Plant for Our Blue Planet

Create habitat in your patch for wildlife, waterways & our ocean

Workshop overview
A practical, hands-on and free community workshop exploring how we can create habitat for native wildlife in our backyards and urban spaces — whether that’s a large garden, small courtyard, balcony or a few pots, a homeowner or renter.

Participants will discover how small changes at home can help support local biodiversity and create healthier, more connected urban ecosystems, while also learning how our gardens are connected to our waterways and ultimately the ocean.

Date: Saturday 17th October 2026

Time: 9:00-11:00am (please arrive 8:45am)

Location: Burringbar Rainforest Nursery, 380, Burringbar Road, Upper Burringbar, NSW, 2483

Meeting Point: Please meet at the Nursery Café and park your car along the road in the parking area.

Guest Gardeners & Experts: Matt Fitzgerald, Burringbar Rainforest Nursery; Michael Corke, Private Land Conservation Officer, Tweed Shire Council with Dr Liz Hawkins, Dolphin Research Australia | Ocean Education & Conservation

* Coffee, drinks and food are available for purchase onsite at the Café.

The workshop will explore:

· From backyard to ocean – following the journey of water from our properties through stormwater drains, creeks and estuaries to the ocean, and exploring how vegetation, healthy soils and responsible use of garden chemicals can help reduce polluted runoff.

· Rewilding our urban spaces – what rewilding means and why even small patches of habitat can make a difference.

· Creating habitat for wildlife – understanding the food, water, shelter and breeding resources needed by native bees, butterflies and other insects, birds, reptiles and other local wildlife.

· Right plant, right place – choosing locally appropriate native plants suited to different spaces and growing conditions, from backyards to balconies and pots.

· Building a mini ecosystem – creating different layers and habitat features using groundcovers, grasses, shrubs, trees, leaf litter, logs, rocks, water and other natural elements.

· Gardening with nature – exploring more environmentally friendly approaches to managing pests, weeds and plant health, including alternatives to synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers and choosing alternatives.

· Plants we don't want in our patch – recognising invasive and problematic garden plants that can escape into surrounding bushland and waterways, and exploring suitable native alternatives.

· Rewild your patch – participants create a simple plan for their own space, identify habitat features they could introduce and select suitable plants with guidance from local experts.

· Take action at home – each participant takes home a native plant to start their rewilding journey and chooses an achievable Ocean Champion action for their own patch.

What to Bring:

· Hat

· Shoes

· Sunscreen/sun protective clothing

· Reuseable mug (if purchasing from café),

· Water bottle

· Snacks (or purchase your own)

· Pen & notepad

*All Participants will receive for FREE – a complementary copy of Gardening in Tweed Shire by Julia Hancock & 1 native plant to take home

An Ocean Champion action that starts in your backyard.

This event is part of a series of events in the Byron-Tweed Hope Spot Ocean Champion Program coordinated by Dolphin Research Australia | Ocean Education & Conservation with support from a 1% for the Planet grant from Patagonia Australia to help address key threats to our region through grass-roots action. With additional in-kind support from the Burringbar Rainforest Nursery.

For more information about our Byron-Tweed Hope Spot and Ocean Champion Program head to https://oceanconservation.org.au/

Conditions

IMPORTANT: Read the information below before registering

· All minors 17years and under must be accompanied by an adult

· Even though this is an outdoor event, each participant must register and hold a ticket to be able to attend

· Very limited tickets available for this event. All attendees must have a ticket prior. Our events are set to a maximum number of participants for safety, space and optimum learning opportunities.

· A reminder email will be sent to you prior to the workshop.

· If you can no longer attend, please cancel your booking via your Humanitix account (preferred) or contact us at info@dolphinresearchaustralia.org ASAP so we can give the spot someone on the waiting list.

· In the event of cancellation of this workshop due to weather or unforeseen circumstances, an email will be sent to you no later than 48 hours prior to the event.

Contact the host of Plant for Our Blue Planet

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