We couldn’t have chosen any better day than World Wetlands Day (2 February) to celebrate the fifth and final year of management outcomes delivered under our long-running Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland Project.

With a beautiful location, an incredible line-up of presenters, and stakeholders from far and wide all driven by the unifying desire to protect and restore our amazing Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland – we felt very lucky to be there!

The Ramsar wetland event

The Moreton Bay Ramsar Network Forum brought together members from the community, researchers, practitioners, Traditional Owners, and state and local government representatives to celebrate the project wins and reflect on the learnings of the last five years. This landmark collaborative project has facilitated and driven invaluable work to ensure the long-term protection of the Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland.

Hosted in the beautiful, brand-spanking-new Deception Bay Environmental Hub overlooking the bay, the event was a great chance to get a first-hand account from a range of amazing presenters who oversaw some of the innovative on-ground works.

The agenda was jam-packed with behind-the-scenes snapshots of the transformative local action that has delivered great results across the wetland and beyond. Topics included weed treatment and management, polymer erosion control on pineapple farms, artificial intelligence for monitoring systems, freshwater wetland habitat restoration, pioneering artificial shellfish reefs, shorebird protection and artificial roost trials.

The forum was the perfect occasion to get our many passionate stakeholders under one roof to share their thoughts and expertise, make connections, and kickstart future opportunities to protect the iconic and much-loved Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland.

A little more about the Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland project

Extending from the foreshores of Brisbane, Moreton Bay Wetland was listed as an internationally important wetland under the Ramsar Convention in 1993 for its biodiversity and ecological significance. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance is a treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.

The Moreton Bay Ramsar Wetland Project, funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and in partnership with communities, Traditional Owners, private landowners, and governments across the region, includes a range of activities to reduce threats and restore habitat in and around the Moreton Bay Ramsar site.

Healthy Land & Water and the many collaborators who have come together as part of this project are delivering an extensive range of initiatives under this project, including coastal habitat restoration, shellfish reef creation, erosion management, marine debris removal, and feral animal control.

Check out the full project here.