We love conservation volunteers!
Everything is better with Friends. That's why we support the the ultimate Friends of nature - the volunteers who protect and enhance our unique national parks, conservation parks, and state forests.
Love our national parks?
Our Vision
All protected areas in Queensland are connected to an engaged and supported community that is actively involved in conservation.
Our Mission
To build, connect, and support resilient communities engaged in on-ground conservation, research or education activities aimed at enhancing protected areas across Queensland.
Who
we are
Founded in 2022, Friends of Parks Queensland Incorporated is an ACNC-registered charity and umbrella organisation for Friends of Parks groups across the state. Our duty is to help Friends of Parks groups achieve their conservation goals and amplify the positive impact existing groups are having on the environment, while supporting new groups to form. We operate in partnership with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service & Partnerships.
What we do
Friends of Parks Queensland provides tailored support to our member groups based on their needs and the wishes of the land managers and Traditional Owners.
General Advice & Support
We support our members in a range of ways. Support may include admin assistance, site-specific plans from an ecologist, or general advice & strategy.
Grant Writing Assistance
We know funding is tight. We actively seek funding opportunities for our members and assist with grant applications and project planning.
Networking
A well-connected network is a powerful network. We can facilitate connections to not-for-profit, education, industry, and land managers as appropriate.
Sponsorship
We act as a sponsor for member groups seeking funding through government or non-government grant programs.
Volunteer Recruitment
Need extra on-ground volunteers, or help with social media? We connect our members with suitable volunteers to bring maximum benefits.
No Fee
We do not charge a membership fee or admin fee on grant projects, meaning more funding goes towards conservation.
Our team
Our team consists of experienced and passionate individuals who have dedicated their careers to environmental conservation, land management, and community engagement. Together, our team brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our work, and we are committed to making a positive impact on the environment and the communities we serve.
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Dr Alan Chenoweth is a landscape architect, environmental planner and ethicist with experience in landscape evaluation and impact assessment, design and site planning, land development, parks and horticulture, through >40 years in consultancy, teaching, and public sector roles including park management positions in Queensland. Alan’s expertise includes award-winning approaches to mapping the ‘green base’ for land use planning. He has also held the role of president or chair of four professional institutes and associations, and currently co-chairs the EIANZ Indigenous Engagement Working Group. Although semi-retired, Alan contributes to landscape and visual impact assessment (LVA) methodology, court-related expert witness roles, a local creek habitat restoration group, and the National Parks Association of Queensland.
Ms Leslie Shirreffs has extensive experience in environmental, natural resource, land and wildlife management, planning, policy and legislation. She has held responsibility for world heritage policy in Queensland as well as day to day management responsibility for the Queensland section of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area and served for six years as Chair of the Wet Tropics Management Authority, overseeing the protection and management of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. She also has served as park expert on the federal government’s Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Consultative Committee, the only non-Tasmanian appointee. Ms Shirreffs has considerable experience working with Aboriginal peoples across Queensland particularly in implementation of the Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger program and in working to reform legislation and policy as it affects Aboriginal peoples. Most recently, she has been involved in the establishment of the Gold Coast’s first Kombumerri Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger program. In 2012, she was awarded a Public Service Medal in the Australia Day Honours for outstanding public service to environmental conservation and management in Queensland. Serving on a number of boards and committees, she is currently Chair of the Queensland Heritage Council.
Paul has a diverse academic background in architecture, psychology, and environmental management. He formerly led the Biodiversity Conservation Team at Healthy Land and Water and has worked with Greening Australia, WWF, Griffith University, and the Queensland National Parks Association. Paul has a strong interest in native flora, threatened species recovery, restoration ecology, disturbance ecology, fire management, and how native plants and animals are dealing with the impacts of a changing climate. Paul has completed a fellowship overseas examining how national agencies in Europe, USA and South Africa were dealing with climate impacts on protected areas.
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Justine is a Kombumerri & Quandamooka woman – a Traditional Owner to the beautiful Gold Coast and Moreton Bay area. Justine is the Project Coordinator for Ngarang-Wal Gold Coast Aboriginal Association Incorporated & has served on the Ngarang-Wal Board of Directors as Secretary for 18 years. Justine has managed the Guanaba Indigenous Protected Area for the last 7 years. Environmental conservation is the main priority for Justine’s current role, however community engagement with Kombumerri culture is another priority in this role, with Justine visiting many local schools and securing work for the Aboriginal community (revegetation works and cultural events). Prior to this, Justine completed her Bachelor of Education (Primary) at Griffith University and held local teaching contracts at local primary and high school institutions for 4 years.
Karleen has broad interests across environmental, cultural, and social activities. Her work spans scholarly research and community development activities as an artist, arts worker, and researcher across various sectors. She is currently curating creative wild connections that reach 'everyday people' as the Founding Director of Hand Bent Banana Arts and Health Centre. Curating creative wild connections includes hands-on conservation and natural areas land management in the Gold Coast Hinterland. As a member of the Tallebudgera Valley Nature Culture Alliance (NiCA), she has worked with the local community to tell the interlinked human/nature understories and emphasize the importance of these stories for understanding bushfire mitigation in our natural areas. She has also recently joined the Board of Binna Burra Foundation to support the ongoing and historic development of the arts and cultural programs at Binna Burra. Karleen is passionate about leveraging arts and culture to tell stories of our natural environment and stress the importance of protecting and conserving Australia’s natural legacy in National Parks.
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Seeing the surge in “Friends of Parks” groups during the pandemic, Jess saw the need for an organisation to support the amazing volunteers working in our natural areas with limited budgets and support. Jess is passionate about connecting communities with the environment and sciences, and has received numerous awards within the local Gold Coast community for her contributions to Friends of Nerang National Park. Although she doesn’t like to admit having favourites, she has a definite soft spot for greater gliders and the humble brown bandicoot. Jess holds a Master of Evolutionary Systems Biology and a Graduate Certificate in Environment.
Paul Revie has always had a passion for the environment, with a focus on citizen science, threatened species research and conservation management. He is the founder of the Quoll Society of Australia and a project officer at the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland, working primarily with threatened mammals. After spending years as a nature tour guide on Cape York, Paul emerged from the wilderness to finish university, and has since had roles as a bush regenerator, senior consultant, and even as a penguin keeper at Sea World. Paul is currently completing his Master’s thesis on the population ecology of spotted-tailed quolls.
Alina holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Moscow University and has a background in marketing. Since moving to Australia, she has developed a passion for sustainability and community networking. She has been actively involved in promoting sustainability by volunteering at a local community nursery and completed a Diploma of Sustainable Living with the University of Tasmania. Additionally, Alina earned a certificate in Conservation and Ecosystem Management, which has further expanded her knowledge and skills in conservation. A unique combination of skills in marketing and sustainability, coupled with dedication to community development, has enabled Alina to create a positive impact within the local community. Alina employs her marketing skills to effectively promote sustainable practices and initiatives, while also establishing valuable connections within the community.
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