Annual Report
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2017-18 NATURE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT ACHIEVEMENTS THIS YEAR: • Continued advocacy for protection of our state’s biodiversity, with a focus over the past year on management of protected areas, planning and policy. • Hosting the annual meeting of the National Parks Australia Council in November 2017, an opportunity to discuss our policy platform of Nature for Life. • As part of the South Australian Nature Alliance, lobbying in the lead up to the March 2018 state election for better protection of nature. • Ongoing collaboration in significant biodiversity monitoring projects including Mt Lofty Ranges Woodland Birds celebrating 20 years and repeat monitoring of over 50 of the oldest BCM sites in Nortern and Yorke region. • Donating funds to BioR for the creation of woodland bird habitat. • Continued support for conservation-based research through our Conservation Biology Grant. • Conducted successful nocturnal walks in the Adelaide Parklands as History Festival events. NCSSA.ASN.AU PAGE 2 PAGE 3 ABOUT THE PRESIDENTS REPORT NATURE Hello and welcome to our 2017-18 Annual Report. It has been another proud year for our Society. CONSERVATION This year we celebrate 20 years of the Mount Lofty Ranges Woodland Bird Survey. To mark the occasion, we donated $3,000 to BioR for the purposes SOCIETY of woodland bird habitat creation. Another highlight was our hosting of the three-day National Park Australia MLR Bird Survey debrief meeting: Jody Gates, Chris James, Bea Rogers, Ali Ben Kahn Council meeting late last year, which received universal praise. OF SOUTH Photo: NCSSA The recruitment of Julia Peacock as our Nature Advocate has also been very AUSTRALIA beneficial. Nicki De Preu has also continued her involvement with her role. NCSSA PEOPLE Effectively we have two Nature Advocates for the price of one. MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE The financial and political conditions imposed in preceding years are The Nature Conservation Society of President: Michael Stead manifesting themselves more keenly and the South Australian environmental South Australia is a not-for profit Vice-President: vacant sector is facing significant structural reform. In the past year, the Society Native fig Ficus brachypoda Photo: M Stead voluntary conservation organisation has incurred substantive financial losses. Decisive steps were taken to limit Secretary: Erinne Stirling working to promote and protect further losses, but regrettably there have been some changes to project Assistant Secretary: vacant PUBLIC South Australia’s wildlife and natural staffing. These changes were understood by staff and approached in a Treasurer: Anna-Lucia Draper habitats. manner reflecting their professionalism. INFORMATION General Committee: The NCSSA has a history of over 50 This years’ financial loss has been offset in large part by the c. 14% returns Janine Guy, Kelly Henderson, Robert Lawrence and Helen Vonow received from our investment portfolio. Although timely, the purpose of the MEETINGS years as a leader in advocacy for income received by this portfolio is not to act as a financial crutch for the the environment and is a respected STAFF Society. Such losses cannot be sustained indefinitely. Our general meetings are held four times source of scientific information a year and are open to NCSSA members Administrative Manager: Amanda Stewart Despite the financial headwinds, there has been unanimous agreement that and informed comment on the and the general public. Conservation Programs Manager: Jeff Foulkes the purpose of the Society is not simply to exist, but rather to achieve. biodiversity of South Australia. Nature Advocate: Julia Peacock I commend the boldness and commitment of the staff and the management The meetings usually involve an update One of the primary objectives Conservation Ecologist: Nicki de Preu committee to the Society’s aims and objectives. I would like to thank the of current issues that we are working on, staff, volunteers and management committee for their efforts over the past and any general business of the Society, of the NCSSA is to “foster the Threatened Plant Action Group Program Coordinator: Tim Jury followed by a talk from a guest speaker year. It has been a privilege working with you. conservation of the State’s wildlife Bushland Condition Monitoring Project Officer:Peter Mahoney invited to discuss an environmental topic and natural habitats”, and the Woodland Bird Survey Coordinator: Ali Ben Kahn The coming year looks to be an exciting one for the Society. We have set of current interest. Society has taken action on many Database & Website Project Officer: Lesley Parton aside $20,000 for a survey for night parrots in the Gawler Ranges of South As with past years we have run many Australia. This project brings with it a lot of exciting opportunities and good varied environmental issues since its Other project staff: Robert Bates, Tom Bradley, Chris Butcher, of our meetings in partnership with Sonia Croft, Tim Croft, Tim Milne, Penny Paton, Tim Reynolds and will. the Biology Society of South Australia formation in 1962. (BSSA). Sarah Telfer. Finally, I note the recent passing of Darrell Kraehenbuehl, one of the • Our activities include: MLR Woodland Bird volunteer surveyors: Ali Ben Kahn, Stuart Society’s founding members. Darrell left an indelible mark on botany in Thanks to Michael Stead and the • promoting, protecting and Collard, Sonia Croft, Peter Day, Jody Gates, Grace Hodder, Thomas South Australia. team from BSSA for organising these meetings. managing native habitats Hunt, Chris James, David Paton, Penny Paton, James Plummer, Beatrice Rogers and Rebecca Zanker. • researching and protecting Talk topics over the 2017-18 year were: ReguLaR vOLunteeRs Love, protect and respect, threatened species and their Keith Lloyd (General office support and library), Brian Knill (BCM Cath Kemper from the SA Museum on Michael Stead habitats database), Ben Heyward (BCM manual review) and many others who “Bring out your dead: the challenges of generously contributed their time throughout the year to various studying whales and dolphins in SA”. • advancing the protection, President conservation projects and activities. Lindell Andrews of BiosecuritySA, PIRSA management and strategic on “The management of vertebrate expansion of the state’s reserve incursions in South Australia”. system, and Presentations by 2017 BSSA and NCSSA • educating the community and FUNDING 2017-18 Grant Recipients: all tiers of government about Juliana Silva on the topic “Gorse- NCSSA activities are funded by membership subscriptions, donations, mediated changes in soil during environmental matters bequests, book sales, investment interest, government grants and biological invasion”. external funding agencies that fund many of our conservation projects. Tahlia Perry on “Developing molecular indicators for the health and reproduction Funding bodies for the 2017-18 financial year included: of our iconic Australian echidnas”. Bird Life Australia; City of Adelaide; City of Onkaparinga; Department Adam Toomes on “Cunningham’s skink: for Environment and Water (including NRM Regions of: Adelaide & a threatened social lizard in South EDUCATE Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern & Yorke, and the State Australia”. NRM Community Grants); SA Water; and The University of Adelaide. Night parrot Pezoporus occidentalis Photo: Steve Murphy 2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT NATURE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA NATURE CONSERVATION SOCIETY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA PAGE 4 PAGE 5 National PARKS Australia ADVOCACY Council MEETING As South Australia’s primary nature conservation advocacy organisation, we have an Protected Areas In November 2017, we hosted a three day meeting active interest in the protection and conservation of South Australia’s precious natural The management of protected areas to ensure their natural values are maintained of the National Parks Australia Council (NPAC), resources with a key focus on nationally and state listed threatened plants, animals and continues to be an important priority for us. We provided comments to DEW on draft the national body concerned with protecting and ecological communities, management of protected areas and remnant native vegetation. Management Plans for the following reserves: extending the national reserve system, including national parks. In August 2017, we recruited Julia Peacock to our part-time position of Nature Advocate • Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Regional Reserve that cover a combined area of to continue our advocacy across a wide range of nature conservation issues. Our around 3.6 million hectares including the world’s largest system of parallel sand dunes A common issue discussed at this meeting was Conservation Ecologist, Nicki de Preu, continued one day a week, initially supporting and and one of the largest areas of high quality wilderness left in Australia the push for more nature-based tourism inside our handing over to Julia and then working on a series of position papers on conservation parks. Whilst NPAC supports people connecting • Nullarbor Parks and Yellabinna and Warna Manda Parks - these areas contain some of issues of strategic interest to the Society. In the last year Nicki, Julia and other staff have with nature and recognises that certain visitation the world’s largest intact mallee woodland ecosystems with the Nullarbor Wilderness made the following important contributions: activities can be compatible with conservation, it is Protection Area the largest