We’re welcoming a new full-time Communications and Engagement Officer, whose role will focus on bringing our community closer together.
Driving our Partnership is a vision for “healthy waterways, a thriving Reef, and a vibrant Dry Tropics community.” To make this vision a reality, we’ve built our work around three key areas: enduring partnerships, a robust Report Card, and an engaged community. While our Executive Officer and technical team have been hard at work on the first two for several years, this new expanded role will help us leverage and connect the Dry Tropics community like never before.
“We’re thrilled to expand the Healthy Waters Partnership team,” said Executive Officer Kara-Mae Coulter-Atkins.
“This dedicated position will help us strengthen our foundations and tap into the wealth of knowledge in our community, ultimately enhancing the health of our waterways and Reef. I’m delighted to welcome and introduce Jo Hurford, our new Communications and Engagement Officer to the healthy waters community.”
Why are healthy waters important to you?
Water is at the heart of everything I do.
After finishing university, I moved from country NSW to the coastal suburbs of Sydney and have lived no more than a 7-minute drive from the coast, which is coming on two decades!
Growing up, I constantly craved new places and experiences. The ocean and what hid beneath the surface intrigued me, so I dived in and became hooked! For several years I worked as a scuba diving instructor in Indonesia and Australia. Introducing people to the underwater world and seeing the awe on their face after their first dive was extremely rewarding. After hanging up my instructor hat, I replaced that daily dose of vitamin sea with stand-up paddle boarding (SUP). Watching the sun rise from the water, or the sunset over the water, helps me recharge and wash away any stress (the odd turtle or dugong sighting helps too 😊).
My love for water moved from the ocean to further upstream after moving to Townsville. I began exploring waterfalls and playing with long exposure photography to capture the movement of water as it falls and meanders along.
Professionally, I have been able to blend my love for the aquatic environment with my career, working for marine conservation, education or science organisations for more than ten years.
Healthy waters are important to me because water is at the heart of everything I do; my career, my lifestyle and the environments that I treasure most. It would be unusual for me if I didn’t connect with a waterway, whether that be river or coastal, at least once during the week.
Why Townsville?
Townsville is a hub for marine careers. It was a job that brought me to Townsville, but it’s the people and lifestyle that keep me here.
What I love most about Townsville is how much there is explore. The Reef is on our doorstep, the rainforest in our backyard, and not too far away we can venture to the outback, the Whitsunday’s, or the Tablelands, to name a few. A weekend can include hiking, paddling, diving, boating, camping and photography. There are so many ways to connect with nature.
Also, I don’t like the cold!
What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
For several years, I dreamt of creating an exhibition to showcase the beauty of the ocean, but also to raise awareness of its fragility in the hopes of inspiring conservation action. The opportunity presented itself when I spent a year working in Mozambique for the Marine Megafauna Foundation, a not-for-profit who researches manta rays, whale sharks and turtles. After pitching my idea to the organisations’ co-founder and obtaining interest from a museum in the country’s capital, the idea ballooned to include education workshops, film screenings and a VIP launch event.
At this point in time, manta rays and whale sharks weren’t protected in Mozambique and many Mozambicans were unaware that these iconic ocean animals were regularly sighted along their coastline.
We were a small team with limited resources, but everyone saw value in the exhibit. Supporters helped translate the exhibit panels, marketing collateral and media releases into Portuguese. Caterers appeared with food and drinks. Well-known photographers and film makers provided content for digital installations. Carpenters built frames for the exhibit panels and televisions. Printers…printed.
The launch event was attended by Government officials responsible for the country’s environment portfolios. The education workshops were full, with one school returning day after day with different classes. We received media coverage in every major newspaper, with guest features on morning television. To cap it off, the museum extended the exhibition’s running time, before it moved to another museum, morphing into a travelling exhibit.
It was a mammoth effort from all involved. And the best bit? New commercial fishing regulations came into effect in Mozambique in January 2021, to help protect manta rays and whale sharks.
What's your favourite aquatic animal?
When working as a dive instructor, one of my most common phrases was, “that one’s my favourite.” It would change regularly. From box fish to cuttlefish, or weedy seadragons to bumphead parrot fish. But sharks have always been a consistent favourite.
Growing up, I had a fear of sharks, as many do. But after seeing one underwater, a black tip reef shark, my fear dissipated. There are over 500 species of sharks, each with their own personality. The more I learnt about sharks, the more I was drawn to champion for them. They’re misunderstood, misrepresented in the media, and many species are threatened due to overfishing. Yet, they’re vital for the health of the ocean.
My fascination with sharks has taken me around the world. I spent a month volunteering with great white shark researchers in South Africa, and whilst there dived with curious blue sharks, zippy mako’s, oceanic black tips, tiger sharks, ancient seven-gill cow sharks and endemic cat shark species. I’ve visited the Bahamas for great hammerheads, Fiji for bull sharks, Mozambique for gentle whale sharks, and closer to home the NSW north coast for grey nurse sharks. Locally, the epaulette shark is my favourite. Not only is it extremely cute, but it’s unique ability to “walk” from one tide pool to another and survive in low-oxygen environments makes it very interesting.
The marine environment has been the focus of Jo’s career for the past fourteen years.
“What drew me to the Healthy Waters Partnership was the opportunity to extend my knowledge further upstream, whilst deepening my understanding of freshwater ecosystem impacts, and being part of on-ground actions to improve waterway health.
“On-ground actions extend beyond organisations to community stewardship.
“The core objective of my role with the Healthy Waters Partnership is to engage the Dry Tropics community. Through several of my previous roles, I have seen the power in community education and engagement to inspire conservation action and stewardship, and I’m looking forward to connecting with community to have a positive influence on local waterways.”