Tag: event

New trail marathon for Surf Coast Walk

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A new trail marathon event is set to shine the spotlight on the Surf Coast Walk.

The inaugural Surf Coast Trail Marathon will take place on Saturday, 28 June, 2014, with marathon runners starting at Torquay, an hour south west of Melbourne, and finishing 42.2km further west on the beaches of Fairhaven, located on the world-renowned Great Ocean Road.

A new marathon event is set to hit the stunning Surf Coast Walk.
A new marathon event is set to hit the stunning Surf Coast Walk.

Runners will be enticed off road by a course that takes in impressive coastal scenery, including a short run along world-famous Bells Beach.

There is also a half marathon course being offered, beginning from Point Addis, and a relay team option allowing two runners to complete half of the marathon course each.

The Surf Coast Trail Marathon will benefit local organisations with a percentage of each entry fee going towards three Surf Coast beneficiaries, including the Fairhaven Surf Lifesaving Club, where the event finishes, and the Anglesea Primary School.

Some funds will also go back into supporting the trail and environs via the Great Ocean Road Coastal Committee.

Participants will pass by some iconic coastal landmarks.
Participants will pass by some iconic coastal landmarks.

There has been a marked increase in the popularity of ‘adventure racing’ and nature based tourism and sports on the coast, with many opportunities to get inv0lved and active in the great outdoors.

Are you entering for the marathon?

Entries have opened for the Surf Coast Trail Marathon  and runners can stay in touch on Facebook at www.facebook.com/surfcoasttrailmarathon

Learn more about the Surf Coast Walk here

Students celebrate coastal conservation

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Image
Hilary Bouma (GORCC Education Activity Leader) and Byron Powell, Wathaurung elder.

90 students joined some special guests at a coastal forum in Torquay this week to celebrate of a year of coastal conservation achievements.

Year nine students from four regional schools came together at the environmental education forum which is held each year as part of the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) Coast Guardians Program.

GORCC Community Liaison Manager Jane Rowlands said the forum celebrated the significant contribution the students have made over the past year to the local coastal environment.

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Phil Armato (Fisheries Victoria) shows a wobbegong shark jaw to Lorne P-12 College student, James Wainwright.

“The day included interactive activities and challenges, prominent guest speakers, student presentations and prizes and giveaways.

This year’s guest speakers and special guests included:

•    Wathaurung aboriginal elder Bryon Powell
•    Phil Armato: manager of Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre for Fisheries Victoria. Previously worked at the RSPCA and Zoos Victoria.
•    Dr Kate Charlton-Robb: founding director and principal researcher at the Australian Marine Mammal Conservation Foundation. Researcher, lecturer, campaigner, and discoverer of the unique species of Port Phillip Bay Dolphins called Burrunan Dolphins.

The day has been designed to increase and extend understanding on topics students have covered over the last twelve months including aboriginal culture, coastal animals and plants and threats to and management of, the natural coastal environment.

“We hope that these Coast Guardians will now graduate to become ongoing ambassadors for our beautiful and fragile coast,” said Ms.Rowlands.

Students received thank you gift packs donated by Quiksilver and, spot prizes donated by other local businesses.

“GORCC thanks Quiksilver and other local businesses for supporting this very special program and for recognising the achievements of these students who are making a very real difference to the environment.

The GORCC Coast Guardians Program sees four schools take ownership of the rehabilitation and conservation of four sites.   Schools involved are:
•    Lorne Aireys P-12 College
•    Geelong Lutheran College
•    Northern Bay College
•    Surf Coast Secondary College

“This is a long term program where students, mainly year 9s, look after a specific site between Torquay and Lorne over 5 years.

“The Coast Guardians Program aims to relate work undertaken on the ground to the school curriculum, linking to subjects such as science, outdoor education and community volunteering,” said Ms. Rowlands.

For more information on the Coast Guardians Program visit http://www.gorcc.com.au.

Feista Fun on Bell Street

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The second Bell Street Fiesta is set to explode with a fun filled day of events, activities, stalls and entertainment for all ages as part of the Drink Art Food Torquay (DAFT) Weekend.

 

The Bell Street Fiesta will be a fun filled day of activities and entertainment for all ages. Photo: http://daftorquay.com/about-the-fiesta/
The Bell Street Fiesta will be a fun filled day of activities and entertainment for all ages. Photo: http://daftorquay.com/about-the-fiesta/

The street will come alive on Saturday October 12th with 5 hours of non-stop entertainment for all the whole family. Activities on the day will include:

  •  Beer, wine and coffee appreciation tastings
  • Local produce tastings
  • Art Exhibitions
  • A Farmers Market
  • Fashion parades
  • A variety of engaging stalls
  • An array of kids activities

The Great Ocean Road Committee (GORCC) is hosting an interactive, environmental education stall at on the day.

Eco-Logic Education and Environmental Services have been comissioned by GORCC to set up the stand which will featuure a range of fun activities for all ages.

Activities include quizzes, ‘Spot the Hoodie games’, story book reading and plasticine fun.

All the fun will take place in Bell Street Torquay, commencing at 11am.

Click Here to check out the weekend program filled with events, activities and entertainment for all ages.

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Holiday fun on the coast for all

Biodiversity month – get involved!

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September is Biodiversity Month  and there’s heaps of simple ways that you can get involved.

Biodiversity month is held to promote the importance of protecting, conserving and improving biodiversity both within Australia and across the world.

What can you do to help?

Here’s a few ideas:

There’s plenty of other simple ways to help to protect our coast’s biodiversity, for more click here.

There are around 22 volunteer groups along our local coast helping to protect our coast’s biodiversity and they are always on the lookout for new members and supporters, even if its just for an hour or two! find out more

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the ‘web of life’, ‘the variety of living things’ or ‘the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes and ecosystems of which they are a part’.

Australia is very unique and is home to between 600,000 and 700,000 species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. About 84 per cent of our plants, 83 per cent of our mammals, and 45 per cent of our birds are only found in Australia.

Take a peek at some examples of our coast’s fascinating wildlife.

You can find more about Biodiversity Month here.

How are you working to protect and preserve our coast??

 

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Event for those who love Jan Juc

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The Jan Juc Coast Action (JJCA) Annual General Meeting will be held on Sunday 1 September, at the Jan Juc Surf Club (Clubhouse Road, Jan Juc VIC 3228) from 10am – 12pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy some food and refreshments (details TBC), craft activities for the kids, a talk on local birds and more.

JJCA volunteers getting hands on during a working bee.
JJCA volunteers during a working bee.

JJCA works for the preservation and revegetation of the Jan Juc coastline with indigenous species and the removal of environmental weeds, erosion control and provision of tracks and lookouts.

The group meets on the first Sunday of each month, except January.

If you love the Jan Juc coastline and want to be involved in or support its preservation then JJCA would love to see you there!

Contact Geoff: 0418 958 355 or Luke: 0406 113 438 for more details.

Learn more about  environmental volunteer groups in our region and how you can get involved.

 

Related blog posts:

swamp-diuris-diuris-palustris1Rare orchid survives on edge
image001 Father’s Day fun in Jan Juc
img_0792 Cleanup helps conserve the coast

World Environment Day encourages you to make better food choices!

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Today is the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World Environment Day and this year the theme is awareness around the environmental impact of your food choices.

Today is World Environment Day 2013. Photograph courtesy of UNEP (www.unep.org/wed/)
Today is World Environment Day 2013. Photo: UNEP (www.unep.org/wed/)

The UNEP website states this year’s theme for World Environment Day celebrations is ‘Think.Eat.Save’, an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your food-print.

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted, which is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger.

The theme, ‘Think.Eat.Save’, encourages you to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices you make and empowers you to make informed decisions.

You can learn more about World Environment Day and what you can do on the UNEP website.

What are you doing to reduce your food-print or environmental impact? Let us know!

Related Blog Posts:

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71551_159130807443335_159130697443346_351415_1823038_nGreen mums want greener groceries 

GORCC thanks volunteers

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In celebration of National Volunteer Week, the Great Ocean Road Coast Committee (GORCC) would like to thank our dedicated coastal environmental volunteers for the time they take to look after our beautiful coast on behalf of the community.

Kit-e Kline and children Makeisha, 6, and Jamaiyah, 3, help clean up the rubbish around Bird Rock car park during Clean Up Australia Day 2013 held in March.
Kit-e Kline and children Makeisha, 6, and Jamaiyah, 3, help clean up the rubbish around Bird Rock car park during Clean Up Australia Day 2013 held in March.

According to Volunteering Australia,  this week is Australia’s largest celebration of volunteers and volunteerism with over 6 million (ABS 2010) people volunteering annually in Australia which represents 36 per cent of the adult population.

National Volunteer Week is an opportunity to say thank you to all our volunteers acrosss the nation and you are invited to get involved!  Learn more about National Volunteer Week here. 

National volunteer week presents a perfect opportunity for GORCC to say a big thank you to all the individuals who are making a difference to our environment!

Groups operating along our coastline work tirelessly to protect the coast and participate  in a range of activities including:

  • Weeding
  • Revegetation
  • Developing facilities such as walking tracks
  • Preventing erosion
  • Participating in informative walks,
  • Monitoring native birds and animals
  • Attending meeting and social events.

These groups are always looking for more helping hands – so if you have a little time to spare, get in touch with a group in your area.  Learn more about coastal volunteering in our region and view a directory of local groups here.

National Volunteer Week will finish on Sunday May 19.

More information: