Projects & Activities

Capricorn Coast Landcare projects involve on-ground revegetation, weeding and rehabilitation projects as well as community environmental education workshops and displays. Our core activities include:

• Envirolink Office - a community information & resource centre in Yeppoon
• Junior Landcare Programme in local schools
• Fig Tree Creek Rehabilitation Site - ongoing riparian restoration project
• Creek and land rehabilitation activities - erosion, weed control, pollution, riparian revegetation
• Biodiversity - bird, fish and plant surveys 
• Native plant propagation
• Community awareness-raising events - weedbuster workshops, wetland discovery days, cleanups, National Recycling Week, World Environment Day, Urban Landcare Day etc.

Envirolink Centre

Established in 2000, the Envirolink Centre is an environmental resource and information centre for the Capricorn Coast Community. Envirolink is CCLG's largest and most diverse project.

The aims of the Envirolink Centre project are to: 

• Educate the community on catchment and land management practices for the broader benefit of the Capricorn Coast’s environment. 
• Link rural and urban community groups and their activities that have an environmental, conservation, Landcare or catchment management focus on the Capricorn Coast. 

Envirolink employs a part-time Coordinator and is located at the Community Development Centre - 78 John Street, Yeppoon; hours 9.00am - 3.00pm, Monday to Friday. 

It provides a community resource library, monthly newsletters, native plant give-aways, and free advice on various environmental and catchment issues such as:

• weed identification
• pest animals
• nature conservation
• remnant vegetation
• water quality
• soil conservation
• biodiversity
• native seed and tree propagation
• salinity and erosion
• recycling and urban issues
• climate change

Envirolink Coordinator: Janet Schipke

Fig Tree Creek Rehabilitation Project 

Capricorn Coast Landcare Group commenced rehabilitation of Fig Tree Creek in 2010 and continue to progressively add to their on-ground works to reinstate the functioning of Yeppoon's major waterway.

Led by President, Alby Wooler, the CCLG team of volunteers implement a weekly schedule of weeding, spraying, watering, planting, mulching, and picking up litter. 

Partnering with Livingstone Shire Council and Fitzroy Basin Association (through a succession of funding grants from the Federal Government), the CCLG team have removed over 100 abandoned shopping trolleys, 20 trailer loads of weeds, hundreds of bags of rubbish, and two 7 tonne truck loads of flood and cyclone debris.  

Bank stabilisation works, a fenced pedestrian walkway along the creek, a new footbridge and path have been installed at the site.

Each month, bird and fish surveys are conducted by CCLG volunteers with data supplied to Birdlife Capricornia and Fitzroy Basin Association. This gives a clearer picture of local biodiversity and how the creek and it's various ecosystems are recovering.  

As well as maintaining various remnant species on the site, CCLG has undertaken additional plantings of natives during the past six years. Species include: cordyline, lomandra, native hibiscus, pavetta, native witch hazel, Archer cherry, melaleuca, lime berry, native coffee, grevillea, and many others.     

The site which is considered to be the epi-centre of Yeppoon, is now a scenic, shaded area used by the whole community. It is enjoyed by visiting tourists who often comment on it's biodiversity and beautiful trees, and canoists who can now be seen paddling up the creek on very high tides.  

In August 2016, CCLG hosted the Fig Tree Community Creek Care Day to celebrate the improved health of the waterway and to raise awareness about water quality and the work being done by environmental groups and CCLG partner organisations on the coast. More than 250 people attended and learnt more about local birdlife, invertebrates, native plants, impacts of plastic pollution, wildlife rescue, and environmental resources. This initiative was funded by National Science Week and the Livingstone Shire Council. 

The 2016/2017 stage of the Fig Tree Creek Rehabilitation Project is funded through the Caring for our Country Reef Rescue Programme, Commonwealth of Australia.   

National Weedbuster Week 

Held every September, the week aims to increase awareness of weeds and the impact they have on the environment, farming land, and other industries.

In conjunction with Livingstone Shire Council, CCLG runs a pop-up shop in Keppel Bay Plaza in Yeppoon where the public can find out information on weed identification and eradication, gardening practices to stop the spread of invasive domestic plants, impact of weeds on waterways, hear the latest research, browse displays and leaflets, and generally ask questions from the local experts. Weedbuster Week primarily involves learning, for all involved (including children who are catered for with a Kids Corner). 

The Week encourages collective ownership and responsibility in limiting the establishment and spread of weeds.

Junior Landcare Programme

President of CCLG, Alby Wooler, continues to dedicate many hours each week to inspiring the next generation of land carers in our local schools through the Junior Landcare Programme.

Junior Landcare sessions run on a weekly basis in Yeppoon State School and Taranganba State School. CCLG also visits Farnborough State School, Byfield State School, Cawarral State School, and Coowonga State School to run activities for National Tree Day and National Weedbuster Week.

Implementing a Junior Landcare Passport system, CCLG encourages students to gain a foundational understanding of land management and get involved in a number of key activities and events to earn stamps towards their passports. Its successful implementation is due in no small part to the dedicated teachers and Alby's commitment to mentoring and encouraging the next generation. 

Several schools and individual Junior Landcarers have in the past few years, been rewarded for their hard efforts at regional, state and federal level: Queensland Arbor Day awards, Reef Guardian School awards, and Comalco Green & Healthy Schools awards.   

CCLG also sponsors excursions for school groups to Iwasaki Wetlands and Cooberrie Park Wildlife Refuge where students gain first-hand experience about sensitive ecosystems and threatened species. These excursions are dependent on available funding. 

Cleanup Australia Day 

Each year CCLG joins thousands of volunteers Australia wide who get outside and do their bit to clean up their local environment.  We run annual clean ups for Cleanup Australia Day (March) and the Great Northern Cleanup (September).

Mobilising a large group of community and CCLG members, both events target the Coast's urban waterways, streets, bushland, parks, beaches, mangrove areas, drains and road verges. We also use the opportunity to talk about catchment connectivity and the importance of keeping litter not only out of our urban streetscapes and waterways, but from entering the Great Barrier Reef. 

CCLG volunteers retreived a massive 340kg of rubbish from Fig Tree Creek mangroves and surrounds during the 2016 Great Northern Cleanup event.

 EnviroTrail Project

Situated in the grounds of Yeppoon State School, CCLG's EnviroTrail Project seeks to preserve and enhance diverse ecological communities in the upper catchment of Fig Tree Creek.

CCLG has been involved with this project for more than 20 years. Valuable contributions have also been made by the Yeppoon State School P&C, other organisations and many individuals during that time.

The site hosts unique remnant vegetation - pandanus forest, open forest, rainforest, vine thicket, and creekline ecosystems - all protected within school grounds. These communities support diverse wildlife making the EnviroTrail an outstanding natural environmental learning area for school students, and the wider community who use it as a corridor to access the nearby Rail Trail and Jillabillou Woods.

CCLG's current 2016-2017 project focuses on improving access; reinstating pathways and creek crossings; removing cyclone debris; native plantings; and control of singapore daisy, lantana and other invasive weeds. CCLG volunteers work onsite one day each week and actively partner with Livingstone Shire Council and Yeppoon State School. 

CCLG funding for this project comes from the Caring for Our Country Reef Rescue Programme, Commonwealth of Australia.