COASTCARE WEEK 2022 ENCOURAGES AUSTRALIANS TO ‘SUMMER UP WITH COASTCARE’
December 1:
Next week, Coastcarers will come together to celebrate their work restoring, enhancing and protecting our coastal and marine environments for 2022 Coastcare Week 2022 (December 5-11).
With a changing climate leading to sea level rise, warming ocean temperatures, ocean acidification and more extreme weather events, Coastcare Week gives Coastcarers the opportunity to showcase their increasingly important work, and encourage Australians from all walks to life to get involved in coastcare this summer.
This year Coastcare Week is being supported by renowned Australian street artist, freelance illustrator, muralist and designer Mulga (Joel Moore), whose iconic summer inspired artworks showcase Australia’s beach spirit. An avid beach-goer and surfer, Mulga said he was thrilled to throw his support behind the thousands of Coastcarers keeping our beaches, coastlines and marine environments clean and healthy.
“I’ve always had a connection to the beach, not just from surfing but because it’s where I really kicked off my art career; the beach is literally my favourite place,” said Mulga, whose first large-scale mural was painted at Bondi Beach in 2012.
“Australia has some of the best beaches and coastlines ever but sometimes us peeps need to get together to keep them looking snazzy, ’cause who wants to see garbage at the beach, not me that’s for sure.”
“It’s sweet to be able to support the awesome work of Coastcarers across Australia, and it’ll be great to see people getting out there and taking action this Coastcare Week.”
Throughout the week, Coastcarers will celebrate and share word of their numerous achievements including in dune protection, revegetation of native coastal environments, protection of endangered coastal species habitats, and much more.
Landcare Australia CEO Dr Shane Norrish said he was excited to see the range of stories and events celebrating their successes, and hoped it would encourage others to join with them to take action for our coastal and marine environments.
“The intensifying impacts of climate change on our coastlines is making community stewardship of our natural and cultural marine and coastal environments increasingly important. Coastcare’s greatest asset has always been its people, and across Australia there are over 500 Coastcare groups made up of thousands of volunteers all putting into action long-term, practical solutions for environmental issues in their local area,” said Dr Norrish.
“Coastcare is so much more than taking action for our coastal and marine environments, however. It’s also about bringing people together, building resilience and working towards a common goal. With such a wide range of work going on across Australia, this is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on our Coastcare heroes, their outstanding community and environmental impacts, and inspire more people to get involved.”
Coastcare Week celebrations will kickstart the ‘Summer Up with Coastcare’ campaign – showcasing inspirational Coastcare groups as well as Coastcare events, such as community planting days and beach cleanups, being held throughout summer.
