Regent Honeyeater Project - Securing a Future for a Rare Species
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Regent Honeyeater project - securing a future for a rare species Ray Thomas describes himself as an declined seriously over recent decades. unashamed plant man with a keen Only about 500 - 1000 of these striking Ray has helped secure interest in ecology and genetics of rare birds remain in the wild and there are the Regent Honeyeater’s plants as well as wildlife. This seems just three key habitats left in Victoria. rather counterintuitive for a man The Lurg district, as one of these, future by enthusing 127 who for the last 20 years has become provides essential nectar supplies for local landholders and synonymous with the Regent Honeyeater Regent Honeyeaters when they arrive Project in the Lurg Hills near Benalla. each winter to feed on the flowering over 28,000 community Ironbarks. Ray says his association with the Regent volunteers since 1994. Honeyeater makes a lot of sense. “It is Supported since 1997 by the Norman This ongoing commitment one of the rarest species in need of the Wettenhall Foundation (NWF), the has to date resulted in most urgent help, and it’s an indicator foundation’s trustees continue to species that tells us how the whole consider the project as a model for the planting of more system is faring.” engaging the resources of a community than 500,000 trees, the to achieve a clear environmental The Regent Honeyeater Project is one rehabilitation of 1,450 goal - in this case restoring habitat of the best examples of grassroots, across a regional landscape so as a hectares on farms, and community-driven landscape restoration locally endangered species, the Regent projects in all of Australia. Ray Thomas, the installation of 418 Honeyeater, once more gains the ability the project founder and coordinator has to move through its territory to breed, nest boxes that have worked passionately on this project for feed and survive. all of its 20 years, and is supported by collectively brought 15 a dedicated committee of community Community capacity building is an rare birds back from the members. increasingly important criterion as to brink of local extinction. whether or not a project aimed at saving This well established revegetation project or restoring habitat will have a long- focuses on the Regent Honeyeater, Image: Regent Honeyeater (courtesy Chris term, positive outcome. an endangered bird species that has Tsaros) Celebrating NRM achievements in the Goulburn Broken Even through the dry mid 1990s we mistletoe removal, environmental achieved a 90 per cent strike rate. “We weeding, nest box making/ placement, also run a coordinated rabbit baiting community education, ecological program. On one site given up by a burning with the CFA and wildlife landholder there was a lot of junk to monitoring have been in full swing for be removed from in and around an old the past 20 years. dam. A few volunteers cleared it all The agricultural productivity benefits away and then and we destroyed all the of the projects are numerous with burrows in the dam bank. We were able nectar-rich shrubs like Sweet Bursaria, to get 6,000 plants in the ground in just Tea Trees, Rice Flowers and Everlasting one and a half days because we did not Daisies attracting a range of parasitic have to guard the young trees. wasps and flies that are helpful to “The success is self-evident. Rare birds farmers. These wasps hunt all day for are nesting in our sites and Squirrel insect pests like Cockchafer Grubs and Gliders are using our trees as a corridor Christmas Beetle larvae that destroy the only four years after planting.” roots of pastures. In a natural woodland ecosystem, birds alone can take up to As well as the Regents, the district 60% of insects. supports a host of other vulnerable Studies and monitoring of the project Image: Ray Thomas checks tubestock for woodland birds such as Grey-crowned sites by volunteers and university planting in 2014 Babblers, Painted Honeyeaters, Speckled students are also integral to the project. Warblers, Hooded Robins, and several A current project involves comparing There would seem little point in planting endangered and vulnerable mammals nest box data to draw any correlations tens of thousands of trees and shrubs like Squirrel Gliders and Brush-tailed with vegetation types and landscape without putting in place some form Phascogales. features. of ongoing custodianship of the new landscape. After 150 years of clearing and grazing, Community education work continues remnants of the former Mugga Ironbark with farm visits to talk about the 1500 students from 23 local schools (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) forest are ecological issues that are evident in each provide enormous support for the scattered across the landscape as district, possible habitat protection and propagation and planting each year. narrow strips on roadsides and small enhancement works, and benefits to the Low-risk prisoners from Beechworth are patches on private land. With increasing farmer. Community education work also also involved in the project. fragmentation and grazing pressure, the extends to recruiting and nurturing the The 2013-14 year alone saw 15 km of natural ecological balances of healthy small team of regular local volunteers fencing constructed, 90 ha of habitat bushland have been predominately lost. who work on the project for two or restored, and 36,000 plants established. more days each week. The project aims to protect, restore, Ray says, “It may be a characteristic enlarge and connect the existing Box The project is funded by a mixture from my earlier teaching days but I Ironbark habitat in the Lurg district of of government, corporate and believe in being very thorough in both Victoria as fast as possible in order to charitable partners, including Exetel the planning and preparation. We restore the ecological balances and Pty Ltd, the Norman Wettenhall protect these fragile species. have become very good at the ground Foundation, the June Canavan preparation and the planting. We use The project encompasses more than Foundation, Goulburn-Broken CMA, the students’ tubestock for most of just revegetation. Activities such as Rockwell Collins, Benalla Rural City our planting sites, and direct seeding indigenous seed collection, native (rare) and the Australian Government's to establish understorey in remnants plant propagation, fencing (excluding sites where the existing trees would National Landcare Programme. cattle from habitat sites), direct seeding, outcompete any planted seedlings. Celebrating NRM achievements in the Goulburn Broken.