2022-10-24 General Committee Meeting- Item 7 - Attachment 1 - Noosa Oyster Ecosystem Restoration Project - Final Report (1)

Figure 5. Juvenile oysters from the oyster gardening trial activities. Photos by M Connell.

NICA has also been actively engaged in promoting the oyster basket trial with aligned community organisations, schools and
most recently via the Project Launch ("Shellabration"). NICA has worked closely with researchers from Griffith University's
Australian Rivers Institute including PhD candidate Marina Richardson to better understand genetic lineages amongst the
Noosa River's remaining wild oysters and ecosystem assemblages within NICA's trial baskets. NICA has also been identifying
and designing program extension opportunities subject to funding, including an innovative community garden extension.

NICA has also:

    •    Engaged over 20 river-front households, 5 community groups and multiple schools through partnerships with NCBA
         and EEH as prospective oyster gardeners. Interested households located in geographically diverse locations across
         the river system including the Noosa Waters canals.
    •    Identified multiple additional residential and commercial sites, including Tewantin Marina, where gardeners without
         direct access to the river can also participate in oyster gardening
    •    Facilitated workshops at the marina for visiting guests from CSIRO, Envirotech, TNC and schools.
    •    Media piece in Noosa Today Oyster baskets show early signs of success | Noosa Today on 18/5/22.
    •    School holiday activity workshops organized by Noose EE hub.
    •    Showcased oyster gardening to visiting guests at the Shellebration on 7 September 2022.
    •     An oyster gardening information session held on September 19th to educate oyster gardeners on maintenance
         techniques and to go over risk assessments.




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