Brisbane City Council Environment Centres Overview
Brisbane City Council Environment Centres offer urban oases for local residents to engage with nature, including Downfall Creek Bushland Centre, Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre, and Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre. These centres provide diverse experiences ranging from bushwalking trails and community hubs to cultural meeting places and wetland technology exhibits. With a focus on sustainability and community engagement, the centres aim to build strong connections between individuals and the environment.
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Brisbane City Council Environment Centres An overview Environment, Parks and Sustainability Committee 16 August 2022
Environment Centres Downfall Creek Bushland Centre Established in 1988 Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre Established in 2016 Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre Established in 1996
Downfall Creek Bushland Centre Urban oasis for local residents, a community hub for people to connect with nature Located in Chermside Hills Reserve Accessible bush walking trails and bikeway New playground Community composting hub and free native plants program very popular with locals Main demographic: Local kindergartens, retirement villages, people exercising and walking their dogs, local families, all abilities care groups 2021-22 visitor numbers: 24,197
Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre Located in Karawatha Forest with over 42km of walking trails Big nature play area and immersive experiences Set in a highly multicultural area of Brisbane it has become an important meeting place for many different cultures BBQs and picnic tables full of people on the weekends popular for celebrations Relationship with Karawatha Forest Protection Society Main demographic: Local kindergartens, people exercising and walking their dogs, local families, bush walkers, cultural groups, all abilities care groups 2021-22 visitor numbers: 73,327
Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre Situated in SEQ s largest Ramsar protected wetlands with a focus on migratory shorebirds. This state of the art wetland centre connects people to the wetlands through technology and sensory experiences Close to Nudgee Beach and popular bikeway (Moreton Bay Cycleway) International Partnership Wetland Affiliation Agreement Yatsu Higata Wetlands Main demographic: people exercising and walking their dogs, local families, large special interest groups, cyclists 2021-22 visitor numbers: 24,271
Environment Centre vision Delivering a customer experience that builds connection to the environment and drives behaviour change
1. Visitor Services Program Engages wider community by ensuring centres and experiences are welcoming, engaging and informative for everyone. 2021-22 Service Delivery 831 activities delivered to 11,695 residents with 100% participant satisfaction 121,795 total visitors across all three centres in 2021-22
1. Visitor Services Program Community engagement activities Wildlife presentations Night adventures Canoe discovery Sustainable living seminars Brisbane biodiversity seminar series Active and Healthy programs Tailored group bookings Events Daily environmental experiences Bush Kindy Sustainable living workshops Guided walks English, Arabic, Cantonese Themed walks bush kindy, forest therapy, bird watching
1. Visitor Services Program Good News Story snapshot: Bush Christmas at Downfall Creek Bushland Centre 15 December 2021 Included the following: a wildlife display, with Bumpy the Wombat a brass band from Bands in the Park a Lord Mayor s carolling trio LED candlelit path for bushwalking in the night a free wreath making and ornament decorating station meet n greet with Sid the Squirrel Glider free sausage sizzle provided by McDowall Ward Office A Carbon Calculator stall 400 people attended the event
2. School Programs 2020-21 delivery Delivers nature based learning experiences for all local students that are aligned with the schools curriculum. 2021-22 Service Delivery Curriculum-linked programs suitable for all year levels 322 lessons delivered to 9,427 school students On track to deliver 400 lessons to over 10,000 students in 2022-23
2. School Programs Bush Neighbours A free program that builds school / Council / local community partnerships to raise the profile of the local environment. Four sessions: Bush Neighbour lesson in school, wildlife show, reserve visit and off-set planting Aimed at years 4-5 for best impact 20 schools to participate during 2021-22 financial year Targeted to geographical areas with greenspace issues Outcome sustainable behaviours
2. School Programs Creek Neighbours Partnership with Waterway Health Integration Team A highly successful, face to face educational program for kindergarten students. Focus on educating, valuing and protecting Brisbane creeks. 10 kindergartens/year, 253 lessons and 1783 students and their families engaged to date (launched 2020). Online program launched this year 310 kids completed the program so far, and 13 kindies signed up
3. Volunteer program Increases the reach and impact of the centres by bringing together a diverse group of community ambassadors to develop and deliver programs. 2021-22 Delivery Approximately 83 volunteers Environment Centre s benefit through a dramatic increase in capacity and services Volunteers significantly increase visitor engagement and bring passion and ideas Volunteers engaged 5,431 community participants through activities and volunteered 2,889.75 hours of their time
3. Volunteer program Volunteering roles Interpretive guided walks o Also in languages other than English o Bird watching for beginners o Bush kindy guided walks o Forest therapy walks Greeter and centre support Event support Citizen science Volunteer satisfaction 100% overall satisfaction with the volunteer program
3. Volunteer program Good News Story snapshot: Volunteers bringing holiday cheer 17 February 2022 As a response to covid lockdowns and restrictions volunteers created craft kits and delivered them to local families in lockdown origami and clay animals to wildlife masks, migratory shorebird kite-making kits and nature weaving frames used upcycled and natural materials
Internal Partnerships Free Native Plant Nursery Downfall Creek Bushland Centre Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre More than 7,796 free native plants given to residents of Brisbane Community Composting Hubs Downfall Creek Bushland Centre Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre More than 620 households use these composting hubs Compliance Partnership with CARS, Natural Areas and Biodiversity and Conservation Planning Assist on a positive education program in partnership with CARS on dog-off leash enforcement at Nudgee Beach
More Internal Partnerships Waterway Health Integration Creek Neighbours Program, Waterway Health and Integration augmented reality app and game Offsets and Restoration Partnership for offset plantings as part of the Bush Neighbour School Program, assist in community plantings Energy and Carbon hosted a pilot cutting carbs mini event, investigating opportunities to promote the Brisbane Carbon Calculator Urban Forest Free Native Plant Program nursery and distribution points at DCBC and KFDC, Sustainable Living Series e.g., Wildlife Friendly Backyards Biodiversity and Conservation Planning Assist on a positive education program in partnership with CARS on Dog off Leash enforcement at Nudgee Beach, Reserve plans for Boondall Wetlands, Chermside Hills, and Karawatha Forest, Brisbane Biodiversity Seminars Green Community Engagement Lord Mayor's Young Environmental Leadership Network, Future BNE, Green Heart Fair Biosecurity, Invasive Species and Wildlife Management currently distribute fire ant baits from KFDC for people that live in that ward, host invasive species displays, and engagement activities as requested, volunteer flying fox counts
