JOINING BIRDLIFE NORTHERN QUEENSLAND

INTRODUCTION

BirdLife Northern Queensland (BNQ) is a regional group of the national organisation BirdLife Australia formed by the merger of Birds Australia and BOCA on 1 January 2012. Birds Australia was formed as the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, RAOU, in 1901 - the oldest Australian society concerned with national and international bird study and conservation.

The concept of forming a regional group was discussed at an RAOU congress held in Yungaburra in 1993, which was followed by a campout at Silver Plains on Cape York Peninsula. A meeting of Northern Queensland RAOU members then met at Murray Falls, near Tully with the view to form a regional group of the RAOU. Over 50 members turned up and a steering committee was established. By the end of that year an election of office bearers was held and the group was officially formed. The newsletter, Contact Call, also had its debut that year.

Rocky River rainforest, Silver Plains, Cape York - Birds Australia Campout, 1993

The BNQ region covers a large area of Northern Queensland - from Ayr north to the Torres Strait Islands and west to the Northern Territory border. Regional contacts are based in Townsville, Mount Isa, Cairns, Atherton Tablelands, Mossman/Daintree and Cape York.

Being a member of BirdLife Australia in Northern Queensland means you also qualify as a member of the regional group, BNQ. Members of BirdLife Australia receive Australia's national bird magazine while regional members also receive the quarterly regional newsletter, Contact Call, now an eight page publication. The newsletter provides information on regional bird issues, events in the region, as well as field trips and campouts catering for all levels of expertise from beginner to professional.

You can contact us by email or write to: BirdLife Northern Queensland, PO Box 531, Port Douglas, Qld 4877 For more about BirdLife Australia visit the national website.

MEMBERSHIP

By joining BirdLife Australia you automatically become a member of the local regional group, if one exists in your area. Regional groups cover most of Australia: see the Regional Groups page of BirdLife Australia.

Joining is easy, simply go to the membership page of the BirdLife Australia website.

Emerald Dove (courtesy Zoe Holmes)