How you can help protect tiny turtles

February is when our first turtle hatchling emerges from its nest beneath the sand.

Before that happens, Sunshine Coast Council is calling on our community to come together to tidy up their local beach as part of the 9th annual Clean up for the Hatchlings event on Saturday, February 4, 2023.

Sunshine Coast Council is proudly running this event in partnership with TurtleCare Sunshine Coast, Reef Check Australia, Unitywater, SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium and Noosa Council.

Volunteers can register now to pick up litter at various beach locations across the Sunshine Coast from 6am to 7.30am.

From 8am, participants are invited to Coopers Lookout Park, south of the Kawana Surf Club, to enjoy a free barbecue, participate in a prize draw and other fun activities and, most importantly, to weigh and sort the collected debris.

The event will be single-use plastic-free, so make sure you bring a reusable water bottle, coffee cup and gloves, as well enclosed footwear, and sun protection.

Sunshine Coast hatchlings.

Sunshine Coast Environment and Liveability Portfolio Councillor Peter Cox said that while every day could be a beach clean-up day, he was delighted to see our community come together to help protect these threatened species every year.

“We are a turtle-friendly community on the Sunshine Coast and this is our chance to make a difference to our threatened turtle hatchlings,” Cr Cox said.

“So far this nesting season, we’ve had 10 turtle nests and approximately 1270 eggs laid.

“Cleaning up the beaches will give these little guys the best start in life.”

Event schedule for the day:
• 6am – 7.30am – meet at your chosen beach to clean it up. Registrations essential by search ‘clean up for the hatchlings’ at events.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.
• 8am – 11am – thank-you event at Coopers Lookout Park, Pacific Blvd, Buddina, which includes:
o Free barbeque for clean up participants
o Kids’ activities corner
o Educational stalls
o Presentations and talks
o Free raffle with turtley awesome prizes.

Clean up locations and beach access (BA) points include:
• Coolum (meet at BA 72)
• Point Arkwright (meet at BA 85)
• Marcoola (BA 104)
• North Shore (meet at the hut in park at end of North Shore Rd, Twin Waters)
• Cotton Tree Park (meet at the corner of Second Ave and the Esplanade)
• Mooloolaba beach (meet at SeaLife)
• Buddina (meet at BA201 – beachside of Pacific Blvd)
• Coopers Lookout park (meet at BA 224)
• Warana 1 (meet at BA 232 – John Hotton Park)
• Warana 2 (meet at BA 237 – Neisler Park)
• Bokarina (meet at BA 241, Satinbird Park)
• Wurtulla (meet at BA248, Dorothy Anderson Park)
• Currimundi (meet at the end of Buderim St)
• Dicky Beach (meet at the park at BA 267)
• Moffat Beach (meet in Eleanor Shipley Park)
• Shelly Beach (meet at Victoria Terrace car park).

There will also be a chance to score a prize including vouchers for Your Mates Brewery, SeaLife, Saltwater Ecotours.

To register for your local Clean Up for the Hatchlings, visit events.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au and search ‘clean up for the hatchlings’.