Protect Our Pollinators

Protect our Pollinators is a community centred initiative to support both species recovery and co-existence with the endangered Spectacled Flying-foxes in Port Douglas and the wider Douglas Shire region.

Its mission is to work at the local level to apply the most recent scientific knowledge to the protection of Spectacled Flying-foxes in our area. Through liaising with community members, businesses, organisations and local government, we believe we can help create an ethos of responsibility and caretaking over the recovery of this vital keystone species.

2023 Targets

Buoyed by the inclusion of the Spectacled Flying-foxes in the Federal Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032, we aim to address issues of habitat removal, outdated and unsuccessful management practices, future planning and development, and the ongoing need to modernise historic practices and beliefs with science-based facts and modern best practices to help reverse the decline of the Spectacled Flying-foxes.

Targets

  • Positively promote SFFs in the region through community outreach initiatives: market stalls, social media, local media

  • Work with and inform DSC practices where possible and assist in the development of a Flying-fox Roost Management Plan for the region

  • Launch ‘Protect Our Pollinators’ and ‘Partnership for Pollinators’ campaigns for individuals and local businesses

  • Develop community education resources to distribute and implement at resorts, organisations and schools

  • Recruit volunteers, vaccinated and unvaccinated to rescue and care for sick, injured or abandoned SFFs, and the running of FFFNQ

  • Work with local council to develop an ‘Emergency Heat Stress Event Plan’ and ‘Monitoring Plan’ in the event of high temperatures before September 2023

  • Ongoing fundraising initiatives and grant applications; specifically prior to August 2023 in the lead up to birthing season to assist in covering vaccination costs for new rescue/carers, members of council and local arborist businesses

  • Establish FFFNQ as a not-for-profit organisation

  • Build relationships with stakeholder businesses and organisations

  • Establish a map of potential sites for foraging and habitat regeneration in the Douglas Shire

  • Create a Port Douglas Spectacled Flying-fox trail map for best viewing locations