Australian Conservation Foundation – Blog
When I think of my local river, the Brisbane River, I think of its nickname, the brown snake. It is like a snake, winding its way through the valley from its source in the Brisbane Ranges, through farmlands, outer hobby farms, inner suburbs, the city and then onwards to where it merges with the Coral Sea at Moreton Bay. Its most striking feature is that it’s big and brown. Being a tidal estuary from the mouth of the river to the weir at Mt Crosby means that the brackish river is constantly moving with the ebb and flow of the tides.
When I first moved to Brisbane in 1995 the river was constantly being dredged as the council tried to clear silt build up to allow for improved access for watercraft. Through Brisbane’s lifetime, industries plotted along the banks have used the river as a dumping ground for waste. Unfortunately, the river is still battling the growing threat of pollutants from human medicines and farming practices, be they pesticide run-off or soil degradation from land-clearing. In a 2020 report by Moreton Bay Foundation it was found that the Brisbane river is more contaminated than some of the waterways in Sydney and Melbourne. It is up to us, the citizens of Brisbane, to help change the course of our actions. We need to be responsible for the life of the river as it has been a lifeline and cause for celebration since before European invasion and colonisation, when the Turrbal Nation were the soul occupants of the river and its resources.
One way in which people can stay connected to the rivers and preserve the life of the waters is to celebrate World Rivers Day. Every year it falls on the fourth Sunday of September. This year it will be on the 24th of September 2022. The annual day of recognition and celebration was first started by Canadian river conservationist Mark Angelo. He first began his campaign to help promote river wellness in 1980 with BC Rivers Day founded in British Columbia. Due to his successes at bringing awareness to the need to protect and preserve the health of river systems, Mark Angelo aligned with the United Nations to create a new program called Water for Life Decade. In 2005 this program helped create the annual event of World Rivers Day.
Today World Rivers Day is celebrated by millions of people in over 100 countries. It is a time to learn about the river in your area, be it city or countryside, understand the impact that human geography has on rivers, and help rejuvenate and repair damage to river systems. Some of the ways in which people can participate in World Rivers Day is by joining a local bush regeneration group and help plant native vegetation to prevent land slippage, provide habitat for native wildlife and promote the restoration of wetlands. In Ipswich west of Brisbane volunteers will be gathering to help plant hundreds of native seedlings, learn about the importance of preserving and protecting the wetlands for native wildlife and help clean the river of rubbish from the comfort of their canoes. Habitat Connections is a program that helps volunteers participate in planting, and rehabilitation programs such as World Rivers Day, helping preserve and regenerate local parks and wetlands like Shapcott Park in Ipswich.
The significance of our local rivers and waterways do not just impact the people and wildlife in the immediate area, but impact the health, lives and longevity of our rivers and wildlife across the country. As the life sources of the land, rivers join our habitats, eventually meeting the heritage protected area of Moreton Bay. Being home to 25% of Australia’s bird species, a refuge for loggerhead turtles, dolphins, sharks and the only area where dugongs herd and feed. From simple actions like participating in a planting program, the benefits from events and days like World Rivers Day will be appreciated for generations to come.