Condamine Alliance takes out the trifecta
18 June 2013
Condamine Alliance, winner of the 2012 Australian Riverprize, is celebrating its third major environmental award within the year.
The natural resource management group was awarded the 2013 United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Award for Biodiversity at a gala function in Melbourne last night.
The latest award caps off a stellar year for the group who also won the 2012 Banksia Award for Water late last year. All three awards are for the group’s Dewfish Demonstration Reach project which has helped increase native fish populations in the Condamine River by up to 1000%.
Condamine Alliance CEO Phil McCullough said this latest win has left him speechless. “We were delighted to be named finalists in this national award but we are absolutely thrilled to have won it,” Mr McCullough said. “Over the past 5 years our partners and the community have worked hard to repair our river and it is fantastic to see this acknowledgement,” he said.
“It is a privilege and honour to receive this award from such a strong field of worthy finalists across Australia.. We congratulate all finalists and recognise their valuable contributions to the environment in their area. Our country is a better place for all their dedication and work.”
Support the IRF with charity greeting cards
12 June 2013
If you work for a company based in Australia and you'd like to support the International RiverFoundation, you may be interested in ordering a supply of Christmas Cards, Birthday Cards or Thank You cards to send out to your supporters.
IRF has an agreement with a company called Charity Greeting Cards whereby 40c from every card purchased is donated to us to assist with river restoration initiatives in Australia. There are a range of high-quality designs to choose from and you can elect to personalise your cards with a logo and a message of your choice, or simply leave them blank.
The online system is quick, simple and very popular, with over $383,000 donated to charity in 2012.
Your participation in this initiative will help us continue to support river restoration efforts and raise awareness of our organisation and programs.
Click here to learn more.
New World Rivers Day website launched
9 May 2013
World Rivers Day is set for Sunday September 29th this year and, while the event is still several months away, it will be here before we know it. Consequently, we're hoping that river advocates from around the globe will start planning events as part of this year's World Rivers Day celebration.
A new website has been launched at www.worldriversday.com. The website contains more information about World Rivers Day, event plans and promotions, news clippings, resources, and a raft of ideas for those wanting to hold their own event.
World RIvers Day events across the globe will be promoted on the website as well as through regular email bulletins leading up to the day.
Last year, river enthusiasts from around the world came together for the eighth annual event. It was a great success, with millions of people involved from more than 60 countries. World Rivers Day is based on the incredible success of BC Rivers Day in British Columbia, Canada which celebrates its 33rd anniversary this year - and a huge celebration is being planned there to commemorate that event.
BMT WBM takes out BRW Client Choice Awards
21 March 2013
BMT WBM was named as 'Best Professional Services Firm' (revenue less than $50 million) at the 10th Annual Business Review Weekly (BRW) Client Choice Awards. BMT WBM were winners in a field that included some highly respected engineering, law and accounting firms as well as management consultants from around Australia.
The 2013 awards ceremony, held in Sydney on 13 March, also saw BMT WBM named as the 'Best Consulting Engineering Firm' (revenue less than $50 million).
These prestigious awards are presented to consultants based entirely on the feedback provided by clients and are therefore a true refelction of the outstanding service that BMT WBM provides.
BMT WBM has been a valued IRF partner since 2012 and we are proud to work with BMT WBM on global river basin initiatives.
BMT WBM Website | Image: Dr Philip Haines, Director & General Manager, Water & Environment, and David Proud, Business Development Manager, Machinery Group, with one of their awards.
Prespa Lakes Documentary Features in Film Festival
21 March 2013
A documentary on the Prespa Lakes, a 2012 Thiess International Riverprize finalist, has been chosen as one of 58 Greek films to be shown at the 15th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival – Images of the 21st Century.
In the film, "Crafted by Time", director Vangelis Efthymiou transports viewers to the magical world of the Prespa Lakes. The film’s underwater protagonists are the 23 unique fish species found in Prespa, one of the less well-known, though highly important, aspects of the area’s natural wealth, and a primary reason why Prespa is classified as one of the ten most important wetlands in the Mediterranean.
The documentary was produced as part of the LIFE+ Information & Communication (2010-2013) project “Fish, Fisheries and European Policy in the Prespa Basin,” which aims to inform the public and raise awareness about issues connected with the rare fish species and fisheries of Prespa.
The premiere of the documentary will take place on Saturday 16th March 2013 at 13:00 in the Olympion Hall, and it will receive a second showing on Sunday 17th March at 15:15 in the Tonia Marketatki Hall. The full Festival runs from 15th to 24th March 2013.
View the trailer for "Crafted by Time".
Help Support River of Light
4 March 2013
This summer the Red Deer River in Alberta, Canada will become the stage for a spectacular light installation that will transform the city's waterway into a River of Light.
Creatmosphere is aiming to raise money to produce the light barrels that will make up the River of Light: Points of View. In supporting the campaign not only will you be integral to the process of creating the River of Light but you will be part of a campaign to spread the message of water preservation globally.
Once the barrels have travelled done the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada on the 30th June 2013 they will then be given to the community as a gift and as a commitment to sustainable water preservation.
Whether you are a local resident, a supporter of water preservation or love the idea of the River of Light one day travelling to your city, then this is an opportunity to help us make the River of Light the largest most dazzling event yet.
Click here for more information on how to donate.
Riversymposium abstracts deadline extended
4 March 2013
Abstract submissions for the 16th International Riversymposium have been extended. This year's Riversymposium, to be held in Brisbane from 23-26 September 2013, will investigate the linkages that rivers provide to water, energy and food. Therer are five key themes that outline the program:
- River systems: providing for people and food production
- Rivers and energy: new paradigms in a changing world
- River cities: water, energy and food systems
- River health: healthy rivers, healthy economies
- Rivers globally: pathways to sustainability.
Abstract submissions are now open at www.riversymposium.com/submissions, and full details of abstract requirements and further information can be found on the website.
Abstracts must be submitted by 22 March, 2013.
5th European River Restoration Conference 2013
4 December 2012
The 5th European River Restoration Conference, to be held in Vienna on 11-13 September, 2013, will reflect on the current policy implementation environment. The event will highlight what leading river restoration thinkers and practitioners have to offer to bring new thinking into achieving goals of restoring and managing Europe’s Rivers.
The conference will show-case inspiring examples of river restoration, evaluate the implementation of existing policies and the realisation of new initiatives. If you are involved in managing rivers managers it will help you to implement policy. There will also be discussions regarding current state of the art thinking and approaches to practical river restoration. The collaboration of the ECRR and RESTORE (EU LIFE+ project) and other conference partners will bring together the knowledge base and best practices within the EU that can best address these topics.
Submissions and session proposals may be uploaded at the conference website - www.errc2013.eu.
The first IRF European Riverprize will also be awarded at the event. To learn more about the European Riverprize and to access an application form, click here.
Mark Angelo presents the wonders of the Lower Fraser River
21 January 2013
Renowned river advocate, Mark Angelo, discusses the wonders of the lower Fraser river in his most recent 3 minute video, "an Eden in our midst".
A part of this stretch of river includes what's referred to as the Heart of the Fraser, the focus of one of the most important conservation initiatives in all of Canada.
Click here to view the video
IWC Offers 60 Partial Scholarships for 2013
12 November 2012
The International WaterCentre (IWC) uses innovative, problem-based education approaches to create future water leaders, capable of designing and implementing integrated solutions to global water challenges. IWC is currently offering partial scholarships for programs commencing in Semester 1, 2013:
Master of Integrated Water Management
- Integrated, whoile-of-cycle approach to water management
- 1.5 years full-time or 3 years part time / distance
- 50 partial scholarships available ($6,000 each)
Graduate Certificate in Integrated Water Management (Water Planning)
- Created for water resource planners in public & private organisations
- 1 year part time / distance
- 10 partial scholarships available ($2,000 each)
IWC postgraduate degrees are co-taught and co-badged by four leading Australian universities: The University of Queensland, The University of Western Australia, Griffith University and Monash University.
Click here for more information
