Autumn 2013 Newsletter
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BUSH In this issue HERITAGE 3 A place to breathe 4 Around your reserves 6 Fighting feral cats at Charles Darwin Reserve 7 Tag-along to Ethabuka Reserve NEWS 8 From the CEO Autumn 2013 · www.bushheritage.org.au Making it count at Naree It takes a whole lot of planning, Over nine days on the 14,400-hectare “Hopefully, in five or ten preparation and people-power to property, a team of up to 25 dedicated uncover the true potential of any place, conservationists, comprising Bush years, we’ll be able to say, as the upcoming ‘bio-blitz’ at Naree Heritage staff, volunteers, consultants ‘wow, look at the difference Station – our newest property, thanks and traditional landowners, will rise at to our supporters – proves. the crack of dawn every day to carefully all of us have made’.” By Kelly Irving check traps for mammals and reptiles, survey birds and map vegetation. “It’s a funny name for an ecological This crucial inventory – Naree’s first – survey,” says Bush Heritage’s Science will help determine how the reserve will and Monitoring Manager, Dr Jim Radford, be managed and monitored over time. about the ‘bio-blitz’ that’s taking place at Naree Station Reserve in mid-April. “For example, if we find areas where “But essentially, it means that we try threatened marsupials like the kultarr to get as much information about our live then that will influence our fire new reserve as we can, in a really short management,” says Jim, one of the Above: Dr Jim Radford checks a pitfall trap during a amount of time.” leaders of the blitz. “We might not burn similar survey at Boolcoomatta Reserve, SA, in 2010. that area or we’ll exclude it from grazing.” Photograph by Peter Morris Left: Wetlands at Naree Station Reserve Above: Jim with a dusky hopping mouse found at Boolcoomatta Reserve. Photographs by Peter Morris Power to the people What keeps them going every day is the It takes a particular type of person to be promise of what they might find. “Perhaps involved in the planning and production a flock of pied honey eaters or freckled of a bio-blitz. ducks or a shovel-nosed snake; a painted snipe would be tremendous!” says Jim. “I jumped at the chance to work with Bush Heritage,” says Martin Denny, “We just like being out in the bush, getting a consultant who’ll be documenting on our hands and knees looking for stuff. land-dwelling fauna like reptiles, frogs It’s exciting when you get to a new site and small mammals during the blitz. and you start to wonder what you’ll find.” “It’s a magnificent feeling to have that In it for the long term open, clear land to look at. I feel “We all see this as a long-term investment,” freedom out in that sort of country.” says Martin. “We’re motivated because Tips, tricks and traps “Attention to detail and a willingness to we know we’re building a baseline for Dr Jim Radford explains how to do the tedious work are paramount to our Naree’s future.” success,” says Jim. “Monitoring the first catch and record elusive animals “Hopefully, in five or ten years, we’ll be site has to be done to the same exacting like the small and rare kultarr. able to prove there’s been an increase standards as the last. We can’t rush it. 1. Pitfall traps (above) in species. We’ll say, ‘wow, look at Consistency is important so that any “An unbaited hole in the ground that’s the difference all of us – Bush Heritage future comparisons we make are valid.” good for catching ground-dwelling volunteers, staff, partners and our animals like geckos, skinks, dragons supporters – have made’,” Jim adds. A day in the life and dunnarts. A 20cm high wire Early each day, the team will drive off The bio-blitz also plays a valuable role fence directs the critters into the from the homestead in designated in bringing together all the people who pit-fall.” groups of two and three, ready to work have the interests of Naree at heart. 2. Elliot traps on projects related to their skills and “Traditional owners, for example, will be “A small box-trap with a spring experience. Some will sit patiently and able to give us advice on what sorts of door. It’s baited with peanut butter wait in the long grass for wetland birds things we should be looking for and where and oats – an odd bait for small that are difficult to spot, like crakes and we might be best placed to look for them,” carnivorous marsupials but it rails. Others, like Bush Heritage’s Aquatic says Jim. “It’s a process of building trust.” seems to work.” Ecologist Adam Kerezsy, will carefully “This might be the first survey, but it 3. Camera traps clear nets of fish while others, like Martin, certainly won’t be the last,” he adds. “Motion-triggered infrared cameras to will check pit-fall traps for creatures This is thanks to all our supporters who try and catch the kultarr on camera.” like stripe-faced dunnarts, a task that, have made the purchase of Naree possible. according to ethics standards, must 4. Spotlighting be done within two hours of sunrise to Thank you to Chris and Gina Grubb and family “Active searching on foot using minimise stress to captured animals. for their generous support for the purchase of a spotlight. Good to supplement Later, they’ll return to the homestead Naree Station Reserve. with other methods to increase for a home-cooked meal prepared by Thanks to so many of you who have supported our chances of spotting animals.” volunteer camp cooks, before some both the purchase of Naree Station, and the Naree ‘bio-blitz’. If you’d still like to donate Above: Animals like this stripe-faced evening spotlighting (see the box right) to support Jim and his team as they uncover dunnart fall into pitfall traps overnight and then settling in to their tents for Naree’s ecological secrets, you still have time. and rest there until scientists measure the night. www.bushheritage.org.au/donate and release them in the morning. Photograph by Peter Morris 2 Bush Heritage News | Autumn 2013 “My hope is to preserve the immensity of the landscape, and that’s what Bush Heritage is trying to do.” Grietje Croll decided to honour her late husband by leaving a bequest to Bush Heritage in her Will. “He wanted to preserve parts of the bush while he was still alive”. Photograph by Bec Walton A place to breathe As a Dutch-born immigrant, “I was happy to see the area was being Grietje Croll first saw the Australian maintained and the weeds had been Since Grietje first supported bush with fresh eyes – from the comfort taken out.” Bush Heritage... of her new husband’s tent. This was After Bob retired in 1980, the couple took Grietje and Bob have helped to make the start of a lifelong love affair, and to their campervan and experienced much so much possible since they first a shared commitment to help protect of the Australian landscape they were so supported Bush Heritage in 1997. the Australian bush. keen to see protected, including iconic Here’s just a glimpse: When Grietje Croll first arrived in Australia destinations like Kakadu and Carnarvon 1999 Bush Heritage played a from her native Holland, her impression of Gorge. Bob, a botany enthusiast, founding role in Gondwana Link, the Australian landscape was “Wow, this is would identify plants and trees by their a project reconnecting habitat from space”. She had just arrived in the country Latin names, while Grietje took out her the south-west forests of Western to join Bob, an Australian agricultural sketchbook and attempted to capture Australia to the edge of the scientist she had met at a rural sciences the vastness and the atmosphere of the Nullarbor Plain. seminar in her native Holland. They drove landscape – an “impossible, but fun” task. 2001 We purchased our first from Sydney to Melbourne through Bob’s One place that holds special memories beloved “back country”, camping along large-scale property, Carnarvon for Grietje was in South Australia’s mulga Station Reserve. the way. “In Holland we could never be country, where the couple had camped anywhere where we couldn’t hear traffic. in a “magical spot”, far from the road, 2011 We signed a ground Here you could breathe in and breathe out fascinated by the diversity of plants. They breaking ten-year agreement and say, ‘Isn’t it wonderful!’.” Australia had finally decided to pack up and move with the Wunambal Gaambera soon became Grietje’s permanent home. on, and had driven for about 200 metres, people to work together to keep The camping trip is just one of Grietje’s when a plant captured Bob’s attention. their homeland healthy. memories of exploring the bush with her They stopped and got out. “I looked down,” 2012 With the help of supporters husband. When Bob passed away in says Grietje, “and saw the most beautiful like you, we purchased our 35th 2003, Grietje decided to honour him by little piece of jasper, full of different reserve, Naree Station, a remarkable leaving a bequest to Bush Heritage in colours. We said, ‘Let’s camp here and property in the heart of the last her Will. “I know,” says Grietje, “that he have another look around’. And so we did. free-flowing river system of the wanted to preserve parts of the bush This land is full of surprises.