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Threatened Species and Threatened Ecological Communities
Round 9
On September 7, the 2006 Threatened Species Network Community Grants recipients were announced. The Grants are joint initiative of the Natural Heritage Trust and the World Wide Fund for Nature. Summaries are listed by state, below.
Project Title: Protecting Mongarlowe River Macquarie Perch and its Habitat
Grant: $11,400
Proponent: Friends of the Mongarlowe River
Project Description:
The Macquarie Perch is endangered and in serious decline throughout most of its former range. This project will improve knowledge through habitat assessment and species monitoring. It will produce a Conservation Information package for the community. It will achieve targeted and general community awareness, and identify ongoing conservation needs.
Project Title: Angels Beach Overpass (South) - Threatened Species Habitat Restoration
Grant: $3,079
Proponent: Angels Beach Dunecare and Reafforestation Group Inc
Project Description:
Extend an existing HCV Littoral-Rainforest zone by 1ha southwards through removal of exotic vines and WONS species, replanting with local-provenance LRF species, constructing pedestrian-access control fencing and windbreak lines, thus doubling existing recovery space for three threatened flora species.
Project Title: Surveying and Enhancing Habitat and Protecting Bellinger River Emydura
Grant: $19,590
Proponent: Bellinger Landcare Inc
Project Description:
The project has two components:
1. Habitat and population survey to determine the distribution and abundance of Emydura and record habitat requirements
2. Enhancement of habitat for the Emydura at 6 sites within known turtle range; including riparian restoration and fox control.
Project Title: Keeping Groote Eylandt Cane Toad Free
Grant: $27,378
Proponent: Anindilyakwa Land Council
Project Description:
This project will prevent colonisation of cane toads on Groote Eylandt, preserving threatened species and key ecological communities. Mechanisms used will include an education and awareness campaign delivered by the indigenous community, improved quarantine procedures for remote outstations, formation of a monitoring program in strategic locations and the establishment of skills and resources that’ll allow quick identification and response in the unlikely event of a toad outbreak.
Project Title: Purple-crowned Fairy-wren Habitat Protection & Restoration Project
Grant: $28,500
Proponent: Victoria River District Conservation Association Inc
Project Description:
Restore and protect the river grass (Chionachne) habitat of the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren at three locations in the Victoria River District, and monitor these sites to determine the rate of recovery for river grass, and immigration and recruitment rate of the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren.
Project Title: Looking After the Northern Crested Shrike-tit on Jawoyn Lands
Grant: $24,910
Proponent: Jawoyn Association Aboriginal Corporation
Project Description:
The Northern Crested Shrike-tit is one of Australia's least known birds and has been scientifically recorded from only approximately 30 records. This project will build scientific bird identification skills and recording techniques with Jawoyn people. Knowledge gained during this project will also contribute to knowledge on the effects of fire regime on the top-end bird species (by relating past fire history to bird sites). The project will also help inform the Jawoyn annual fire management program and the West Arnhem Fire Abatement Project.
Project Title: Managing fire to conserve threatened species at Newhaven
Grant: $25,210
Proponent: Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC)
Project Description:
This project aims to learn more about the fire regime requirements of threatened species in central Australia, by comparing population densities in areas where Traditional Aboriginal burning activities are regularly conducted with areas where attempts have been made to exclude fire during 50 years of cattle grazing. Appropriate fire regimes will then be implemented to increase populations of rare and threatened species.
Project Title: Reducing the Impact of Barbed Wire on Wildlife
Grant: $18,093.65
Proponent: Tolga Bat Rescue and Research Inc
Project Description:
The purpose of the project is to reduce the impact of barbed wire on threatened species. Thousands of animals face a cruel death each year from entanglement on barbed wire. We will raise public awareness of this issue, advocate for some solutions and replace barbed wire with plain or electric on at least three demonstration properties.
Project Title: Conserving threatened flora on the Stanthorpe Plateau
Grant: $15,750
Proponent: Granite Borders Landcare Committee Inc
Project Description:
The Stanthorpe Plateau Threatened Flora Recovery Plan covers nine state and nationally listed flora species that are not significantly conserved within national parks. The Plan describes each species, identifies threatening processes, and details management actions required to address their conservation. This Project will provide resources to enable several priority actions to be implemented.
Project Title: The Kuranda Cassowary Conservation Project
Grant: $3,825
Proponent: Kuranda EnviroCare Inc
Project Description:
The Kuranda Cassowary Conservation Project is an integrated, community-based approach to local cassowary conservation through the achievement of key aspects of the Recovery Plan for the Southern Cassowary. A primary objective of the project will be the development of community expertise to ensure the on-going operation and success of the project.
Project Title: Tectaria devexa Recovery Program
Grant: $13,862
Proponent: Greening Australia QLD Inc.
Project Description:
With only 21 individual adult plants remaining in mainland Australia, this recovery program is critical to preventing the extinction of Tectaria devexa. Through scientific research and successful propagation, this project will reintroduce the species to its natural environment and ultimately halt its decline. It's an opportunity to educate thousands of individuals and school students about a threatened species, its history and reasons for its decline.
Project Title: Encouraging community protection of semi-evergreen vine thickets
Grant: $25,000
Proponent: Emu Creek Catchment Landcare Group
Project Description:
Remnant patches of semi-evergreen vine thicket, nationally recognised as a threatened ecological community will be identified, protected and rehabilitated by this project within Crows Nest Shire, Queensland. This will be achieved by skills and knowledge transfer activities with landholders, voluntary conservation agreements and on-ground works such as management environmental weeds, fencing and rehabilitation activities.
Project Title: Caring for Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps, Southern Fleurieu Peninsula
Grant: $12,122.50
Proponent: Conservation Council of South Australia
Project Description:
This project aims to reduce the threat of woody weed invasion in a critically endangered ecological community, Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps, on the Southern Fleurieu Peninsula, SA.
This work is important, because it builds on past efforts of landholders to continue protecting/improving these threatened ecosystems/habitats.
Project Title: Translocation of Threatened Flora in the Mid North of South Australia
Grant: $5,850
Proponent: Friends of Parks Inc, Biodiversity & Endangered
Species Team (BEST)
Project Description:
The project proposes to translocate two nationally endangered plant species to two additional locations (one for each species) in the mid north of South Australia. These translocations will be undertaken experimentally in order to investigate the effects of combining individuals/genes from different populations on the genetic diversity/viability of the two species.
Project Title: Threatened Flora Recovery in the SA Murraylands
Grant: $10,120
Proponent: Eastern Hills & Murray Plains Catchment Group Inc
Project Description:
This project will aim to restore and manage critical habitat for six nationally listed threatened flora species in the South Australian Murray Darling Basin (SAMDB). It will concentrate on implementing on-ground threat abatement actions (primarily weed control) at high priority sites in the spring of 2007, as part of the SAMDB Threatened Flora Recovery Plan (2005).
Project Title: Distribution and conservation status of western whipbirds
Grant: $32,545
Proponent: Royal Zoological Society of South Australia, Inc.
Project Description:
The project will determine the current distribution and conservation status of the endangered Western Whipbird (Psophodes nigrogularis) in South Australia, using automated recording stations. The project will develop a method for recognising individuals of the endangered Western Whipbird from their calls. This will allow measurement of whipbird abundance from standardised recordings. The project will also increase community awareness of biodiversity values, and provide critical information for park and fire management.
Project Title: Marking Mounds on Malleefowl Survey Grids
Grant: $430
Proponent: Birds Australia Gluepot Reserve
Project Description:
There are a total of 110 known Malleefowl mounds contained in 7 marked 2km x 1km grids on Gluepot Reserve. This project aims to label each of these mounds with metal stakes and labels in accordance with the proposed national standards.
Project Title: Caring for Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps, Yundi
Grant: $5,632
Proponent: Conservation Council of South Australia
Project Description:
This project aims to re-establish the structural integrity of FPS through revegetation of over storey plant species adjacent to and within the fringe of swamps and to reduce the threat of woody weed invasion on two properties near Yundi, SA. This work is important, because it builds on past efforts of landholders to continue protecting/improving these threatened ecosystems/habitats.
Project Title: The Conservation of Malleefowl and Malleefowl Habitat Within Gum Lagoon Conservation Park, South Australia
Grant: $5,800
Proponent: Friends of Mount Monster Conservation Park
Project Description:
Currently malleefowl on Gum Lagoon Conservation Park are under threat from foxes, deer and goats. Without monitoring feral animal impact or providing some form of control, deer and goats will continue to threaten the survival of malleefowl by their continual trampling on malleefowl mounds.
Project Title: Enhancement of Forty-spotted Pardalote Habitat on Bruny Island
Grant: $26,594
Proponent: Sustainable Living Tasmania (Tasmanian Environment Centre Inc)
Project Description:
This project will provide assistance to private land owners who are actively managing habitat of the endangered Forty-spotted Pardalote on the northern tip of Bruny Island - one of the most important areas remaining for this species. This grant will provide materials for fencing, plants and plant guards to assist the land owners with expanding and rehabilitating Pardalote habitat.
Project Title: Establishing the Threatened Plant Action Group in Tasmania
Grant: $47,50
Proponent: WILDCARE Inc.
Project Description:
An 18 month State-wide project will be implemented by Wildcare in collaboration with landowners, the TSN and DPIW. Based on the successful South Australian Threatened Plant Action Group, this project would utilise the large pool of Wildcare volunteers residing in Tasmania's urban areas to assist with managing threatened plants that are largely located in sparsely populated rural and isolated areas.
Project Title: Plains Grassland (South Gippsland) habitat restoration, Clyde.
Grant: $3,950
Proponent: Field Naturalists Club of Victoria Inc. - Botany Group
Project Description:
Manage Plains Grassland (South Gippsland) Community habitat to enable threatened plant species to flourish and implement recovery actions for Maroon Leek Orchid, Matted Flax-lily and Swamp Everlasting. Specifically conduct an ecological burn, control weeds, monitor threatened species and build capacity in the community to implement recovery actions. This is a co-operative project between the Field Naturalists Club of Victoria, Pacific National, a local landholder and the Department of Sustainability and Environment.
Project Title: Providing dens for Leadbeater's Possum in Victoria's Central Highlands
Grant: $14,150
Proponent: Friends of Leadbeater's Possum Incorporated
Project Description:
Due to stag collapse, Leadbeater's Possum (LBP) populations are in dramatic decline and predicted to collapse by 90% over the next two decades. Through the use of nest boxes to provide replacement den sites, this project aims to provide an interim measure to support Leadbeater's through this bottleneck period. This project brings together a team of community groups, scientists and land managers to implement these long-term habitat enhancement actions and associated population monitoring in line with key objectives under the LBP Recovery Plan.
Project Title: Saving Legless Lizards
Grant: $4,150
Proponent: McCallums Creek Landcare Group
Project Description:
Two landholders with significant populations of Delma impar wish to fence out areas of 2 hectares respectively in order to protect the lizards from persistent grazing. They wish to manage these areas of land in sympathy with the needs of the lizards by devising a management plan with the assistance of professional advisors from the Department of Sustainability and Environment
Project Title: Habitat Restoration BOCHARA for Striped Legless Lizard
Grant: $5,400
Proponent: Hamilton Coleraine Rail Reserve Committee Inc
Project Description:
Protection and rehabilitation of Delma impar habitat. Fencing to exclude stock - 'filling the gaps' in existing fencing - weed control, replanting degraded sections with native grasses. Continued monitoring to further map the range of Delma impar at this site. Signage to communicate this knowledge to visitors to the Reserve.
Project Title: Looking after Marnkarr Using Traditional Knowledge and Science
Grant: $44,460
Proponent: Parnngurr Community Inc
Project Description:
This project aims to gather detailed information on Greater Bilby ecology and behaviour using a unique combination of radio tracking and traditional tracking. Localised control of feral predators will also be undertaken around key populations of bilbies, great desert skinks, marsupial moles and mulgaras utilising traditional hunting methods. Patch burning work will also be a focus of the project. Young Martu from community schools will attend the fieldtrips to document the project work and produce a DVD.
Project Title: Capacity building activities with Indigenous communities of the Central Kimberley
Grant: $50,000
Proponent: Kimberley Land Council
Project Description:
To engage a Threatened Species Project Officer to build capacity for land management and conservation outcomes with central Kimberley Native title groups. Initial work will focus on visiting and making contact with the native title groups in the area and determine the level of capacity and desire for involvement in project work to undertake three main activities ; the survey of Gouldian Finch sites using established monitoring procedures; documenting current fire management practices and routine monitoring along at selected sites for pre cane toad arrival fauna composition.
Project Title: Conservation of the Western Ringtail Possum
Grant: $16,400
Proponent: Friends of Western Ringtail Possum (FoWRP)
Project Description:
The Busselton area is a major stronghold of the WRP. This project will enhance the long-term conservation of this species through habitat assessments; strategic onground works to provide habitat linkages; raising community awareness of the WRP and training community members in survey techniques to monitor the success of the protection and rehabilitation of the WRP's habitat.
Project Title: Catching Cats with Cameras at Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary
Grant: $33,035
Proponent: Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC)
Project Description:
Paruna Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife corridor between National Parks in the Avon Valley. Nationally threatened mammals were reintroduced by AWC however numbers are lower than expected, probably due to feral cats and pigs. Implementation of cat monitoring, additional fencing, baiting, trapping and habitat rehabilitation should help increase fauna populations.
Project Title: Critically Endangered Ecological Communities: Weeds Wrenched, Rescue Plan
Grant: $23,244
Proponent: Naragebup Rockingham Regional Environment Centre Inc
Project Description:
To remove weed threats currently posing danger to 2 Critically Endangered Ecological Communities within the Lake Richmond Conservation Reserve in Rockingham WA. This project seeks to tackle the larger weed threats to these communities by physically removing these growing and encroaching trees and shrubs. Revegetation using endemic species will then occur.
Project Title: Conserving Red-tailed Phascogale in Lake Margin Habitat near Wagin
Grant: $5,000
Proponent: Wagin Woodanilling Landcare Zone
Project Description:
This project will build our understanding of the ecology of the Red-tailed Phascogale to improve our ability to identify and link high quality habitat. We will compare and contrast populations in continuous habitat on the margin of the Wagin Lakes and a population in a fragmented habitat in remnant vegetation, provide new insight into its distribution and habitat requirements by further survey, and assist with regeneration of its habitat along the foreshores of the Wagin Lakes.
Project Title: Watsonia Whacked to Save SJ's Threatened Plant Species
Grant: $25,855
Proponent: Landcare SJ Inc
Project Description:
This project aims to enhance the health of 2 federally-listed and 4 state-listed TECs across 5 reserves in the Serpentine-Jarrahdale Shire. A management plan will be developed to guide targeted control of the exotic plant Watsonia, and follow up revegetation. The importance of TECs will be promoted through participation by community members in onground works and awareness raising activities.
Project Title: Local Provenance Revegetation at Fletcher Park
Grant: $4,065
Proponent: Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group
Project Description:
This project aims to maintain and enhance vegetation condition at Fletcher Park, a listed Threatened Ecological Community Type 3a, and the habitat of the Purdies's Donkey orchid, Cadda Rd mallee and the red- and white-tailed black cockatoos. Weed encroachment from surrounding cleared lands is a key threat to the good condition vegetation community that occurs and the project aims to reinstate buffers to this good vegetation.