Tangalooma EcoMarines
Name and position?
Penny Limbach, General Manager
Tell us about your business/organisation?
Tangalooma EcoMarines offers inspirational and award winning environmental education programs. These free programs focus on achieving better environmental outcomes and developing environmental leadership among students of all ages, schools, community organisations and businesses.
Tangalooma EcoMarines is a non-profit, Brisbane-based organisation committed to the protection of local marine and wild life. Tangalooma EcoMarines are proud Associate Custodians of Quandamooka Country.
What are your key skills and responsibilities?
I was the main person responsible for successfully registering Tangalooma EcoMarines as a not-for-profit foundation in 2014. Since we are a team of two, I work across all departments in my position; administration, program delivery and development, events, marketing and public relations, sponsorship and partnerships, human resources, accounts, IT …and the list goes on!
How many people work at your business?
Kylie Roche (Program Coordinator) and myself. We have 7 wonderful Board members and 3 volunteers that assist us with various projects.
What is your favourite place in the precinct?
Can I have a couple?
The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre is definitely up there. We hold a couple EcoMarines events there and they are just incredible to work with. It’s no wonder they are the World’s Best Convention Centre!
Riverlife is also fantastic. I have attended many events there and they know how to throw a party!
I love walking along South Bank looking at the Brisbane River – I never get sick of that!
There are also many restaurants and bars that I love. South Bank has it all.
What do you want BSB members to know about you or your business?
Tangalooma EcoMarines’ mission is to inspire a community of environmental heroes and our vision is to help protect marine and wild life through collaborative community action.
We hope by being a member of Business South Bank, the companies in South Bank will want to get involved and help us protect the Brisbane River, which has such a large impact on the marine and wild life of Moreton Bay.
What is something people wouldn’t know about your business?
Many people are surprised to hear we are just a team of two. Considering we have over 180 early learning centres, 30 primary schools, 3 high schools and launching a corporate program in 2018, most people think we are a bigger organisation.
What has recently happened at your organisation?
We were successful in our application to the Queensland Community Sustainability Action grant program for $33,900. These funds will enable EcoMarines to run corporate clean-up events around Brisbane for the next 3 years, starting in mid-2018.
On October 30th we held our annual event dubbed “The Wave”. This event celebrates the wave of change students are creating in their school and local community. At this event our student EcoMarines ambassadors are invited to speak on stage, play videos they’ve made, receive a certificate for their school and the students thank our corporate partners and acknowledge their support of our program. It is a morning filled with laughter and tears and everyone leaves feeling inspired.
What have you learnt lately?
XERO accounting software – Kylie and I recently took over running the books for EcoMarines. It was quite the learning curve but I think we have a handle on it now.
What do you hope to achieve in your industry?
To enable more students, like minded businesses and the wider community to become involved with EcoMarines to ensure we have healthy land and waterways in Southeast Queensland.
We would also like to develop a successful regional model that can be adapted to other locations in Australia, and maybe one day expand to other countries around the world.
What inspires you?
The level of passion and enthusiasm our student EcoMarines’ ambassadors have. They are changing behaviours in their schools and local communities.
The dedication of our support crew teachers and principals and the time they volunteer in their busy schedules to fit EcoMarines in.
The excitement and appreciation all of our partners have being involved in our program.
The encouragement I receive from our board members and fulfilment I feel writing quarterly board reports for them.
Lastly, listening to stories from Quandamooka People and their appreciation and respect for land, water, history and culture.
What are your words of wisdom?
Environmental education is key because once people start to learn and understand, they start to care. And once people care - they start to change their behaviours.
