NorthernNorthern andand YorkeYorke RegionRegion

Department of BiodiversityBiodiversity BlitzBlitz Environment and Natural Resources VoVollunteer NewsletterNewsletter——EspecialEspecial EditionEdition

Surveys

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Casey Possum

Photo: Pygmy

Message from the Yorke District Staff!

The Innes National Park Biodiversity Blitz provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase the parks rich diversity of plant and life. During the event, volunteers and staff had the opportunity to work side by side to undertake a variety of survey and vegetation management activities and the results were outstanding. Through working together and learning from each other, we were able to take photos of the elusive Western Whipbird, discover active Mallefowl nests, trap tiny Pygmy Possums and identify pairs of Hooded Plovers while enjoying stunning coastal scenery.

I would like to sincerely thank each individual volunteer who attended the Biodiversity Blitz, assisted in the collection of invaluable information on a variety of endangered , and shared with us their stories. A particular highlight for me was seeing a large number children and adults who have had lim‐ ited opportunity to be involved in this type of work, get out and get dirty. I look forward to seeing each of you again in the park, whether it be as a volunteer or visitor enjoying the spectacular scenery, camp‐ ing, surfing or fishing opportunities that Innes National Park has to offer.

Yours Sincerely Justin Holmes District Ranger, Yorke

1 Small Mammals and ……………………….. By David Armstrong

Summary of and mammal records

obtained during the Bio Blitz at Innes NP

9‐14/10/2011

Cole©11

Chad line

Total fall

IB IBB00201 Op IBB00401 IBB00501 IBB00601 IBB00101 IBB00301 Photo: Pit

B0 IBB IBB IBB IBB0 IBB porOpportunistic 01 002 003 004 050 006 tun 01 01 01 01 1 01 e Total COMMON NAME SPECIES NAME Reptiles Ctenophorus Prickly Dragon chapmani 1 1 1 3 Yellow‐faced Whip Demansia psammophis 1 1 Diplodactylus South Coast Gecko calcicolus 2 2 4 Four‐toed Earless Hemiergis peronii 3 1 3 2 9 Southern Four‐toed Slider Lerista dorsalis 1 1 2 Bull Skink multiscutata 4 4 Dwarf Skink Menetia greyi 2 1 3 2 2 1 11 Mallee Snake‐eye Morethia obscura 2 1 3 Eastern Bearded Dragon Pogona barbata 1 1 Common Scaly‐foot Pygopus lepidopodus 1 1 Peninsula Brown Snake inframacula 1 1 2 Sleepy Tiliqua rugosa 1 1 2 43 Mammals Western Pygmy‐ possum Cercartetus concinnus 7 10 3 5 1 3 29 Chocolate Wattled Bat Chalinolobus morio 2 4 6 Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus 2 2 1 5 House Mouse Mus musculus * 3 4 1 4 4 3 19 Rabbit (European Oryctolagus cuniculus Rabbit) * 1 1 Black Rat Rattus rattus * 2 1 3 63 * = feral or introduced species 2 REPTILES Although not possessing the level of reptile diversity of the arid and tropical parts of Australia, the species recorded in Innes NP are significant in that many have restricted and fragmented distributions in coastal areas and off‐shore is‐ lands, existing as a series of isolated populations. The mainland populations of a few are concentrated on lower Yorke and Eyre peninsulas. This is particularly evident for the two large venomous , which are common in the Park, the black form of the Eastern Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus) and the Peninsula Brown Snake (Pseudonaja in‐ framacula), one of which was caught in an Elliot trap during the Bio Blitz. Other species in this category, observed during Bio Blitz were Prickly Dragon (Ctenophorus chapmani), Bull Skink (Liopholis multiscutata) and South Coast Gecko (Diplodactylus calcicolus). This isolation was created by the South Coast Gecko increasing aridity of the Australian continent and associated Photo: Paul Williams rising sea level over the last 10, 000 ‐15,000 years. Previously these and other species would have been present to the edge of the continental shelf and further inland.

Due to cooler weather than usual for the time of year, which restricts or prevents reptile activity, the Bio Blitz observed or trapped only 12 of the 23 reptile species officially recorded for Innes NP. However, this number may soon be increased by sightings of what is most likely Rosenberg’s Goanna (Varanus rosenbergi) reported by park staff. This is most likely the result of fox baiting reducing the numbers of both a predator and competitor of these large .

MAMMALS Most outstanding amongst the mammal records collected was the number of Western Pygmy‐possums in pitfall traps. These accounted for 29 (almost half) of the total of 63 mammals recorded. Of the 29 caught 24 were processed (weighed, sexed and marked) before release. There was a strong bias towards young males, with 19 males weighing from 6 to 10 gm (avg. 8.1 gm) and five females from 7 to 14.5 gm (avg. 10.4gm). Only the largest female at 14.5 gm was carrying pouch young.

None of the 24 pygmy‐possums marked were recaptured, most likely indicating that they are highly mobile, rather than occupying fixed territories. The significant bias towards capture of young males may indicate that as the least critical individuals to the ongoing survival of the population, they are the most mobile, being kept on the move by larger individuals. It seems clear that Western Pygmy‐possums are the only small native partly ground dwelling mammal still existing within the park. Sub‐fossil remains (bones) from owl‐pellets retrieved from coastal caves or blown out sand dunes have provided evidence of the previous oc‐ currence in the area of 15 other mammal species, varying in size from small (mouse sized) rodents to Tam‐ mar Wallabies. Whilst the Tammar has been recently reintroduced, none of the others presently occur on Yorke Peninsula, although almost all still exist in other locations somewhere in Australia.

Pygmy Possum *It is worth noting that no sightings or sign of foxes were Photo: Keith Baseley for Greening Australia, SA reported during the Bio Blitz. 3 3 Bio Blitz from an old volunteer perspective…………. By Jim Scott

Having been on a couple of surveys in the past few years Joan and I thought we could enjoy another look at a part of the state. So we packed our van and set off for a 3 hour journey travelling through the fertile farm land of Yorke Peninsula. On arrival we were met by the smile on Cristina's face and directed to the camping ground just a couple of hundred metres from the Base Camp ‐The hall where most would bed down in virtual comfort with kitchen , hot showers , solid roof and smiling faces. At the first mealtime we were greeted by Caroline who fed us very well for the duration. Food is a great joy these days! On the following morning we were up bright and early for an 8:00 am start which became 9:00 am for the rest of the week. Over the 5 days (we could not make the whole week) we took part in a variety of completely different tasks in order to compile a list of flora and fauna in anticipation of a fuel reduction burn next autumn. Setting trap lines in designated areas and surveying the lines in the mornings, doing bird surveys in the bush, doing searches for hooded plovers on some magnificent beaches, weeding bridal veil infestations under the bushes (with ticks in residence) and learning of the indigenous perspective and history of the area. The trap lines were a familiar job having had the experience from earlier surveys but sometimes one is not prepared for the results. On the first morning we caught a couple of mice and on the third hole the cry went out “Pygmy Possums” and sure enough the captive was a possum with face and tail and whiskers but oh so much smaller than we were expecting. The captured were released at dusk so they were not in the sight of winged predators. Well worth the days effort! The next day was Hooded plovers ‐again not what we were expecting. Supposed to be rare but on every beach a pair had staked a claim whilst on one beach we sighted 9?? The beaches were a test for hikers though the sand being soft even at the waters edge which after a couple of hours tests the legs, the heart and the mind but all well worth the test but most of us chickened when one of the party said “I lost my binoculars” and no‐one breathed for a while. Our admiration of the rangers went up a fair bit when one volunteered to go in search of them, finding them at the extreme end of our survey. In all we were impressed by the sightings of mallee fowl, Tamar wallabies which had been relocated from New Zealand (Thanks for the talk on the project Andy) and proliferation of emu chicks due to the good seasons and fox baiting programs. As well as the fauna, the flora was quite varied and different to our locality. One other day we were taken on a tour of the park by one of the indigenous guides to observe the areas of importance and to be aware of such sites as water points camping sites and culturally important flora as well a learning of the origins before man arrived. Quite an enlightening session for people who had not had previous experience in the local history. Possibly though, the most enjoyable part of the week, was the social interaction between the people. They came from many interesting and various occupations ‐medical students, environmental engineers, rangers, retirees, young children, doctors, retired army veterans, park volunteers members of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – as well as different nationalities, Spanish, Malaysian, Turkish, English, Uzbekistanian, Australian for example and the ages ranged from 73 down to about 3. What a wonderful ,dedicated and enthusiastic group of people who numbered more than 40 in all. Aboriginal Cultural Workshop Photo: Chad Cole©11 A wonderful week full of pleasant memories 4 Life’s a Beach!……………………………………………….. By Deb Furbank

It’s a tough job but someone has to do it! In October staff and volunteers walked the beaches of Innes National Park in search of the Hooded Plover and other beach‐ Hooded Plovers nesting birds. Photo: Keith Baseley for Greening Australia 2011 The beach Photo: Chad Cole©11 assessments were part of the Biodiversity Blitz at Innes National Park. Our main focus was the Hooded Plover (Thinornis rubri‐ collis), currently listed as vulnerable in South Australia. The Hooded Plover is already extinct in Queen‐ sland and there are only 50 birds left in NSW. Our surveys at Innes National Park told a much brighter story! Thirteen beaches were surveyed and Hooded Plovers were counted on ten of the thirteen beaches. An impressive total of 35 were recorded in the park over the week. This exceeded expecta‐ tions!

At each beach, all bird species were identified and counted. For beach nesting birds a threat assessment was conducted and the suitability of habitat was assessed and recorded. The behaviour of each pair of Hooded Plovers was monitored to determine whether they were in the nesting phase.

There was little evidence of nesting although it was already well into the breeding season. Only one empty nest was spotted, with a silver gull close by. The season had been particularly cool and similar reports of delayed nesting were coming from parts of Victoria.

The majority of Hooded Plovers had paired up for the breeding season. Most were foraging in the sea‐ weed at the water’s edge. Some of the Hooded Plovers were demonstrating courting behaviour and at West Cape a volunteer with a very impressive camera photographed a pair mating.

Silver gulls were present on most beaches and were the most consistently recorded threat. Silver Gulls prey on the eggs and chicks of beach‐nesting birds. At Groper Bay there was evidence of a cat with kittens. Footprints and a half eaten cormorant were found, 300 metres from a pair of Hooded Plovers.

It had been a quiet week in the park so there was not a lot of evi‐ dence of human activity. Human activity would be a major threat during the peak holiday season as many of the birds were on popular swimming, surfing and fishing beaches and they can be easily disturbed from the nest.

Other beach nesting birds that were counted in the surveys were the Sooty Oyster‐catcher and the Red‐capped Plover. Other birds that were noted during the survey included an Osprey at West Picking up rubbish on the way Cape, Pied Cormorants, Crested Terns and Ruddy Turnstones. Photo: Keith Baseley for Greening Australia 2011

Seeing so many Hooded Plovers was a pleasant surprise and made for a very rewarding week for everyone who was involved in the surveys. A big thank you to all the5 enthusiastic volunteers who made the beach assessments possible! Vegetation surveys…………………………………………………. By Jean Turner

How many different plant species can you find in a 30m x 30m survey quadrat?

Well that’s a tricky question because it depends on the vegetation type, its location, management his‐ tory and seasonal conditions. But in a large remnant area of coastal mallee habitat at Innes National Park in October 2011, the answer is ….. at least 64!

During the Bio Blitz we studied Coastal Mallee (Eucalyptus diversifolia) /White Coastal Mallee (E. rugosa) woodland at six locations along the fire track north‐west of Inneston. Three of these sites are in an area planned for a prescribed burn; the other three are nearby sites in the area that will remain un‐ burned. If the right conditions occur the prescribed burn will be carried out in autumn 2012.

Our six vegetation surveys will provide DENR with good baseline information to monitor and assess the short‐term and long‐term effects of fire on plant species diversity, vegetation structure and condition in this mallee community.

Each day* teams of four to six volunteers were briefed on the task and headed out with their survey leader – Jean or Deborah – to do a detailed assessment of one site. (Shhh! No‐one ever tells you this before you sign up, but a variety of physical and mental gymnastics and a degree of madness are re‐ quired to do these surveys!).

Using the Biological Survey of South Australia vegetation survey methodology (we measured and marked out the boundaries of the 30m x 30m quadrat, and then searched high and low for every plant species in the 900 m2 area. We also collected and pressed a reference specimen of each new species found; recorded details of the canopy structure; described the life‐stage and abundance of each species and each plant type (tree, shrub, grass, herb, sedge, climber moss and lichen); and measured the height, canopy width, canopy depth and spacing of 10 trees. (See what I mean about madness?). The dried, pressed plant specimens are sent to the SA Herbarium for verification.

Phew! So what did we find?

Overall, we recorded 83 different native plant species and 11 introduced species across the six sites. The number of species at each site varied from 64 at site IBB002 (including 7 introduced species), to 38 at site IBB006 (including 2 introduced species). 6

While the sites varied a bit in their species composition, ten native species were recorded consistently in all six quadrats: Coastal Mallee (Eucalyptus diversifolia ssp. diversifolia), Coastal White Mallee (E. rugosa), Prickly Ground‐berry (Acrotriche patula), Pale Turpentine Bush (Beyeria lechenaultii), Dwarf Hop‐bush (Dodonaea humilis), Coast Velvet‐bush (Lasiopetalum discolor), Rigid Bush‐pea (Pultenaea rigida), Cockies Tongue (Templetonia retusa), Scented Sun‐orchid (Thelymitra megcalyptra) and Native Parsnip (Trachymene pilosa). A further six native species were found in five out of six quadrats, including the se‐ ductively named Love Creeper (Comesperma volubile), the “ugly duckling” daisy Sticky Long‐heads (Podotheca angustifolia), Heath Daisy‐bush (Olearia minor), Native Carrot (Daucus glochidiatus) and good old Dryland Tea‐tree (Melaleuca lanceolata). Deborah and I re‐visited the sites in December 2011 and found a summer‐active perennial native herb, the Tall Lobelia (Lobelia gibbosa), at all six sites.

While we didn’t record any threatened plants during these surveys, we did find some species considered rare or uncommon in the Yorke Peninsula botanical region, including Sticky Boobialla (Myoporum visco‐ sum), Slender Westringia (Westringia eremicola), Yellow Microcybe (Microcybe pauciflora ssp. pauciflora) and the Prickly Bush‐pea (Pultenaea rigida). For the orchid‐nuts, we also found four orchid species, a Mosquito or Gnat Orchid (Acianthus/Cyrtostylis sp. leaves already drying off), a Daddy‐long‐legs (Caladenia sp.) Notched Onion‐orchid (Microtis arenaria) and the pink‐flowered Scented Sun‐orchid (Thelymitra megcalyptra).

More significantly, the vegetation at all six sites was in good condition, with little sign of disturbance and low levels of weed invasion. Most of the introduced weeds recorded are small annual grasses and herbs with low impact on or threat to native species: e.g. Small Hair‐grass (Aira cupaniana), Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) and Rigid Fescue (Catapodium rigidum). However, a few small Bridal Creeper plants (Asparagus asparagoides) were found in two of the quadrats, one in the proposed prescribed burn area.

We had a great time doing these vegetation surveys and with the help of Bio Blitz volunteers we’ve col‐ lected valuable scientifica information to assist the Yorke District Park staff and regional Fire Manage‐ ment team with future management of the area. A sincere “Thank you!” to everyone who helped us dur‐ ing the week – we hope you had as much fun as we did.

* Note:‐ Well it was meant to be every day, but Jean fell ill on Day 2, causing a major re‐shuffle of the work program. Unfortunately this meant that some volunteers who couldn’t stay for the whole week missed out on the veg surveys, and some others ended up with a double‐dose. My apologies – whether you missed out or got worked to the bone, I hope you will join us again on a future vegetation survey.

7 The Friends of Innes NP and the Yorke District Message!

The Friends of Innes National Park (FOINP) and Yorke District Staff where involved thought out the Bio Blitz. Some of the activities that the Friends group and the district staff coordinated were: whip bird monitoring, weed control and heritage trail mainte‐ nance.

The bio blitz gave the FOINP the opportunity to network with other passionate, experienced and very knowledgeable people, and to value‐add to projects that they have been working on. Kids helping on weed control activities. Photo; Rebecca Olarey FOINP are always looking for new members to assist in the groups program and the the bio blitz gave the group the opportunity to showcase their projects and what they do and discuss techniques and experiences with other groups and volunteers. We would welcome the event and members again and thoroughly en‐ joyed the socialising and food.

Moreover, the Yorke District gained valuable assistance in on ground works especially in the control of invasive weeds that are threatening the park “many hands make light work”. It was a great opportunity to see and learn about new technology that is being used in the field to assist in monitoring and data recording.

Thanks from FOINP & Yorke District Staff Photo: Chad Cole©11

After the fire – what will happen?……………………………………...By Jean Turner

The short answer is we don’t know exactly. However, based on extensive research and observation of mallee ecosystems in SA and interstate we can expect prolific re‐sprouting of some native plants, and regeneration of others from seeds. Native fauna will progressively recolonise the burned area, with Pygmy Possums one of the first mammal species likely to take up residence again (as early as one year after fire). Certain birds, invertebrates, bats and reptiles also move in quickly from the adjoining un‐ burned area. And we will probably see one or two plant species that haven’t been recorded for many years.

After the Bio Blitz a quick walk in the March 2011 prescribed burn area along Inneston Fire Track gave us a glimpse of what to expect. Many of the same native plants species recorded at the survey sites are re‐ generating prolifically amongst the standing live mallee trees but also some new ones. Seedlings include 4 different Eucalyptus species, Lasiopetalum discolor, Logania crassifolia, native Pelargonium, Muehlen‐ beckia adpressa, Acacia species and Goodenia varia. The Eucalyptus species and Melaleuca lanceolata also have lush re‐growth from epicormic shoots at the base of their trunks. We also found seedlings of a fire dependent native plant, Apalochlamys spectabilis, which has rarely been recorded on Yorke Penin‐ sula. Called the Showy Firebush, this tall, biennial herbaceous plant germinates after fire, grows up to 2 m tall, flowers and sets seeds in its second year, and then disappears once again into the soil seed bank.

It will be exciting to return and re‐survey the six Bio Blitz sites in spring after the prescribed burn – who knows what we’ll find? 8 Birds ………………………………………………………………………... By Jean Turner

Every morning a group of volunteers got up with the birds – literally ‐ to observe and record the bird spe‐ cies at our six surveys sites. Keith Baseley, an experi‐ enced and passionate bird‐watcher, volunteered to lead the daily surveys at two different sites.

Teams recorded each bird species at the site, the time of observation, whether it was seen or only heard, the number seen, their behaviour and the habitat they were using. The one‐hour surveys were done in a pre‐ determined order which minimised the risk of birds Malleefowl, Photo: Keith Baseley for Greening Australia, SA being chased from one site to the next. Every site was sur‐ veyed twice, on different mornings.

Overall, 28 species of native birds were recorded in these hour‐long surveys of the mallee habitat. The Red Wattlebird, Golden Whistler and Grey Currawong were recorded at all six sites. Other commonly ob‐ served species included the Spotted Pardalote, Purple‐gaped Honeyeater, Australian Raven and Silvereye. Despite evidence of much Emu activity throughout the survey area (the characteristic seed‐encrusted droppings), only one Emu was seen at Site 2. Brush Bronzewings are also common and often flushed from the shrubby undergrowth, but we only recorded one in our surveys.

Some lucky volunteers witnessed more unusual sightings, including a Malleefowl, a group of Varied Sitel‐ las at Site 3, and pairs of Scarlet Robins at Site 3 and Site 5. Only one exotic species, the Common Black‐ bird, was recorded at one site.

The release of nocturnal mammals at capture sites added two night birds to our “opportunistic records” list, the Spotted Nightjar and Tawny Frogmouth. We took great care to ensure the Western Pygmy Pos‐ sums and Chocolate Wattle Bats didn’t end up on the Frogmouth’s menu!

Gordon and Margaret White supplemented the observational surveys with bird call‐recording at selected sites. Their targets were the elusive Western Whipbird and the Bush Stone Curlew. Over five days and nights Gordon and Margaret diligently set up six cassette tape recorders at different locations in the Park, including near Bio Blitz sites. This generated a massive 22.5 hours of tape time, which Gordon has care‐ fully listened to. Unfortunately neither species was captured on tape. Ironically a Western Whipbird called out to them when they retrieved the recorder at Cape Spencer.

Keith had afternoons “off” to do his own thing. Not surprisingly he spent much of that time watching and photographing birds. Kent Treloar joined Keith on a couple of days and they had a fantastic time searching for Western Whipbirds, recording their calls on mobile devices and taking some brilliant photographs. So we now know that Western Whipbirds are still around in In‐ nes National Park, and we reckon Gordon and Margaret well and truly deserve a technology up‐grade to aid their monitoring of this nationally threatened species.

Western Whipbird Photo: Kent Treloar 9 Bats……………………………………………………………….. By Cristina Vicente

As part of the mammal surveys, active and passive bat surveys were undertaken and harp traps were installed on the survey sites To undertake the active and passive surveys, we used Anabat recording equipment. The Anabat system records part of the ultrasonic sound that bats use to echolocate their way around the darkness of their night‐time environment. The device can be used to either actively search for bats using a spotlight, with small PDA computer at‐ tached to the Anabat or to passively record bats over the entire night. Passively recorded calls are stored on a flashcard within the device which is downloaded to a computer using the Analook software. Calls detected during active searches can be downloaded in a similar manner. The Analook software displays the call as a sonogram using frequency plotted against time. Each species of bat has a distinctive call pattern although difficulties do arise. Some bat species’ call frequencies overlap on occasions, depending on what the bat is doing e.g. cruising as opposed to actively pursuing an item of prey, or moving around in clutter ( leaves, branches etc.) compared to open ground. Bats, being social animals also just chatter. To further complicate matters there are often regional variations or dialects in calls of the same species. Hence, depending on the experience of the sur‐ veyor only between 10% and 40% of the calls can be positively identified ( Churchhill 98). The unidentified calls are still useful as they give an indication of total bat activity but not actual bat numbers for the area i.e. the same bat could be the only bat calling. Nevertheless, two species were positively identified during the passive surveys at Innes National Park: Mor‐ mopterus sp or Free Tail Bat (on site 1 on the 11/10/2011) and Nyctophilus geoffroyi or Lesser Long eared bat (on site 2 on the 11/10/2011)

The Lesser Long –eared Bat is widespread and urbanised, this bat is frequently encountered by humans. It is found across Australia, except for coastal Queensland, in a range of habitats from arid to forest agricul‐ tural and urban areas.

Lesser Long‐eared bat Photo: Cristina Vicente Lesser Long‐eared bat Sonogram Recorded during Bio Blitz

The Inland Free‐tail Bats has bicoloured fur on its back with a creamy white base and light brown to light grey brown tips. Inland freetail bats are tree dwelling but also roost in roof cavities and in lengths of water‐ pipe. They are a common species in the more arid parts of Australia, generally associated with open wood‐ land or shrub land and often caught along watercourses. This taxonomic division is currently being revised.

Anabat surveys were supplemented by live trapping using harp traps. Both harp traps and mist nets are used to capture bats, but harp traps seem to be less stressful on the bat and the handler. The Harp trap consists of fine fishing line stretched vertically across a light weight frame and set in a flight path. Fretail Bat Sonogram Recorded during Bio Blitz Once the bat flies into the fishing line it slides down into a canvas pouch which is covered by plastic flaps. The bat climbs be‐ tween the canvas and plastic and simply waits till is collected in the morning. Bats are generally meas‐ ured, identified and released the following evening. Mist netting requires constant monitoring and in‐ midiate removal of individuals and were not used on the survey. Several individuals of Chocolate Wattled Bat—Chalinolobus morio were caught on the harp traps. The Chocolate Wattled Bat is so named for its uniformly rich brown fur. The lobes on the lower lip are not as conspicuous as in the other Wattled bats. These bats live in forest, woodlands, mallee and open plains. In eastern Australia, they occasionally roost in buildings but most roosts are in tree hollows. On the Nullabor Plain and in South West WA, large colonies are found in limestone caves. Females give birth to single or twin young in October/November and the major threats are goannas, hawks, owls, feral cats and loss of tree roosts.

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Cole©11 Chocolate Wattle Bat the Photo: Chad Cole©2011 up Chad

Setting Photo:

A big Thank you to everybody involved………………….. by Cristina Vicente Thank you to BEST members , specially Jim and Joan Scott for their support (like always) and Jo Napper (for helping with the funds administration). Thank you very much to Friends of Innes National Park, specially Margaret and Gordon; for their sup‐ port, collaboration and for their local knowledge! Special thanks to Keith Baseley, Kent Treloar and Nigora Karimova. Thank you very much to Quenten Agius and Caroline Bonnett for the aboriginal workshop and the food. Thank you to the Yorke Peninsula Staff (Justin Holmes, Caroline Paterson, Deb Furbank, Jasmine Swales, Jared Pippos, Van Teubner and more) for inviting us to Innes and for giving us the opportunity to help in “their part of the word”. Thank you as well to the Clare and Adelaide staff that made it possible: Jean Turner, Andy Sharp, David Armstrong, Ben Denison, Roman Urban, Kathryn Mroczek and Liz McTaggart. And thank you to all the volunteers involved with the project. Looking Back to the Beginning………………………………………..by Jean Turner

Innes National Park is a beautiful place. Its native flora and fauna, stunning coastal landscapes and rich cultural heritage attract bush‐walkers, bird‐watchers, field ecologists, university and school groups, campers, surfers and fishers in their thousands. Park staff place a high priority on managing the facilities and infrastructure to ensure that visitors have an enjoyable and safe stay, with minimal impact on the things that attracted them in the first place.

In autumn 2011, regional staff asked the Rangers of Yorke district about their top biodiversity conserva‐ tion priorities in the Park and how we could help achieve them. They wanted to know if Western Whip‐ birds were still in the park and where; how the re‐introduced Tammar Wallaby population was faring; the condition of Park beaches for beach‐nesting birds; and the potential impacts of fire on native flora, native fauna and weeds. They also wanted extra help with some important environmental weed control pro‐ grams.

Brains started storming and by the end of the day the concept of the Innes Biodiversity Blitz was born. We could focus on a designated week to “blitz” the Park, undertaking scientifically‐based surveys and monitoring, with volunteers invited along to help. A wide range of activities could be offered, including night‐time surveys and guest speakers, and running the Blitz in school holidays would give families a chance to join in. Good food, and plenty of it, would keep everybody happy. But would people come, and how would we fund it? Which part of the Park would we concentrate on?

Discussions with regional Fire Management staff highlighted the potential for pre‐and post‐fire biological surveys in coastal mallee habitat. Six Bio Blitz survey sites were chosen with this in mind: three in an area planned for a prescribed burn and three nearby, in the same habitat but outside the proposed burn area. Survey quadrats with permanent photopoint markers ensure the same sites can be re‐surveyed in the fu‐ ture, allowing us to compare and evaluate the fire response of native flora, mammals, reptiles, birds and habitat features over time and build our knowledge of the complex interactions between fire and biodi‐ versity in the Park.

As it turns out, the BEST group applied for funding and hosted the event, DENR staff organised it, Friends of Innes NP jumped on board, volunteers came from far and wide and with a little help from our friends, we completed an exciting range of surveys and other activities – as detailed in this special edition of the Northern and Yorke Volunteer Newsletter.

Biodiversity and . Endangered Species Team

Disclaimer. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Department for Environment and Natural Resources makes no representations and accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the contents. Reference to any company, product or service in this publication should not be taken as a Departmental endorsement of the com- pany, product or service. 12 Northern and Yorke Region Volunteers Newsletter