top of page
Bribie Island National Park

Take Action

When there's so much that needs to be done, how can little old you make any difference? Here are some practical ways in which you can be part of the solution, often while at the same time meeting like-minded new friends. Win-win!

new-stall.jpeg

🌿 Join BIEPA!

Join us to hear about all the local environmental issues and help us to tackle them. As a member you can log in to this website and get easier access to more stuff. Membership fees are a vital source of funds for our many projects.

Next steps

  1. Head over to the Join Us page.

  2. Scroll down and press the membership payment button.

  3. Sign up to give us your contact details. You may get an email to confirm your email address.

  4. Pay the membership fee via the payment form. Note that we never see your payment details; they are handled securely by Stripe (for cards) or PayPal.

  5. Upload a picture of yourself so we can recognise you! See the Get Help page for instructions.

IMG_2804.jpeg

✅ Take on a task

There are tons of small tasks that our project teams need help with. You could be distributing leaflets, promoting events, selling books, running a raffle, or entering data. Every little helps.

Next steps

  1. Search for small ways to help on our Tasks page.

  2. Ask to join the relevant WhatsApp group, or email the relevant team.

  3. Say you'd like to join a project to help with a task.

Australian-native-garden-in-small-space-1024x683.jpg

Make your garden flourish

If you plant the right plants, you will have birds and bees all over the place within weeks! Think of the amount of land covered by gardens. Then think of all the species that would thrive if that land provided them with food and shelter.

Next steps

  1. Join Backyards for Biodiversity to get an info pack.

  2. Read the downloadable books for tips on how to transform your garden.

  3. Watch as wildlife moves in within weeks!

  4. Help out on our Backyard Biodiversity project.

20240424_6109.jpg

Donate your containers

Do you enjoy a tipple? I bet you have a few bottles and cans you need to get rid of! Take them to a Containers for Change depot and donate them to BIEPA. We will pour all the proceeds into our projects.

Next steps

  1. Collect a load of containers that have the 10c deposit label.

  2. Take them to a Containers for Change depot.

  3. Give the BIEPA scheme ID (C10516350) when registering the deposit.

  4. The proceeds will go into BIEPA's Public Gift Fund.

20230501_5702-DarrenJew.jpg

Give birds some peace

Bribie Island is a haven for many species of shorebird, some of which migrate over thousands of kilometres, so they need safe places to rest and feed. Don't let your kids or dogs chase the birds on the beach. Without rest they won't have the energy to make it to their nesting grounds far to the north, and we've already lost over 50% of them in the past decade.

Next steps

  1. Don't let your dog chase the birds.

  2. Teach your kids to care about the birds and leave them to rest.

  3. Quietly use the hides at roosts to avoid disturbing the birds.

  4. Find out about these birds' incredible journeys and lifecycles.

  5. Share what you find with others.

  6. Consider helping with our Securing Shorebirds project.

Greenfleet_BNE23-44_sq.webp

Offset your emissions

No, this is not about those emissions! Did you know you can pay people to plant trees and do other things to capture enough greenhouse gas emissions to cancel out yours? Got to be worth it.

Next steps

  1. Sign up with an organisation that offsets carbon emissions.

  2. Pay a small amount each month to cancel out your car.

  3. Consider Greenfleet if you'd like more trees in the world.

  4. Consider Climate Hero if you'd like to support a variety of projects.

  5. Ask Gemini about others.

moreton-says.jpg

Add your voice

City of Moreton Bay Council runs a programme of surveys to measure community sentiment on a range of issues. Sign up for an account and participate in these surveys to make sure Council is listening to those who speak up for nature.

Next steps

  1. Follow the Moreton Says website to get notified about surveys.

  2. ​Watch out for BIEPA blog posts with advice on how to respond to surveys.

  3. Explore the findings from past surveys.

  4. Note that Bribie Island has one of the highest response rates in Moreton Bay, and Council listens when lots of us speak.

jane-goodall-05.jpg

💚 Spread the love

People listen to their family and friends. Use your social networks to spread ideas and foster a culture of kindness to all life and active participation in saving the only planet where life exists. As far as we know...

Next steps

  1. Follow our Facebook page.

  2. Read and share our posts with friends and family.

  3. Share posts in your Facebook groups, adding your own point of view to make it unique.

  4. Join our Facebook groups to work on a project, e.g. the Dugong Sightings group.

  5. Comment with positive vibes!

  6. Do not feed the trolls!!

BIEPA_GT_20221204_dc_0006_DamianCaniglia.jpg

💼 Coordinate a project

Our project coordinators are our most valued and powerful members. They get stuff done, mostly by getting others to do it! Are you good at organising tasks? Can you get everyone working towards a goal? Talk to us!

Next steps

  1. If you have an idea for a new project, make sure you've thought about how to make it happen; can you commit time to it?

  2. Talk to the relevant Mission Team leader to put together a proposal; if you don't know which Mission Team to talk to, contact the Management Committee at: contact@biepa.online

  3. If you're already involved in a project and want to help guide it, talk to the current coordinator and Mission Team leader.

  4. If you have access to our Google Workspace, read more on our Tribal Knowledge site.

1629192730-lantanamontevidensissterilepink15.jpeg

Pull up weeds

Invasive weeds push out local native plants, threatening their survival and degrading the food and habitat available to native wildlife. By pulling up weeds on your own property (and council verges) you're helping to stop their spread.

Next steps

  1. Learn to spot the weeds with a weed identification tool.

  2. Pull up weeds in your own gardens and council verges.

  3. Avoid spreading the seeds when disposing of weeds.

  4. Report infestations to council using the Snap Send Solve app.

  5. Avoid planting invasive exotic plants, even if they look pretty!

  6. Ask your local nursery for Bribie native plants.

  7. Encourage your neighbours to do the same.

Fundraising Crew.jpeg

Run a fundraiser

Experienced at organising fundraising events? Help us to raise funds for our projects by running an event, large or small.

Next steps

  1. Make sure your idea is practical and you can commit the time required to make it happen.

  2. Contact our Community team to offer your help: community@biepa.online

turtle-hatchlings.jpeg

Tread Lightly on the beach

Planning to drive up the Bribie Island National Park beach? Avoid times when there's a higher risk of accidentally harming wildlife.

Next steps

  1. Use our Tread Lightly app to find the safest times to drive.

  2. Keep off the dunes to limit erosion and protect turtle nests.

  3. Drive a few hours either side of low tide on the hard sand.

  4. Avoid driving at night.

  5. Go elsewhere on busy holidays.

Windmills

Use green power

Want to use your oven without heating up the whole planet? Get your energy from the sun. Or wind. Or waves. Even if you don't have rooftop solar, you can easily switch to an energy provider that invests more in renewable sources.

Next steps

  1. Use a Green Energy Guide to compare energy providers.

  2. Pick one that has a good phone app, telling you when the grid is green (e.g. Amber).

  3. Pay a little more to invest in renewables; it will pay off in the long run as prices come down.

WED.jpeg

✊🏼 Volunteer in an activity

Our members organise lots of events where you can take an active part in protecting and restoring nature on Bribie Island. There are practical activities like weeding, planting, litter picking, Giant Turtles and Citizen Science where anyone can chip in.

Next steps

  1. Explore planned activities on our Events page.

  2. Register for the events that interest you.

  3. Talk to other members at events to find out what else you can do.

BEAKO, Milly + participants.JPG

🎽 Lead a team

Good at motivating people and creating a friendly, supportive environment? How about leading one of our Mission Teams? You'll be able to facilitate projects that have a big impact on protecting and restoring nature on Bribie Island. And you get a badge!

Next steps

  1. Talk to the Management Committee about leading one of the Mission Teams.

  2. Get a BIEPA account in our Google Workspace.

  3. Read our Tribal Knowledge site to learn how Mission Teams operate.

  4. Get the team together to plan your next steps.

external-file_edited.jpg

Support ecotourism

We need to encourage visitors to come and stay for the peace and nature. That way those things have clear economic value, ideally at least as much value as beach driving, water sports, and music festivals. We can all do our bit to make nature matter more by supporting local ecotourism operators.

Next steps

  1. Find and support tour operators who focus on nature and sustainable ecotourism.

  2. Consider operators who are our friends, such as Brisbane Nature Tours.

  3. Share reviews and stories about your experiences with others.

  4. Write to your MP supporting ecotourism and promoting nature as an economic asset.

killer-cats.jpg

Keep your pets close

Cats kill 10 million native creatures a day in Australia. One domestic cat kills an average of 186 animals a year. That's a staggering amount of unnecessary death. Ah, but Tibbles wouldn't hurt a fly, right? Wrong! You'd be appalled at what your moggie gets up to at night. And don't get us started on dogs!! Keep those pets penned.

Next steps

  1. Considering a pet? Build habitats for native species instead! See action on backyard biodiversity.

  2. Got a carnivorous pet? Provide an outside run that is large and secure.

  3. Always keep your pet inside, on a leash, or in a secure enclosure, especially at night.

  4. Follow government advice.

20231126_9574_yellow-tailed black cockatoo.jpg

Go over to the dark side

Have you been outside at night and looked at the stars? Seems to be less than there used to be? Spoiler alert: they're still there, we just can't see them because of all the light pollution! Learn how to shield your lights and keep the nights dark for the sake of all those critters that thrive on the dark side.

Next steps

  1. Avoid installing bright lights around your home that shine upwards.

  2. Read our story for more tips.

  3. Ask your council to mitigate light pollution in your area.

  4. Go out at night and look up!

Voting

Vote for values

The biggest challenges we face require the biggest changes, and those often require government support. We're fortunate to live in a country where your vote is your superpower: use it wisely. Policies come and go but values are forever. Show your support for people who share your values and will always make decisions that benefit the planet.

Next steps

  1. Read more about the values of each party and decide if they match yours before choosing.

  2. Do they base their decisions on verifiable scientific evidence?

  3. Do they understand the fundamental importance of ecosystems to the economy?

  4. Do they consider wealth to be about more than just money?

  5. Put your favourite down as #1 even if you doubt they will win; in Australia's preferential voting system, every vote counts.

bottom of page