Bruns Wildbnb Habitat Installation Group Shot Pcfml

Rewilding Our Floodplains

Australia

RESTORING RIVERS, WETLANDS AND COMMUNITIES

The Rewilding Our Floodplains (ROF) program is a community-led restoration initiative delivered on Bundjalung Country, Northern NSW.

Centred on the Brunswick River floodplain, the program reconnects degraded landscapes, restores biodiversity, and builds long-term climate resilience. Guided by Traditional Ecological Knowledge, ROF integrates wetland, mangrove, riparian, and terrestrial restoration for healthier rivers, forests, and communities.

Rivers Connect Us All

Rivers may cover less than 1% of the earth’s surface, but they’re home to over 40% of species—making them the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They connect mountains, floodplains and seas, driving the health of our ocean and communities.

Yet more than half of the world’s rivers have been severely impacted by over-development, pollution, invasive species and poor land and water management—putting ecosystems, climate and livelihoods at risk.

Our Rewilding Our Floodplains works with communities to restore river health from source to sea. Together, we’re building long-term resilience for waterways, oceans and the people who depend on them.

Reviving Northern Nsws Riparian Vegetation14

THE PROGRAM:

Our Rewilding Our Floodplains program takes an ecosystem-wide approach to restore waterway health from source to sea.

Community-led solutions – bringing landholders, fishers, Traditional Owners, and local residents into the heart of river restoration.
Science + storytelling – our interactive River Warriors StoryMap combines ecological data with community stories to track threats and solutions.
Blue & green forest restoration – rewilding mangroves, saltmarsh and riparian corridors to strengthen biodiversity and climate resilience.
Citizen science – empowering locals to monitor water quality, macroinvertebrates, mangroves and estuary health.

OUR impact

Since 2020, we’ve:

Restored wetlands, riparian corridors and mangroves with landholders, community, Byron Shire Council and partners
Engaged over 1,000 community members, contributing 8,000 volunteer hours
Trained more than 100 volunteers in marine debris auditing and riparian restoration techniques
Created decision-support tools and community hubs to guide catchment management and participation
Embedded Traditional Ecological Knowledge into restoration priorities
Mapped key threats to river health through on-ground and kayak surveys

HELP FUND ROF NSW BECOME A CORPORATE PARTNER FOR ROF NSW

Scientific story telling

Our River Warriors StoryMap shares threats, solutions, and ecological data—and lets the community contribute their own findings. Explore the StoryMap and see how you can help rewild the catchment.

REPORT DATA FROM THE BRUNS VIEW STORYMAP HERE

Blue Forest Rewilding

Alongside a broad range of local partners including landowners, fishers, Arakwal Traditional Owners, Southern Cross University (SCU), EarthWatch Australia, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE), Cape Byron Marine Parks, Byron Shire Council (BSC), and Brunswick Valley Landcare (BVL), we are leading blue and green forest mangrove rewilding programs, as well as developing plans for strategic catchment-wide corridors from source (Burringbar ranges) to sea (Cape Byron Marine Park) while monitoring wildlife with our partners at Wild BnB.

Utilising our data, networks and community-focused approach, we are aiming to relink the mountains to the sea, while strengthening biodiversity and estimating carbon sequestration rates to contribute to long-term climate resilience.

JOIN THE bruns COMMUNITY HUB

Macro-invertebrate Water Quality Surveys & Monitoring

Supported by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) post-flood water quality monitoring program funding in the region, we’re creating opportunities for the community to participate in citizen science activities designed to outline the importance of understanding, monitoring, and protecting this vital catchment.

The is generating scientifically robust data on the condition of intertidal and freshwater sections of the Brunswick River, giving a holistic overview of the condition of river health.

Aquatic macroinvertebrate citizen science surveys are an informative and fun way to engage community members to measure water quality using bioindicators. Macroinvertebrate diversity gives an indication of the condition (health) of a waterway and the types of stressors that might be having a negative impact. Macroinvertebrate surveys are also useful for monitoring long-term water quality patterns.

Data collection protocols follow standardised methodology and analysis, and will be completed with assistance from experts from our partners at Southern Cross University (SCU) and James Cook University (JCU).

VIEW ROUND 1 WATER QUALITY DATA HERE

Healthy Rivers Citizen Science Program

We’re working with Mangrove Watch (EarthWatch Australia) and Southern Cross University (SCU) to enhance our growing citizen science monitoring program. The program monitors mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass beds, the condition of riparian vegetation, presence of invasive species, riverbank erosion, and debris hotspots (contributing ongoing data to our Brunswick River StoryMap), with boat support supplied by Marine Rescue Brunswick.

We also collect water quality abiotic readings periodically during surveys, ensuring that samples are taken across the estuary. Engaging people in mangrove citizen science improves local awareness of tidal wetland habitat values and threats, helps to fill scientific knowledge gaps, and informs wetland management strategies.

These outcomes improve estuary conservation, contributing to wider catchment health outcomes such as improved water quality, increased habitat, and greater climate resilience.

BECOME A CITIZEN SCIENTIST

PROGRAM FUNDERS

The Healthy Rivers and Wild Wetlands projects were delivered through the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s Flood Recovery Program for Water Quality Monitoring, in partnership with the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and supported by the Riparian Stabilisation Package. The Riparian Stabilisation Package is co-funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.