As a Reef Educator, there's nothing quite like first-hand experience to enhance any learning encounter. Jo Curtis counts herself as one of the lucky ones. After completing a Bachelor of Science with a Marine Major, she worked with a local NSW council on an Estuarine Monitoring program before answering the call to work as a Nature Guide on Brampton Island 24 years ago. This was followed by a transfer to Heron Island and realising that the quiet island life is where she finds herself most at home. “There’s nothing quite like it” admits Jo who wouldn’t swap island life with anywhere else. Now living on the Great Barrier Reef’s largest habitable island – Magnetic Island – Jo and her family get to live the island life and have the benefit of being only a short ferry ride from “town”. For Jo, island life allows them the experience nature's seasonal cycle with a front row seat.
Jo still recalls her years working and living on Heron Island with amazement, “The anticipation of the first splashes on the horizon marking the annual whale migration, while below the surface we got to dive with mantas as they would dance in circles above us feeding on the plankton brought in by the winter currents. Those type of experiences are truly unforgettable. As spring sets in, mating season is in the air – and the water – as new life is marked by the poignant aroma of hundreds of thousands of Noddy Terns and Shearwaters that come to nest, not forgetting the annual coral spawning after the full moon of November. Then the old girls (turtles) come in and make their way up the beach to excavate nests across the shoreline, returning season after season like clockwork to where they themselves were born. But it is the weeks after turtle nesting where everyone is waiting for the main event - the turtle hatchlings emerging from their nests.” Like most, Jo can’t go past the adorable swish of hatchling tracks that scatter the beach slopes, marking summer in full swing as thousands of hatchling turtles sprint to the water’s edge.
But Jo also recognises the hardships that come with summer and the reality of a warming climate, seeing the cycles of damage and stress that reefs face from the impacts of climate change, poor water quality and coastal development. It is this intimacy with the Reef and her desire to share the incredible intricacies it has on offer that echo through her passionate presentations. As a Reef Educator, Jo brings the Reef not only to those fortunate enough to visit, but to those all over the world. “Whether you are four or 84, experiencing the Reef for the first time or the 100th time, there is always something new to discover".
The Reef Education Team offer a range of resources and materials for all ages, as well as virtual presentations bringing the Reef straight into the classroom, no matter where in the world you live. Of the thousands of hours of presentations and just as many students that Jo has had the privilege of working with, there is one thing that continues to excite her about her job. “People are attracted by the turtles and the whales and the big fish, but when they realise that the Reef is made up of so much more… it's that moment that's truly special. We take students on a journey of understanding that coral reefs are made up of tiny polyp animals that all work together as the building blocks of a structure that can be seen from space. That these coral structures support all the life around them, and they are incredibly fragile and that we need to do all we can to protect them.”
Jo and the team are masters at their craft, finding different ways of connecting people of all ages, and backgrounds to the Reef. From the sciences through to geography and art – the Reef Education team have developed a suite of resources that covers the A-Z of Reef facts, bringing the Reef to the classroom. Their goal is that through their programs, students will want to care for the Reef, want to learn more and act to protect it. “Most importantly, we want them to experience the wonders of the Reef so they become willing caretakers and stewards of this beautiful ecosystem.”
With her own son enrolled in a Reef Guardian School, she has seen the influence that being exposed to the Reef has had on the next generation. "The schools composting, worm farming and recycling programs teach simple actions we can all adopt at home to become more sustainable, and he became a BIG advocate at home for these actions to help protect the Reef. Even the schools drain stencilling, such a simple action, put it forefront in his mind that any rubbish in the school, or in the street, would end up in our water ways and the ocean where turtle might eat it",. These programs show students their connection to the Reef, and the impacts they can have. They want to protect it for the future.” But there is nothing like seeing it first hand, “My son has snorkelled around the islands fringing reefs from a very young age and has shared these experiences with friends. However, his first experience snorkelling on a mid-shelf reef (John Brewer Reef) wasn't until he turned eleven. I can still see his face after we jumped in the water and got to the reef edge and he pulled his mask off and exclaimed "You didn't tell me it was this good". Jo's one take home message from her time living and working on the reef and sharing its stories... “If you can, get out there and see it for yourself. It really is Great. Experience for yourself it's natural beauty and the amazing array of animals that call it home. Then share your stories with family, friends, and your community, so that others can appreciate it and take actions to protect it too".
