Bundaberg Reef Guardian teachers will meet with representatives from Local Government, environmental organisations, industry and government on Monday (14 March 2011) to discuss how they can educate children about water quality and looking after waterways, which will help protect the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Regional Liaison Manager Julie Cook said the Reef Guardian Networking Meeting would give teachers and partners the chance to gain access to resources, people power and information.

"The event will provide one-on-one networking opportunities to share resources, knowledge and environmental opportunities in 2011," Mrs Cook said.

"It is fantastic to see organisations like the Burnett Mary Regional Group and Bundaberg Regional Council, a new Reef Guardian Council, participate and help deliver the event."

Burnett Mary Regional Group Wetlands Officer Rachael Nasplezes said the group welcomes this opportunity provided by the Reef Guardian program to discuss with teachers innovative ways to support students in understanding and learning about the health of their local catchments.

"Teachers will have the opportunity to use a variety of innovative tools for measuring water quality," Ms Nasplezes said.

"This includes using water bugs to assess waterway health, learning about local wetlands and their issues and using the most up-to-date technologies to measure and record data from local waterways and catchments."

Reef Guardian Networking Meetings are held annually throughout the Great Barrier Reef catchment and have proven to be highly successful in establishing lasting community partnerships.

Reef Guardian Schools is an environmental education program run by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.