskilling Sustainability, Backyards for Biodiversity SEQ, and Gardening with Ingrid for a 3-hour workshop exploring how global biodiversity and climate goals can translate into local action here on the Sunshine Coast.
The session will take you from creating and planting seed bombs through to backyard conversation action, exploring how we can grow nature, community and ourselves.
Find out more and register for Citizen COP 2026 - https://events.humanitix.com/from-global-to-local-to-the-backyard-bringing-biodiversity-cop-to-the-sunshine-coast-biosphere-citizen-cop-2026

🎬 Coming up: Taking the Channel
Late October – date TBC

We’re also exploring the possibility of hosting a screening of Rising Tide’s new short documentary, Taking the Channel at UniSC.
The approximately 30-minute documentary follows the 2025 People’s Blockade at the world’s largest coal port, bringing together the stories of a 17-year-old, a coal worker, a climate scientist and a grandmother involved in climate action.
If the screening goes ahead, local Sunshine Coast Rising Tiders will be available for a short Q&A afterwards.
More details to come once this is confirmed.

In the meantime, you can find out more about the film and upcoming screenings through Rising Tide - https://www.risingtide.org.au/filmttc

We hope you can join us at one (or more!) of these events. 🌱