Redcliffe to host first turtle symposium

The Redcliffe Peninsula will host Moreton Bay’s first Turtle Symposium in May, with two events planned to raise awareness of the challenges facing the reptiles and a focus on action.

The events, on May 3 and 4, are being hosted by ESRAG Moreton Bay, Redcliffe Environmental Forum and Bribie Island Turtle Trackers (BITTs) - three organisations committed to safeguarding coastal ecosystems.

ESRAG spokesman Colin Scobie says, with turtle nesting along the Queensland coast surging by 125 per cent this past season, the urgency to raise awareness about the ancient mariners has never been greater.

“Climate change and human activity continue to pose significant challenges, making it crucial to bring together experts, conservationists, and the community for the inaugural Moreton Bay Turtle Symposium,” Colin explains.

Kicking off on Saturday, May 3 the first day of the symposium will be held at Queens Beach North, Scarborough, where hatchlings, disoriented by streetlights, headed in the wrong direction in 2010.

“Thanks to specialised lighting solutions, such incidents have since been prevented,” Colin says.

The free family friendly event, from 10am-2pm, will offer a unique eco-tourism experience featuring expert talks on turtle conservation in Moreton Bay, Indigenous food tasting and cultural storytelling, children’s activities designed to inspire the next generation of conservationists and lucky draw prizes.

On Sunday, May 4, the symposium moves to The Komo, Redcliffe, for a day of discussion and discovery.

This ticketed event will feature a line-up of speakers, including Australia’s foremost turtle expert Professor Col Limpus. His research includes a story of a hatchling he tagged at Mon Repos, Bundaberg — only for it to return, decades later, to the same nesting site.

Other key highlights will include updates from Sunshine Coast Regional Council on Mrs "Mystify" — a well-documented adult turtle that nests multiple times each season and forages around Scarborough; insights from university researchers, sharing the latest data on marine turtle populations and conservation strategies; and presentations by The Moreton Bay Foundation and UniSC, unveiling the crucial relationship between turtles and Moreton Bay’s marine habitats, including seagrass and molluscs.

Tickets to the symposium are $25.

To register for the free Turtle Family Fun Day, visit the website

To buy tickets for the Turtle Symposium, visit the website