Mapoon Educational Signage SRP
Source Reduction Plan (SRP) Overview
Name of SRP
Mapoon Educational Signage SRP
Partners Delivering the SRP
Acknowledgement of partners/organisations that helped implement the SRP and their key responsibilities.
(Local Council, other local government agencies, other community groups).
- Tangaroa Blue Foundation – created, delivered and lead the SRP
- Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers
- Apudthama Rangers
- Mapoon Aboriginal Council
- NPARC (Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council)
Location
Name the type of location; beach, school, CBD, industrial area and the town/city the SPR was implemented.
(For example, Woolworths carpark, Castletown, Townsville)
- Mapoon Back Beach, Cullen Pt Rd, Mapoon QLD 4874
Photo 1
Add evidence of targeted
debris/litter, show the issue
Photo 2
Add evidence of your SRP resources
Photo 3
Add evidence of positive outcomes
Overall Goals & Background
Targeted Debris/Litter Item
Name of item or group of items being targeted in this SRP (For example, water bottles or recreational fishing gear)
Marine Debris
Why is the SRP needed?
Explain the requirement of SRP, include immediate and long-term impacts to the SRP location.
Spreading awareness is an essential part in the battle against marine debris. The Tangaroa Blue Foundation identified Mapoon in Far North Queensland as a marine debris hotspot that is highly impacted by marine debris washing in from both international and domestic sources, but very little from the local area.
Educational signage can be a great way to pass on knowledge, especially in areas where there is a lack of information. The language, style and size of an interpretive sign is important to consider, it needs to be easily understood, engaging and informative.
Overall Goals
The primary objective of this SRP is to educate through the use of signs to explain how much debris is removed from this beach every year, how much effort is put into the removal and how visitors can do their part to help.
This long standing SRP is informative and encouraging to promote positive behavioural changes by advising visitors to dispose of their rubbish at the nearest tip and what can be recycled at the ranger station.
Rangers are also equipped with clean-up bags enabling people to carry out their own beach clean-ups during their stay.
Participants are asked to inform the rangers of the weight collected and to return the bags; they can also input their data directly into the TBF’s Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) online database.
Logistics
General Timeline
How long did it take?
Include audits, installation/distribution of materials, SRP completion & reporting.
2 Years – Annual clean-up for baseline, consultation with Traditional Custodians, design of signage and clean-up the following year for comparison
1 Day – Installation
Measuring Success
How did you measure the success of the
SRP?
Some examples include:
– How did you measure/show the reduction of litter, through data collection?
– How many assets were created and distributed?
– Targeted audience (what type of audience were reached and how many people? How was this measured?)
– How did you measure community engagement?
Educational signage serves as an excellent way to impart knowledge, particularly in areas with limited information. It is crucial to carefully consider the language, style and size of the interpretive signs, ensuring they are easily comprehensible, captivating and informative.
Assets – 2 signs were designed and strategically placed at the campgrounds.
This SRP is not only educational and informative, but also to encourage visitors to actively participate in their own clean-ups, by providing readily accessible clean-up bags that often initiates essential conversations about marine debris and the removal. This imparts both rangers and visitors with knowledge about the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) database.
Data Collection & Reporting
What methodology did you use to collect
the data?
How was the data recorded and shared?
(For example, audits, survey frequency, AMDI Database) Include evidence of the methodology used relevant to your type of location. Monitoring Methodology – Tangaroa Blue
It is recommended that visitors collect marine debris using the clean-up bags provided by the Rangers, or can use their own. To then advise the rangers of the weight of rubbish collected and brief description of items so that this can be entered into the AMDI database by the Rangers or by the visitors themselves.
Results and Reflections
Positive Outcomes
What was the outcome of your SMART goal?
– Was there a reduction in targeted debris/ litter?
– What assets were created/how many were distributed?
– Did you reach your targeted audience and how was the community engaged?
Include website links and social media platforms
Media:
1 Website article –
https://www.tangaroablue.org/educational-signge/mapoon-educational-sign/
By facilitating data collection, training and access to the AMDI database, everyone involved can make valuable contributions to addressing and understanding marine pollution.
Funding
What did the SRP cost?
– Cash fundings for asset creation and implementation
– What In-kind funding support did you receive from partners/organisations?
Design of artwork, production of signs and installation – around $2,000
Community clean-ups – $5,000 x 2.
Challenges & Improvements
What challenges did you face during the SRP?
– How were these addressed and adapted to?
What could be improved if this SRP was to be replicated?
The Mapoon Land and Sea Rangers and Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council suggested that we install signs after seeing the signs we had installed at Chili Beach, Lockhart River. Proper consultation was conducted in regards to the text, images and language with the community. Our only concerns was about damage to the signs by visitors. Today the signs are still in place and in very good condition.
Future Opportunities
What were some additional positive outcomes?
Is your SRP still in action?
(For example, have any partners/organisations, Local Council, agencies, or community groups continued to implement your SRP?)
Include website links & social media
Both Mapoon Educational Signs remain at the location and alongside regular beach clean-ups organised by TBF.
