Coastal communities across Australia are being asked to start the New Year by photographing and sharing images of January’s king tides as a part of the Witness King Tides project, coordinated by Green Cross Australia.

King tides will affect much of Australia’s eastern coast on Thursday 2 January. Tide Trackers will start the New Year by snapping photos of the king tide and adding them to the database of images on the Witness King Tides website.

Budding photographers are being urged to head out at the peak of the tide, which will vary based on location. On Thursday 2 January, king tides are expected to impact much of the east coast between 9am – 10am. However, Melbourne and parts of Southern Victoria and Northern Tasmania will experience the king tide on Saturday 5 January between 3pm to 4pm. Participants can find the exact tide time near them on witnesskingtides.org

Green Cross Australia CEO Mara Bún said participants can also capture images of the high tide the day before or after the king tide, as the effects are similar and will still help the project raise awareness of sea level rise.”

“Witness King Tides will help us to identify and understand the impacts of rising sea levels on our beaches, coastal areas and shoreline communities,” Ms Bún said.

“This database of images will build a picture of the threat posed by sea level rise across Australia and will help track the future impact of climate change,” she said.

“By sharing these images, we can picture what our coastal communities will look like in the future as sea levels rise and importantly, we can prepare and adapt for these changes.”

Project partners include CSIRO, Australian Coastal Society, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and the Bleach Festival. The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, the Tasmanian Climate Change Office and numerous coastal and estuarine councils around Australia fund the project.

Since 2012, over 4,400 photos have been uploaded as part of Green Cross Australia’s Witness King Tides project. Witness King Tides was inspired by international campaigns in the USA and Canada and Green Cross Australia hope to continue to grow the project.

Connect with Green Cross Australia on Twitter via @GreenCrossAus and follow Witness King Tides news and photo by using #witnesskingtides. Get involved and register now at witnesskingtides.org.

ABOUT GREEN CROSS AUSTRALIA

Green Cross Australia is a not for profit that works with respected business, research, community and government partners to deliver world-class digital programs that advance our vision for a secure and sustainable future. The programs are motivated by our understanding of a resource-constrained, warming planet and our belief that this challenge presents opportunities for a bright future.

Contact

For more information, contact Green Cross Australia project manager, Elizabeth Resta, at 0420 833 893 or [email protected]