Tag Archives: coastcare week

Coast Care Week: Inspiring Students to Protect East Australia’s Shores

 

Coastcare Week

 

Coast Care Week is the perfect opportunity for teachers to empower students to understand and protect Queensland’s unique coastal environments. From the golden beaches of the Sunshine Coast to the world-famous and epic Great Barrier Reef, students can explore the wonders of our local shores while learning how human activity and climate change threaten these fragile ecosystems.

This year, why not try experiential and project-based learning? Here’s a set of fresh, hands-on ideas for the classroom.

 

Coastal Citizen Scientists

  • Age Group: Upper Primary & Secondary
  • Activity: Students adopt a local stretch of coast (or use virtual tools if a field trip isn’t possible) to monitor Ocean excursion environmental indicators: sand erosion, litter, water clarity, or marine life sightings.
  • Twist: Students upload findings to a shared Padlet board. This builds a real-time picture of local coastal health and encourages collaboration.
  • Learning Outcome: Students practice data collection, observation, and scientific reporting while understanding the impact of humans on coastal ecosystems.

Ocean Life Education can assist in bringing learning to life with a Human Impact themed incursion or excursion featuring live marine animals at your school.

Barrier Reef Rescue Challenge

  • Age Group: Upper Primary & Secondary
  • Activity: Students design innovative solutions to help protect the Great Barrier Reef. Ideas could include reef-friendly sunscreen campaigns, artificial reef structures, or awareness programs targeting tourists.
  • Twist: Turn it into a “Shark Tank”-style pitch where students present solutions to a panel of teachers or local environmentalists.
  • Learning Outcome: Encourages problem-solving, creativity, and understanding of coral bleaching and reef conservation.

Microplastic Detective Hunt

  • Age Group: Primary
  • Activity: Using sand, water trays, and a simple sieve, students search for microplastics and other tiny pollutants hidden in “coastal samples.”
  • Twist: Incorporate a citizen science element: submit collected data to Australian research projects tracking microplastic pollution.
  • Learning Outcome: Students see firsthand how tiny pollutants threaten marine life and learn that even small actions (like reducing plastic use) make a difference.

Ocean Life Education can assist in bringing learning to life with a Human Impact themed incursion or excursion featuring live marine animals at your school.

 

Coastal Storytelling Project

  • Age Group: Primary & Secondary
  • Activity: Students research a Queensland coastal area (e.g., the Whitsundays, Fraser Island, or Moreton Bay) and create a short story, comic strip, or short video from the perspective of a local animal, coral, or mangrove.
  • Twist: Encourage creative storytelling that also teaches about threats like habitat loss, climate change, or coral bleaching.
  • Learning Outcome: Fosters empathy, environmental literacy, and creativity while teaching students about ecosystems and biodiversity.

Classroom Climate Action Campaign

  • Age Group: Secondary
  • Activity: Students investigate how climate change affects Queensland’s coasts and coral reefs. They then create a multi-media campaign for the school or local community promoting climate action.
  • Twist: Include social media posts, a mini-podcast, or even a short school news segment.
  • Learning Outcome: Students connect local ecosystems to global climate issues and develop digital literacy, communication, and advocacy skills.

Bringing Coast Care Week Alive

To make these projects truly effective:

  • Collaborate with Ocean Life Education and/or local environmental groups, such as Coolum Coast Care and Sea Shepherd Queensland to examine animals and environments firsthand.
  • Use real-time data from government or NGO sites for reef and coastal conditions.
  • Encourage cross-curricular integration: science (ecosystems, climate change), English (storytelling, presentations), and civics (community engagement).

By focusing on hands-on projects, storytelling, and citizen science, Coast Care Week can spark curiosity and inspire students to become lifelong protectors of Queensland’s shores and the Great Barrier Reef.

Ocean Life EducationAbout Ocean Life Education

Ocean Life Education provides interactive, curriculum-aligned marine incursions that bring ocean learning to life. Our experienced marine educators visit schools and community groups with live marine animals and hands-on activities, giving students an exciting opportunity to explore marine habitats, biodiversity, and conservation in a meaningful, engaging way.

Through these immersive sessions, we ignite curiosity, encourage environmental responsibility, and inspire young Australians to protect and value our incredible marine environments.

👉 Learn more or book your incursion or event program today

We hoped you enjoyed reading our blog: Coast Care Week: Inspiring Students to Protect East Australia’s Shores

Here’s a link to Ocean Life Education’s other news

Celebrating Coastcare Week

Rockpools

Coastcarers are marine legends. They dedicate their time and energy to protecting our beautiful coastline. Many of us will visit Queensland’s beaches over the Summer holidays. You can do your bit to celebrate Coastcare Week this summer holiday by combining your trip with a mini beach clean or simply by making little changes to your day that will make a big difference. Remember, tiny ripples make big waves!! Here is some useful information to guide you into Celebrating Coastcare Week.

What is Coastcare Week?

Coastcare are volunteer groups made up of Aussies who want to play a part in protecting our incredible coastal and marine enviroments. They are just like you and me, one person, joined together to make a significant force of 500 groups accross Australia. 500 groups that make a big difference through long-term, practical solutions for environmental issues in their local area. Coastcare week is an annual campaign celebrating these community groups around Australia.

When is Coastcare Week 

Coastcare Week runs throughout the first week of December each year.

Coastcare ProjectsBeach Clean

Coastcarers get active, tackling coastcare problems such as: dune protection, revegetation of native coastal environments, protection of endangered coastal species habitats, prevention of storm water pollution, weed and non-native plant removal, control of human access to sensitive and vulnerable areas and education programs.

Get Involved – Join Coastcare

To join a group, check out the Coastcare website

You don’t have to join a group to make a difference. Here are our top tips on how to protect Queensland’s beaches this holiday as part of your day out.

TOP TIPS…

Enjoy exploring the rockpools!

Learning all about the marine environment will inspire you to want to protect it and all that lives there.

Take a bag with you

Collect rubbish and plastic marine debris as you walk. Every piece of plastic removed from the marine environment can save an animal’s life and reduce microplastics in the ocean.

Have a competition to see who’s collected the most rubbish

It’s disappointing that the beaches are littered but there’s no harm in making cleaning them fun!

Keep to walking tracks

This protects the vegetation that provides habitat for birds and animals. It also prevents erosion.

Keep your dog on a lead

Especially on dunes with vulnerable vegetation.

Look out for birds and animals

Try not to disturb them and make sure your dog leaves them in peace too!

Avoid and reduce plastics

Plastic has a habit of blowing around. If you don’t use it or take it to the beach, it can’t go astray and harm marine animals.

Have fun and feel good!

Enjoying the beach will make you feel good…and caring for it along the way will make you feel even better.

Here’s a great guide to our local rockpools…

Sunshine Coast Rockpool Identification Guide

More useful info…

How to Get Involved in a Beachclean

Xmas Beach Activities