by ECOllab | 30 Mar, 2026
Calling all little scientists!
Come and have some hands-on fun in the new Butterfly Garden, learning how scientists study insects in the natural world.
Working in teams, we’ll set up a simple survey line through the area. We’ll observe and make notes, section by section, looking for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The group will then come back together to collate and discuss the data and then have some fun doing pollinator-inspired craft.
This activity encourages curiosity, teamwork and careful observation, while giving children experience using scientific methods in an age‑appropriate, enjoyable way.
Facilitator: Nicholas Petrie, ECOllaboration
Suitable ages: 7 – 13 years old
Location: Kurrajong Shelter
REGISTER HERE
Image: Plumbago blue (Leptotes plinius), courtesy of Rod Edmonds
Proudly supported by Sunshine Coast Council’s Environmental Visitor Centres.
by ECOllab | 11 Sep, 2025
Join us for one (or both!) of our community platypus survey mornings to help collect data on platypus presence in the North Maroochy River and Kin Kin Creek.
Learn all about where platypus live and how to find them. This is a great family friendly activity, with our volunteers surveying platypus through sightings under the supervision of our ecologists. Bring the kids along to connect with nature and participate in citizen science! Afterwards, you are welcome to a complimentary coffee on us at a local cafe.
This platypus observational survey is a Resilient Rivers SEQ project funded by the Australian Government, Queensland Government, Council of Mayors (SEQ) and Councils as part of the South East Queensland City Deal. The deal is a partnership between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Council of Mayors (SEQ) delivering long-lasting benefits to the region. This project is also supported by Wildlife Qld PlatypusWatch.
The events will be held on:
- Saturday September 20 from 6.30-9am (North Maroochy River)
- Saturday September 27 from 6.30-9am (Kin Kin Creek).
Please register your interest below and we will be in touch with more details.
REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE
by ECOllab | 11 Sep, 2025
Join us for a Platypus eDNA Demonstration & Citizen Science Program Launch at Fairhill Native Plants & Botanic Gardens. There are two separate events for the morning, so you can register your interest for one or both events.
These events will be celebrating the launch of our PlatyTracker platypus monitoring program, where we will be recruiting volunteers to collect data on platypus sightings fortnightly across the Sunshine Coast.
This data will help fill the gaps in the region’s platypus presence and abundance data to ensure the platypus is afforded an accurate conservation status in Queensland.
📍 Where: Fairhill Native Plants & Botanic Gardens (please meet at the front of the cafe, located next to the carpark)
📅 When: Thursday, 25th September 2025
1st Event – Platypus eDNA Demonstration
There will be a short, informal platypus spotting activity that includes basic habitat analysis and awareness and then we will move into the eDNA collection demonstration.
⏰ Time: 7:00am – 8:00am
🎟️ Tickets: This is a free event; tickets are limited for this event.
2nd Event – ECOllaborations PlatyTracker Launch
This is the launch of our PlatyTracker for citizen science data collation across the Sunshine Coast.
⏰ Time: 8:00am – 9:00am
🎟️ Tickets: This is a free event; no limit on tickets. Free coffee is sponsored by ECOllaboration for all attendees.
REGISTER HERE
Alternatively, please email [email protected] or call 07 5476 4777 for any questions.
