WetlandUpdate October 2013

Ramsar—Celebrating 20 years of conserving Wetlands of International Importance

Twenty years ago, Bowling Green Bay, south of Townsville, and Moreton Bay, near Brisbane, were listed as Queensland’s first Ramsar sites—wetlands of international importance.
Today Queensland has five Ramsar sites—Currawinya Lakes, Bowling Green Bay, Shoalwater and Corio Bays Area, Great Sandy Strait and Moreton Bay.
To mark the 20 year Ramsar listing anniversary,  a celebratory community event will be held on 26 October 2013 at Foreshore Park, Sandgate. The event brings together State and local governments, natural resource management groups and community groups with displays, information and activities.

Ramsar—Chalking up protection and management achievements

Protecting and managing Ramsar sites requires a collaborative effort. Federal, State and local governments work together with natural resource management groups, industry, Traditional Owners, landholders and the community to care for the sites and the values they support. This often involves conducting management activities in surrounding areas that impact upon the Ramsar site and its values.

A list of some of the achievements outlining the protection, on-ground works, training and education programs and facilities to assist with the management of these areas has been developed to highlight progress and help identify future priorities.

To view the achievements download the following fact sheets:

• Bowling Green Bay—a wetland of international importance
• Moreton Bay—a wetland of international importance
• Moreton Bay—Celebrating 20 Years as a Wetland of International Importance
• Poster of Queensland's 5 Ramsar sites
• or visit the Nationally and internationally important wetlands pages for Moreton Bay; Bowling Green Bay; Currawinya Lakes; Shoalwater Bay and Corio Bays Area; Great Sandy Strait.

New links

Waterbird and shorebird surveys of the Bowling Green Bay Ramsar site—beginning in 2011 this study consisted of four surveys of the coastal high tide roosts for shorebirds, and additional aerial and ground surveys of nearby wetlands, north of Ayr. The aim of the study was to provide a detailed assessment of the distribution and abundance of shorebirds and waterbirds in the Bowling Green Bay Ramsar Site.

Updated tools fact sheet

The Queensland Wetlands Program tools fact sheet has been updated to include the new tools.

WetlandUpdate

When existing resources are updated or new tools are added to WetlandInfo, the WetlandUpdate newsletter is sent to subscribers with the changes featured on a What’s New summary page, now renamed WetlandUpdate.

View all of the previous updates

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Last updated: 20 October 2013