Shoalhaven Landcare has been successful in securing a grant of nearly $200,000 over the next four years to support endangered species across the landscape from Barren Grounds to Bugong.
The project, developed in conjunction with the Kangaroo Valley Environment Group, Friends of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby and Brogers Creek Landcare, will deliver both on ground improvements and increased community support for four local endangered species. While not finalised, the four species are likely to be the brush-tailed rock-wallaby, spotted tailed quoll, glossy black-cockatoo and the broad headed snake. Other endangered species, such as the greater glider, long-nosed potoroo and forest owls, are also likely to benefit because of the general improvement in native habitat, reduction in pests and improved knowledge and awareness by landowners, volunteers and visitors.
The grant application sought funds for a range of activities.
- Tree planting, 1000 each year, with plant species selected to especially benefit endangered fauna.
- Weed control in areas of critical fauna habitat.
- Expanded pest control, particularly fox baiting, plus trapping and shooting, to expand the pest control zones already in place for the endangered wallabies and quolls.
- Expanding and restoring habitat sites, especially false rocks for the broad headed snake.
- A program of field days and training sessions, designed to help landowners and volunteers to better understand the needs of fauna in order to manage land and to better manage projects.
- A large focus on encouraging more people – landowners, volunteers and visitors – to record the fauna that they see and to load it onto fauna data programs such as iNaturalist. These records are then available to scientists, restoration projects and agencies to better understand the fauna populations and to support them more effectively.
This new project was further discussed at a meeting at the Kangaroo Valley Hall on 23 May 23 and should be ready to start at the beginning of July. For more information, visit the project site at the Shoalhaven Landcare website, or email to either shoalhavenlandcare@gmail.com or kangaroo.valley.environment@gmail.com.
Greg Thompson