Australian Species Threatened 2007

Protecting places, protecting species

Australia’s landscapes and species have been severely impacted The Threatened Species Network (TSN) is a community-based by over 200 years of habitat loss and fragmentation. The impacts program of the Australian Government and WWF-Australia. For of land development, introduced plants and animals, grazing, 17 years TSN has worked with a range of community groups to salinity, changed fire regimes, pollution, and a changing climate protect and manage threatened species and their habitats. The all place additional pressure on our threatened species and their communities engaged by TSN include Indigenous communities, contracting habitats. through developing knowledge and implementing management practices on Indigenous Protected Areas, and private landholders, Well managed protected areas provide our threatened species through establishing covenants on private land. and ecosystems with important refuges from many of these threats. Prior to 1997, almost all protected areas in Australia’s National Threatened Species Network Community Grants have funded Reserve System (NRS) were owned and run by governments. over 330 projects, totalling $4.5 million throughout Australia Non-government conservation organisations, community groups, over nine grant rounds. These grants have funded projects private landholders and Traditional Owners are now contributing in Indigenous Protected Areas such as Watarru, Walalkara, substantially to the growth of the NRS, in one of the world’s great Dhimurru, Ngaanyatjarra, Anindilyakwa, the Northern Tanami environmental partnerships. Two-thirds of all growth in the NRS in and the Great Sandy Desert. In addition, funding has also the last decade was in Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs). supported the conservation efforts of landholders to ensure the protection of critical habitat for threatened species. Threatened The combined effort of all sectors is urgently needed to better Species Network Community Grant funding has been provided to protect Australia’s diverse native ecosystems and key fauna high priority regions such as the South Australian Murray-Darling habitats, and also to improve the ecological connectivity of basin, South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, Queensland’s Brigalow protected areas in the broader landscape. This is fundamental Belt and Victoria’s Gippsland Plains. to building a network of protected areas strong enough to buffer our native animals and plants against current threats and the compounding stresses of a rapidly changing climate. The growth of the NRS is highly strategic, and governed by targets agreed to in 2005 by the Australian, state and territory governments to conserve examples of our unique landscapes, plants and animals for future generations.

The wandering warrarna — Great Desert skink. © Daniel Hanisch Communities protecting places for species

Monitoring our marine friends Ningaloo Marine Park is a multi-use marine park that allows for recreational, commercial, passive and extractive activities. Ningaloo is also the nesting ground for at least four species of marine turtles, all of which are threatened. A TSN Community Grant allowed the Cape Conservation Group, the WA Department of Environment and Conservation, Murdoch University and WWF-Australia to establish an ongoing turtle monitoring program involving the participation of local volunteers and the identification of significant turtle nesting sites. Volunteers continue to monitor the turtles every nesting season. Monitoring our marine friends — Loggerhead turtle. © WWF

Saving our desert friends The Watarru Indigenous Protected Area (IPA), on Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, is a biologically significant area containing one of the highest diversities of reptile species found anywhere in the world, and populations of other threatened species such as malleefowl. This TSN Community Grant-funded project incorporated on- ground work using a combination of contemporary and traditional ecological knowledge, and the implementation of traditional land management practices.

Collaborating for some special species Landholders, land managers, government agencies and community groups have been working to protect threatened plant species on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. A TSN Community Grant helped to implement urgent recovery actions including surveying for new populations, monitoring known populations, weed control, stock proof fencing, rabbit and snail control and seed collection. A covenant has been secured over four hectares of private land, protecting it in perpetuity, and two new community groups have been formed to undertake future conservation activities.

Collaborating for some special species — Hop bush. © TPAG The wandering warrarna Tangentyere Council Inc, in partnership with the Central Land Council and Birds Australia and with the assistance of a TSN Community Grant, examined the distribution and abundance of Great Desert skink (warrarna) in relation to the fire history of the area. Nyirripi school students participated in the surveys where they learned Traditional Knowledge about the warrarna from Aboriginal elders. Information from this project has informed a fire management plan for nearby Newhaven Reserve (a National Reserve System property owned by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy) to implement appropriate patch-burning for great desert skinks. This plan has also been assisted by TSN Community Grant funding. p r o t e ct i n g p l a c e s , p r o t e ct i n g sp e c i e s Communities protecting places for species

Corridors for cassowaries Establishing a wildlife corridor along Peterson Creek to connect Lake Eacham National Park and the endangered ecosystem of Mabi rainforest at Curtin Fig Tree National Park, has been a major ongoing project for community group TREAT. Revegetating corridors between protected areas is a vital contribution that private landholders can make to the conservation of threatened ecosystems and species, such as Mabi forest and the southern cassowary. A TSN Community Grant allowed the group to repair gaps in the corridor left by tree loss due to frost or drought, allowing the canopy to close faster and become more resilient to weed invasion. TREAT members regularly monitor revegetated sites for seedling growth and species abundance in the forest. Corridors for cassowaries. © Kathy Howard

Restoring a woodland wonderland Cowra Woodland Birds Program, initiated by local landholders and Birds Australia, involves volunteer birdwatchers in several projects. The projects aim to reverse the decline of woodland birds by creating a large sustainable habitat mosaic on both private and common lands in the Cowra region. A TSN Community Grant provided funds for fencing and planting 5000 trees on three properties. Data from regular bird surveys is being analysed to provide advice on the management of woodland remnants for bird conservation. In a region where up to 90 per cent of the native vegetation has been cleared, this project highlights the importance of protecting remnant and replanted habitat on a variety of land tenures, if our woodland bird species are not to be lost forever.

Protection and partnerships Restoring a woodland wonderland — Superb parrot. © K. Vang & W. Dabrowka A TSN Community Grant provided funding for landholders John and Diane to fence off a 3.6 hectare basalt grassland remnant at Brighton in southern Tasmania. The remnant contains the threatened Austrodanthonia popinensis and 10 other state listed threatened plant species. The landholders subsequently donated the land to the NRS, Purchasing for protection thereby effectively expanding a public reserve bordering their property. Trust for Nature actively works to acquire and covenant private properties for conservation throughout Victoria. The purchase for Protection and partnerships — TSN Project. © Peter McGlone the NRS of three properties where populations of dwarf kerrawang plants survive made Trust for Nature one of the major landholders responsible for the survival of this species. A TSN Community Grant allowed restoration works for over 20 hectares of degraded habitat on Trust for Nature’s Bush Family Reserve. Volunteers undertook on-ground work including fencing, seed collection, propagation, planting and monitoring. This has contributed to a significant increase in the dwarf kerrawang population, and the return of sedges and rushes across the wetlands. p r o t e ct i n g p l a c e s , p r o t e ct i n g sp e c i e s

Community group working towards habitat restoration. © FoWST What is a protected area? The World Conservation Union (IUCN) defines a protected Union Protected Area Management Categories. The land area as: “An area of land (and/or sea) especially dedicated must be conserved forever, with effective legal means to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and guaranteeing its perpetual conservation. It must contribute to of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed the ‘comprehensiveness, representativeness and adequacy’ of through legal or other effective means”. the NRS — in other words it must meet certain scientific criteria Protected areas in Australia include national parks, nature and strategically enhance the protected area network. reserves, wilderness parks, marine reserves, crown reserves, and non-government managed reserves such as private How you can help conservancies, private lands with perpetual covenants and ● If you are a private landholder wishing to protect land for Indigenous Protected Areas. conservation, placing a covenant over land or bequesting the land to an eligible conservation organisation will ensure The National Reserve System the land is protected for future generations. ● Remove all potential or known weeds from your backyard The National Reserve System (NRS) is Australia’s network to ensure they do not jump the backyard fence and invade of protected areas, conserving examples of our unique local reserves. landscapes, plants and animals for future generations. It is the ● Contact your local nursery or community group for a list nation’s natural safety net against our biggest environmental of potential weeds and alternative non-invasive plants, challenges. The NRS is an international achievement — a great particularly native species, to put in your garden. environmental partnership between all levels of government, Indigenous landowners, conservation NGOs, community ● Get involved in protecting your local protected area. Ask your local Council, Bushcare or Landcare or community associations and private landholders. conservation group for volunteer opportunities. To accelerate the conservation effort, in 1997 the Australian ● Recognise that protected areas are special places and Government established the National Reserve System minimise your impact while enjoying them. Programme, with funding to help partners to buy, establish and maintain land for reserves. With almost 9000 protected areas You can find out more information about protecting private covering over 88 million hectares, more than 11 per cent of property by contacting your state TSN Coordinator, visiting Australia’s land mass is now included in the NRS. www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/incentives/covenants. html, www.wwf.org.au/tsn or by contacting the Department of Land included in the NRS must meet ‘protected area’ criteria. the Environment and Water Resources Community Information That is, it must be dedicated for the primary purpose of Unit, email [email protected], or freecall 1800 803 772. protection and maintenance of biological diversity and be able to be classified into one of six World Conservation

References Visit www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/ts-day/index.html

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