Over the past seven years, community groups in Queensland have protected or revegetated more than 1.7 million hectares of native vegetation.

Queensland's 14 regional sustainability organisations are encouraging people to find out what's happening in their backyard.

Carole Sweatman, CEO of Terrain NRM, one of those 14 groups, said that the World Environment Day theme (just passed on 5 June) focused on forests and the services they provide us all.

"By working in partnership with other community groups, supporting farmers and industry and investing government funds, we have helped to protect, revegetate and restore more than 1.7 million hectares of native vegetation," Carole said.

"Every weekend, every day, there are thousands of people around Australia getting together with the support of their regional natural resource management group to work on farms, rivers, coastal systems and bushland.

"The Australian and Queensland Governments financially support much of this work. But communities are matching those dollars with their own cash, time and effort, often at a rate of $3 to one."

"There's a lot happening in our backyard," Carole said. "And we're helping everyday people find ways to take care of our special places for future generations."

"Queensland's regional communities have been working for decades to ensure our forests are in the best possible condition. "

For the 'Queensland Backyard NRM Review', which is an achievements booklet of Queensland regional NRM groups, go to http://www.terrain.org.au/images/stories/publications/miscellaneous/Qld_Backyard_NRM_review_FINAL.pdf.

Following is a full list of outcomes achieved by Queensland's regional communities and stories available at short notice.

Media enquiries Samantha Morris, Wombat Creative

0421 709 519 | This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Since 2007, Queensland's regional natural resource management groups, working in partnership with many others, have been responsible for:

• 1,784,451 hectares of native vegetation protection, enhancement, rehabilitation and revegetation

• 4,471,504 hectares of pest plant and animal control

• 1,345 new or improved natural resource monitoring programs

• 1,304 conservation agreements protecting more than 890,000 hectares of land

• 10,045 biophysical studies undertaken

• 6,401 sub-regional plans developed

• 5,975 awareness raising events for more than 260,000 participants

• 4,965 training events for more than 850,000 participants

• 15,719 community groups or community projects assisted

• 6,384 collaborative arrangements for better natural resource management

Case studies and high resolution images available

• Negotiating habitat protection for cassowaries in North Queensland

• 1,088 hectares of habitat protected at Bustard Bay

• Rescuing a Gondwana survivor (Eastern bristlebird) in the Southern Condamine and Northern NSW

• Bringing back the Capricorn Coast beach scrub

• Creating healthy habitats on small farms in the Burdekin