The value of vegetated sand dunes keeps going up and now the Noosa community has a guidebook to keep it growing.
Whether resident or visitor, everyone in the region can now learn how to become a Coastal Custodian with the release of a new locally made book: Coastal Custodian Guide Book – Noosa Coast.
Long-time Noosa locals Rochelle Gooch and Sharyn Kerrigan have created a timely and visually stunning publication designed to inspire greater understanding, appreciation, and protection of our fragile coastal environment.
Motivated by the increasing gap in accessible environmental education along the coastline, the authors set out to craft a book that is both beautiful and deeply informative.
Sharyn’s library of striking photographs — captured during years of daily beach walks — pairs seamlessly with Rochelle’s insights from more than three decades as a Bushcare volunteer and Coordinator. Together, they have produced a guide that speaks equally to locals, newcomers, and visitors.
Part coffee-table treasure and part practical field guide, the book invites readers to slow down, observe, and really connect with the natural systems that make the Noosa coastline so unique. Easy-to-read scientific snippets help readers identify species, understand seasonal conditions, and recognise the delicate interplay between dunes, wildlife, and human behaviour. QR codes throughout the book offer pathways to further learning and highlight the remarkable network of caretakers working quietly behind the scenes.
At its heart, the Coastal Custodian Guide Book is an invitation to:
• Become more connected to our ocean edge.
• Recognise harmful habits and replace them with protective ones.
• Understand our coastal ecology — and its importance to our future.
“By better understanding our coastal precinct and eliminating damaging behaviours,” the authors say, “we can all become Coastal Custodians — committed to protecting our beautiful beaches for ourselves and generations to come.”
The Coastal Custodian Guide Book for the Noosa Coast is available now and will be officially launched on 10 December at 4.30pm at Annie’s Book Shop, Kingfisher Drive, Peregian Beach with an introduction by Noosa & District Landcare general manager Sharon Wright.
All welcome to this free event. Limited seating, you are welcome to BYO folding chairs.
