# data[].attributes.body
Here is the history of the Noosa River and how it came to be. Yes, this environment in manmade!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
River mouths are ever changing with the seasons and with the tides, and they can also be completely changed through the building of rock walls. I remember Noosa's river mouth back in 1973 when we lived in the caravan park, which was at the end of Hasting Street. Just beyond our caravan was the river mouth.

Now there is a winding road through what is called Noosa Spit, and then the river mouth. So, the southern side of the river's mouth has been extended, perhaps 400 metres.

There is a report published back in 2006 by Chamberlain and Tomlinson with old aerial photographs that confirms how I remember it. What we now call Noosa Spit was, back then, on the other side of the river mouth.

I remember when they first started dumping rocks, Mum took a photograph of me and my two brothers. That was back in 1973.

I was out taking video just yesterday (9 November 2020) of the river mouth. If you watch the video to the end you will see how I look today, in the orange jacket. Back in 1973, standing in the same place, I would have been standing about in the middle of the channel!

All the rock that has been dumped over the years has caused much more sand to shoal to the southern side of the river's mouth, which is where most of the people are. In fact, the river has been 'trained' to shoal to the south, beginning in 1978 with the dumping of rocks into what was then the river mouth proper, far beyond the land. This is explained in the report, by Chamberlain and Tomlinson.

While we can be critical of all the changes to the Noosa river mouth that are man-made, for the most part it has given us more certainty and so many more trees. When 'the spit' was on the north shore/on the northern side of the river mouth it was just bare sand.

But what they have done at the bottom of the Murray River, now that is absurd. Back in the 1930s governments build 6.7 kilometres of sea dyke/barrages to try and stop the tides from entering the Murray River estuary, because the local council wanted the lower reaches of the Murray River to be permanent fresh. I have written much about the Murray River, and how so many Australia's want to save it, yet they have no understanding of its natural history - not even whether the Murray River's mouth is wave or tide dominated.

When we really care about something, we should think about first understanding it. That means we might need to take some time out, to watch and listen and even read. Of course, a best way to learn is to hear different perspectives and then to go see, to trust our own eyes and capacity to reason.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Noosa River Mouth, 1973 & Yesterday - Jennifer Marohasy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
River mouths are ever changing with the seasons and with the tides, and they can also be completely changed through the building of rock walls. I remember Noosa's river mouth back in 1973 when we lived in the caravan park, which was at the end of Hasting Street.

# data[].attributes.body
Attach your groups powerpoint presentation here and get ready to present it to the class!

Well done.

# data[].attributes.body
Create a PowerPoint presentation that highlights your findings on the excursion to Noosa Dog Beach.
What influences do humans have on the characteristics of the beach?
What environmental factors do we need to consider?
What can be done to manage the beach?
Include any imagery, graphs or other findings in your presentation.

# data[].attributes.body
Coastal Hazards in Noosa

# data[].attributes.body
What implications may boating and fishing have on the environment of the Noosa Dog Beach and what is being done to protect the environment from the effects of these recreational activities?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since releasing the first stainless steel, BPA-free reusable water bottle in 2004, our friends at Klean Kanteen have stayed true to their mission by working hard to bring benefit to the people and places we touch, and doing everything they can to keep single-use waste from trashing the world. In celebration of the family-owned company's fifteenth anniversary of empowering positive personal habit changes and longtime support of the Surfrider Foundation's mission, we've collaborated to bring you fifteen ways to take action to protect the natural places you love, from wherever you may be.

1. Always pack your reusable water bottle. By now, many of us are aware of the fact that plastic pollution exists, that it's a problem and that it's contributing to climate change throughout its destructive life cycle. What we're still learning (scientists included!) is just how massive the problem is- and it just keeps getting bigger. For instance, did you know that roughly 500 pounds of plastic enter the ocean every second, and microplastics have been found in the air we breathe, water we drink and seafood we consume? Help protect yourself and the environment by avoiding single use plastic bottles and using your favorite reusable water bottle.

2. Ditch single-use cups, straws and utensils. Now that you're accustomed to bringing your reusable water bottle everywhere you go, challenge yourself to eliminate as much single-use packaging as possible from your daily purchases. Try packing additional reusables in your backpack or vehicle and see how much waste you can avoid producing. Find great reusable straws and cups from Klean Kanteen, here!

3. Bring that reusable mindset into the grocery store. Bringing your own bags to the grocery store is an easy way to reduce pollution and single-use habits, but what about all of the packaged items we buy? Try keeping reusable, organic cotton produce bags stored with your grocery totes to avoid packaged produce, and consider bulk-buying some staple items using mason jars or other reusable containers.

4. Consider the parts of your environmental impact that you can't see. Microfiber pollution is widespread, pervasive and equally toxic to the environment as the plastics we can see! You can help reduce your impact by choosing organic, natural materials over synthetic options for clothing, rugs, sheets and other household items. Also consider re-wearing items when possible as excessive washing of synthetic materials causes microfibers to shed into the wastewater stream, making their way through treatment facilities, and ultimately polluting the ocean and drinking water sources.

5. Reduce food-related carbon emissions by shopping local. Check out your local farmers market for fresher, locally-grown produce and locally-made, small-batch goods. Buying at farmers markets tends to support more sustainable production practices, eliminate or significantly reduce single-use packaging, and depending on where you live, you may even be able to get there without motorized transportation.

6. Host your own beach, river or lake cleanup to help protect your local coastline or waterway. Whether you gather friends and make an outing of it, or just pick up the trash you see along the waterline on your morning walk, report what you collect to your local Surfrider chapter and help raise awareness by sharing your impact on social media!

7. Start the plastic source reduction conversation in your community. If your city or state has not already passed an ordinance banning or placing a fee on single-use plastic bags at grocery stores and other retail locations, check out Surfrider's Plastic Bag Activist Toolkit for some tried-and-true advice on starting and gaining traction for a campaign against plastic bags. Surfrider volunteers have contributed to hundreds of plastic bag ordinances (and even statewide laws) throughout the country, and your community could be next!

8. Advocate for "BYO" Policies. If you're located in California: With the passage of AB-619, the "Bring Your Own bill," restaurants in the State of California may now accept clean, reusable consumer-owned containers for takeout! This change to the California Health and Safety Code is a positive step toward a single-use-plastic-free future for the restaurant industry, but it requires individuals to take action to make an impact. If you haven't already, get your own container for takeout (or for bringing your lunch from home). If you're located outside California: check out the bill's text, learn about Surfrider's fight for the passage of this bill, and use your voice to advocate for similar legislation to be passed in your state!​

9. Observe drought rules, wherever you are. This means being respectful of local resources: turn off the tap while you shave, brush your teeth, or wash dishes, and aim for reducing your shower time to five minutes or less. As always, refrain from flushing any chemicals, pharmaceuticals or products containing plastics or microbeads down the drain, toilet or sink.

10. Choose reef-friendly sunscreens and skincare products. Scientists estimate that up to 14,000 tons of sunscreen enter our marine waterways each year. But did you know that your sunscreen could be negatively impacting marine and aquatic life, even if you don't go in the ocean? Some harmful sunscreen chemicals are not removed completely at wastewater treatment facilities, which means that when we wash off products containing chemicals like oxybenzone, they can end up in rivers, lakes and the ocean - ultimately harming corals and other marine life. Learn what makes certain suncare products reef-friendly (and not-so-friendly) in this short guide.

11. Convert your yard into an Ocean Friendly Garden. If you live in an area where grass and other lush, leafy plants are not native, your lawn may be causing more damage than you think. Non-native lawns can degrade local habitat, require excess water and introduce harmful nutrient and pesticide pollutants into the watershed. Learn how to transform your landscape into beautiful natural gardens that create healthy soils, sequester carbon and improve (instead of degrade) local water quality here.

12. Encourage your favorite restaurants to become Ocean Friendly. Learn about Surfrider's Ocean Friendly Restaurants program and support local businesses that reduce their plastic use, offer vegetarian options and only serve sustainable seafood (if any). To register your business, click here. To find existing Ocean Friendly Restaurants near you, check out Surfrider's web app (go.surfrider.org/ofr-app).

13. Vote! Use your ballot and your purchasing power. To affect change on any scale, we have to use the resources available to us- and our votes are a key resource! In addition to casting your ballot in the next election, consider that with every item you purchase, you're also casting a vote for the future you want to see, based on the companies you choose to support and the products you choose to consume.

14. Join the movement. Surfrider defines a campaign victory as a decision made in favor of the coastal environment that results in a positive conservation outcome, improves coastal access, or does both. In 2018 alone, Surfrider's network achieved 84 Victories, and we're well on our way to surpassing that milestone this year. Becoming a Surfrider member supports our mission nationwide, and contributes to our growth and expansion, which ultimately helps us achieve more victories for our ocean and coasts.

15. Take action. Find your local chapter here, and get involved! If there is no Surfrider chapter near you, check out the Take Action page, follow @surfrider on social media, and write to us to let us know there's interest in your community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
15 Ways to Help Protect the Ocean and Coasts, Regardless of Where You Live

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since releasing the first stainless steel, BPA-free reusable water bottle in 2004, our friends at Klean Kanteen have stayed true to their mission by working hard to bring benefit to the people and places we touch, and doing everything they can to keep single-use waste from trashing the world.

# data[].attributes.body
Research the impact humans have on coastal areas

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In Dead Water: Merging of Climate Change with Pollution, Over-Harvest, and Infestations in the World's Fishing Grounds

The rapid response report entitled In Dead Water has for the first time mapped the multiple and combined impacts of pollution; alien...

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel at UNEA 5.2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Human impact in the coastal zones | GRID-Arendal

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Infrastructure development, intensive agricultural expansion, urbanisation and coastal development are increasing the flow of sediments and sewage into the ocean. The situation is most severe around Europe, the East coast of the United States, East of China and in Southeast Asia. These are also primary fishing grounds.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Coastal inundation is the flooding of low-lying coastal land by ocean waters. Along the NSW coast there are many low-lying areas above the normal high tide level that are subject to coastal inundation. These include wetland and other fringe areas of coastal lagoons and rivers, and the areas behind beach and dune systems. Buildings in low-lying coastal areas can be inundated as a consequence of storm surge conditions.
Emergency Management Arrangements for Coastal Erosion and Inundation
The SES as the combat (lead) agency for storm damage control is responsible for the emergency management of coastal erosion and inundation as a result of severe storms. The SES prepares emergency plans for coastal erosion and inundation and coordinates the emergency response to coastal erosion and inundation.
Warning Systems for Coastal Erosion and Inundation
The Bureau of Meteorology issues Severe Weather Warnings when damaging waves or storm surge conditions are anticipated that may result in coastal erosion or inundation. These warnings are broadcast over local radio stations. Warnings are also available on the Bureau of Meteorology website .
What should you do to prepare yourself?
You can take some basic measures right now to prepare for coastal erosion and inundation. These measures include:

Keeping a list of emergency numbers and assembling an emergency kit

Developing a home or business emergency plan

Developing a knowledge of what warning systems are available

What should you do when coastal erosion or inundation is likely?
When a Severe Weather Warning for damaging surf or storm surge conditions is issued you should:

Stay out of the water and away from areas exposed to damaging surf

Stay clear of areas where active erosion is occurring, or is likely to occur and advise your local council

Keep in contact with your neighbours

Listen to your local radio station and other media for information, updates and advice

Follow all instructions given to you by emergency services

Prepare to evacuate if required; and

If you require assistance call the SES on 132 500.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Coastal inundation is the flooding of low-lying coastal land by ocean waters. Along the NSW coast there are many low-lying areas above the normal high tide level that are subject to coastal inundation.

# data[].attributes.body
Use this three-step chart to activate background knowledge, develop a purpose for learning, and summarise.

# data[].attributes.body
Brainstorm any questions you may have

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Human Impacts on the Environment: Crash Course Ecology #10

# data[].attributes.body
Have a deeper look at the influence and consequences human activity might have on the Noosa Dog Beach area. You could look into boating, walking, swimming etc.