A GREATER REFUGE FOR GLIDERS MARCH 2020 NO 280 GOVERNMENT LATE FOR IMPORTANT DATE MOUNT COLE STILL ON CHOPPING BLOCK LIVING WITH FIRE NEW PARK FOR THE BASS COAST COMMUNITIES LISTENING FOR NATURE SPECIAL SPECIES: WHITE MANGROVE Be part of nature PRESIDENT Bruce McGregor CONTENTS DIRECTOR Matt Ruchel Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, VIC 3053 3 From the President ABN 34 217 717 593 Telephone: (03) 9341 6500 4 Updates Email: [email protected] Web: www.vnpa.org.au 5-7 A greater refuge for gliders OUR VISION 8 Andrews Government late The Victorian National Parks Association vision is to ensure for an important date Victoria is a place with a diverse and healthy natural environment 9-10 Mount Cole still on the chopping block that is protected, respected and enjoyed by all. Everyone can help in the conservation of Victoria’s wild and beautiful places. To find out how you can help, visit 11-20 LIVING WITH FIRE FEATURE www.vnpa.org.au/support or call us on (03) 9341 6500. 12-13 This summer’s fire EDITOR Meg Sobey 14-16 The next fire PUBLISHING POLICY All advertisements should be compatible with 17 Initial response must be sustained VNPA policies. Publication of an advertisement 18-19 Save or salvage does not imply endorsement by the VNPA Inc. of the advertised product or service. The VNPA reserves 20 Reporting for recovery the right to refuse any advertisement at any time. Park Watch may be quoted without permission 21 Quiz provided that acknowledgement is made. The opinions of contributors are not necessarily 22 Toward the finish line? those of the VNPA Inc. 23 Future of our seas and shores GUIDELINES FOR CONTRIBUTORS You’re always welcome to contact the 24 Follow the money, not the promises editor to discuss ideas for articles. 24 Project Hindmarsh – save the date Phone the VNPA or email [email protected] 25 The Great Obfuscation Road COPY DEADLINE for June 2020 Park Watch is 17 April 2020. 26-27 All about that Bass DESIGN South Star Design PRINTING Adams Print 28-31 Sing Out! FRONT COVER 32 A rare gem The furry eared, fuzzy tailed Greater Glider. Read about these loveable creatures and 33 Tribute: Diana Snape their important forest refuges on pages 5–7. Photo by Josh Bowell. 34-35 In Parks: Lower Goulburn National Park Park Watch Park Watch ISSN 1324-4361 is printed on 36-37 Special Species: White Mangrove Authorised by Matt Ruchel, Executive Director, FSC certified paper. 38 Quiz Answers Victorian National Parks Association. Level 3, 60 Leicester St, Carlton, VIC 3053. 39 Wild Families: Rockpooling! 2 PARK WATCH • MARCH 2020 NO 280 VNPA is most concerned about the plants and animals. Indeed, most impact of repeated fires and attempts tourists to Australia come here to see our by the self-interested logging industry landscapes and nature. to ‘salvage log’ burnt areas. ‘Salvage It was difficult for everyone to have a logging’ requires large heavy machinery, relaxing holiday season with the extreme which results in damaging fragile weather and fires. My family “accidently” soils, compressing soils, causing ruts escaped the weather while visiting and channels which increase water family in Kentucky USA, in below zero erosion, sediment flows to rivers and conditions. The stress was there however, leach nutrients. as the VicEmergency app showed fires Yet burnt trees provide important threatening, but fortunately missing, our habitat. Most eucalypts are not killed by family’s rural hideaway. the fires and quickly regrow from shoots The fires highlight the important role protected by their thick bark. I first learnt that VNPA plays in advocating for nature From the President this after the Gariwerd/Grampian fires protection, better policies, better funding in 1960 as a small boy watching the and ecological management. We thank We live in challenging times, and the shoots emerging from the blackened our members, supporters, and the funding impact of COVID-19 and the landscape- bark. Salvage logging can effectively bodies who support our work. scale fires create a new sense of urgency fragment the forest, causing further to protect the bush for the future. ecological disruption. Read our full coverage of the fires in this Park Watch’s feature ‘Living with fire’ At the end of 2019 and the beginning of The impact on birds and animals has pages 11–20). PW 2020, Victoria experienced catastrophic been severe and Victorians – and others • bushfires over more than 1.5 million across the world – have generously Bruce McGregor, VNPA President hectares, or in Victorian speak, 660,000 donated to help rescue injured, isolated times the area of the MCG. Many and starving wildlife. Our family friend national parks were burnt, and in some at Mallacoota, former ranger and long- cases large forests were completely term ornithologist Bob Semmens said Coronovirus (COVID-19) update burnt-out. Over 100 species of animal are that he counted over 30 species of birds Still reeling from the devastating fires, we at serious risk of extinction. Fortunately, washed up along the ocean beach. now face the coronavirus pandemic. Our damage to property and people was far In the days after the fires, Lyrebirds, thoughts are with you, your families and less than might have been expected. We normally lurking in the darker wetter communities, and I hope you can take extend our condolences to those who forest, were seen scrounging around the some solace in these uncertain times lost family, friends and homes, and thank lawns on the edge of the town. by safely visiting your favourite place in all those who worked on minimising the The Victorian Government is to be nature. extent of the damage. commended for quickly allocating We want to reassure you that the safety Large fires are to be expected in areas $17.5 million for threatened species. and health of our members, volunteers, experiencing very dry conditions. Significantly more funding will be participants, supporters and staff are our The impact of climate change, a needed, however. And this should be first priority, and that we are following the warmer Tasman Sea, and very hot, seen in light of other expenditure – the advice of health experts and government. strong winds resulted in large parts state government recently gave $30 VNPA is putting in place measures to of eastern Victoria, New South Wales, million to increase prize money at the minimise the exposure of our people and Kangaroo Island in South Australia Spring Racing Carnival. The catastrophic to the virus while continuing our work being burnt over many weeks. Much of fires highlight the critical need to properly protecting nature across the state. We are southern Victoria experienced severe fund species recovery plans. Too many postponing or cancelling events, meetings atmospheric pollution, and it would species have no plan, and plans that and activities, including bushwalking have been near-suffocating in the fire- exist are often out of date and many activities we had planned from now until impacted areas. plans are never implemented. More staff the end of June 2020. But we will look for and more operating funds are needed. It Most, but not all, of Victoria’s opportunities to encourage people to enjoy is time the budget office stopped playing ecosystems need fire to function – but nature safely. See enclosed insert or visit games with the Victorian environment. at appropriate ecological intervals. Too vnpa.org.au/covid-19 If the government was in any doubt frequent fire or complete burning of We are all uncertain about the future right about the public feeling on this matter, an ecosystem is not sustainable, and now, and like you, I hope the impact of the they need to look no further than the results in long-term changes in the coronavirus doesn’t last too long. massive level of donations, engagement structure and function of an ecosystem, and volunteering which is going on to But no matter how long this crisis lasts, with some becoming extinct. This help wildlife. the reality is that it is now more important summer, many areas which have been than ever to stand up for national parks burnt in the past ten years were burnt Australians have been warned for and all the nature they support. again. This is not good for nature. decades about the risks associated Hazard reduction burning in recent years with hotter summers, climate change With that in mind, we hope that the did little to reduce the severity of the and extreme weather. Our governments VNPA community will continue to give recent fires. Chief Fire Officers all agree need to focus on their legislated generously throughout the current crisis to protect Victoria’s nature. that hazard reduction is not the panacea responsibilities of protection of our promoted by some sections of society. unique, endangered and important PARK WATCH • MARCH 2020 NO 280 3 UPDATES Nature for Life Rally! New staff join the team We are so pleased to welcome several new staff to VNPA team. They are: • Jordan Crook, Nature Conservation Campaigner, is working on forest and grassland protection. • Emily Cork is our new Administrative Assistant, you may speak to her next time you call the VNPA office. • John Kotsiaris, Nature Conservation Campaigner, is working on fire policy. • Jessie Borrelle, Digital Campaigner, has been focusing on communications for our campaign to create new national parks in central west Victoria. • Kristen Agosta, NatureWatch Project Officer, is helping out with our camera monitoring and stagwatching projects. We are very grateful to the donors and philanthropic organisations who have helped ensure we have extra staff at a time when nature in Victoria especially needs our efforts.