Celebrate World Wetlands Day this Sunday

Celebrate Townsville’s wetland biodiversity and the role it plays for the city’s environmental health this World Wetlands Day (Sunday 2 February 2025).

The international day for celebrating and raising awareness for wetlands marks the anniversary of The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty in 1971.

This year’s World Wetlands Day falls on Sunday and its theme is ‘protecting wetlands for our common future’, shining a light on the important role wetlands play in safeguarding wildlife and cities’ natural environments.

Councillor Suzy Batkovic said Townsville was home to the 56-hectare Bowling Green Bay, a designated Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and the associated 1,000-hectare Wongaloo Conservation Park, shared with the Burdekin, and also contained many other environmentally and culturally important wetlands of significance to Townsville’s First Nations people and Traditional Owners.

“Townsville’s wetlands like Bowling Green Bay, the Borrow Pits, Town Common and Rowes Bay are home to more than 200 bird species, as well as other reptiles, mammals, amphibians and macro-invertebrates,” Cr Batkovic said.

“These natural spaces offer a place for people to connect with nature through birdwatching, fishing, eco-tourism or educational experiences to see wetland birdlife, with walking tracks and bird hides to explore. Here in Townsville our Rowes Bay and Town Common wetlands are regular spots for birdwatchers, nature walkers and international visitors to enjoy the great outdoors.

“Wetlands may not always appear wet, and are often seasonally dry, yet they are a place that groundwater is stored during periods of dry weather and are an oasis for birds like brolgas, magpie geese and jabirus as well as insects and other small animals.”

Cr Batkovic said wetlands were a significant contributor to the city’s carbon-cycle.

“Wetlands store carbon in their plants and soils. Coastal wetlands are such effective carbon sinks that they can actually store between two to four times more carbon per hectare and sequester it between 30 to 50 times faster than terrestrial forests,” she said.

“Our natural wetlands include mangroves, floodplains, marshes and rivers, which all include thriving plant and animal life and serve as natural safeguards against disasters.

“Our wetlands also play their part for our natural environment by filtering pollutants that run off the land and through our creeks and rivers before they land at the Great Barrier Reef. They also play a part in slowing down floodwaters and trapping sediment to prevent silt build-up in our waterways.

“Council is committed to continuing its work to protect and preserve Townsville’s wetlands for the benefits of the environment and the city.”

Visit our Waterways and Wetlands page for more information.