Our Award Winning Ecoflick - Spinifex Stars
Two of our members - Diane and Birte - created a short film to enter in the 2013 Ecoflicks competition - and they came second! Congratulations ladies! Click here to watch the film - about 5 minutes long - and learn more about the role that spinifex plants play in protecting our dunes and helping to stabilise the precious sand on our beaches.
If you would like a copy of the film to show at schools or community events, please contact us at info@coolumcoastcare.org.au.
Diane and Birte have done it again with another short video produced for the 2016 National Landcare Award for Coastcare, which CaNSCC won. This film - again just under 5 minutes long - shows what we do and where we do it.
Pandanus dieback is caused by an infestation of flatid (Jamella australiae). The flatid feeds on the tree's sap and as such produces a sticky by-product that encourages mould growth. The mould growth results in leaves dropping and the trunk and branches showing signs of stress at the tree's growing points and eventually the death of the entire tree. Management approaches to address the dieback of Pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) focus on mapping and monitoring of populations and, if necessary, treatment. This change in direction focuses on maintaining population of the parasitic wasp to control levels of the flatid populations. In the past, teams of Coolum District Coast Care Group (CDCCG) volunteers and Sunshine Coast Council Officers mapped and monitored Pandanus population and evidence of the wasps' activity in accessible sections of the coast from Stumers Creek to Maroochy River.
No monitoring is currently underway.
Local History
Kabi Kabi Traditional Owner Kerry Jones and family undertook an interpretation of the place name meaning for Yaroomba, derived from local Aboriginal words. The in-depth study can be accessed in the file the-meaning-of-yaroomba-ii.
Rocky foreshores
The coastline between Coolum and Point Arkwright consists of two kilometres of rocky shores dotted with three small sandy bays. The marine life that can be found along the rocky shoreline is quite varied and colourful. A mix of temperate and tropical species can be found here because on this section of Australia's coast there is an overlap of northern and southern currents.
All foreshore species are interdependent. Removal of any species or even a decline in its population has a domino effect, leading to the decline of the entire foreshore ecosystem. So enjoy, not destroy, our precious rocky foreshores. The brochure tells you how... and also illustrates some of the many creatures you may see.
As a result of the landmark rocky foreshores survey of the Coolum area in 2000, data has existed to support an application for a multi-use reserve to protect marine plants and animals as well as the rocky foreshore along the Sunshine Coast. Coolum and North Shore Coast Care undertook a follow up survey in 2010/11 to update this data in the wake of the Moreton Bay oil spill. See the Reports section of our website for the latest report.
Native Plants
1. Endangered Plants
Bertya sharpeana is a plant found in the Mount Coolum area. It is listed in Schedule 4 (Rare Wildlife) of the Queensland Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 1994. Attempts to cultivate have not been successful and it is not held in any Australian Botanical Garden. The occurrence of Bertya shapeana in the powerline corridor has been confirmed with a sample sent to the Queensland Herbarium. It is a bushy shrub or small tree (from 0.4 to 4 m in height) with short, distinctive oval leaves with curled margins and furry surfaces, Bertya sharpeana is suitable to conserve below the high tension lines as it will remain low in the open conditions resulting from the management of the corridor. Coolum and North Shore Coast Care was instrumental in organising the erection of barriers to prevent cars from entering and damaging the Mt Coolum National Park through meetings with Environment Protection Agency 2004 report with management suggestions
2. Mount Emu She-Oak or Allocasuarina emuina
Threatened destruction of large areas of the endangered Mt. Emu She-oak (formerly located where the Peregian Springs housing estate now exists) was an issue which Coast Care pointed out to government and the estate's developers. Subsequently we participated in the Allocasuarina emuina recovery project. Community groups were able to successfully ensure that a small but valuable wallum sanctuary of the endangered Allocasuarina emuina on the southern side of Mount Emu was added to the Noosa National Park. A significant population of this species also occurs in an area affected by the proposed Sunshine Coast Airport expansion.
3. Wildflowers of the Sunshine Coast
Download the Sunshine Coast Wildflower Festival Committee's wildflower brochure.
Wildflower Festival - Flowers Guide
4. Our Locals are Beauties Brochure
Coolum and North Shore Coast Care volunteers have produced an excellent guide to local native plants.
Our Locals are Beauties Edition 5 is hot off the press - Watch this Space!
Turtles and marine Life
1. Find out more about Turtle Life on the Sunshine Coast
2. Turtle Research for the Coolum area
3. Migrating Whales Research
4. Fisheries
5. Old Woman/Mudjimba Island Protected Park
Local Beauties and Beasts – weeds, wildflowers, fauna
1. Endangered local fauna and flora awareness
2. Nesting Box Project
In 2002 Coolum and North Shore Coast Care engaged Hollow Log Homes to produce and install nest boxes from Stumers Creek to Yaroomba, including Pt Arkwright.
In 2004, we organised the first audit which found an occupancy rate of 38%.
In 2007, there was in increase of occupancy to 72.3% with 10 separate species using nesting boxes including micro bats, gliders and native bees.
In 2014, with a grant from the Queensland Government, original nesting boxes which were deteriorating were replaced. Additional boxes were located in selected areas, based on the level of wildlife activity experienced in the existing boxes.
In 2017, we completed another nesting box audit which required 4 boxes being replaced with 6 due to number of wildlife. In total 54 boxes were audited, 6 native species were recorded with an occupancy of rate of 42.5%. Species found included squirrel gliders, brush tail possum, short eared possum, outlet nightjars and native bees.
In 2021, with a donation from the Hull Family, a repeat audit was been completed.
Completed reports will be available in the reports section of the website.
Pest Management
In late 2014, Sunshine Coast Council announced a 'coastal fox control' program that sought community consultation and support in reducing the threat that foxes pose to turtle nests and more generally to ground-dwelling fauna of the coastal strip. This program requests the community to report dens and then later in the year, to 'adopt a den' by periodically monitoring the den activity. This will allow the authorities to undertake more effective abatement action. Over 300 dens have been mapped across the northern part of the Sunshine Coast
If you wish to be involved in this program contact please contact us or Sunshine Coast Council.
