As part of on-going work for the Save our Species Iconic Koala Project we have been working to investigate the status of a potential 'koala hub' in the Bootawa area to the southwest of Taree on the mid-coast of NSW. Field work has confirmed the presence of an active koala source population that is largely mostly restricted to areas of farmland, the adjoining Kiwarrack State Forest being largely empty due to a long history of over exploitation.
The critically endangered Red-lored Whistler is a small bird that occurs in the remaining mallee areas of western NSW. Our work for OEH has thus far involved a review of historical RLW records and available survey data, as well as the design of a survey program based on passive acoustic sampling at regular intervals across remaining areas of habitat which the species is known to utilise. The first formal survey based on our design will occur in the Spring of 2019. Watch this space.....
We are continuing to work with NSW Office of Environment & Heritage (OEH) and the Koala Likelihood Model (KLM) by undertaking additional sampling in cells that currently have little or no information on koalas. To this end we are currently undertaking survey work in the South Pilliga, Warrumbungles National Park and extending into northern parts of Gilgandra Shire. The results to date do not bode well for koala survival in these areas.
In 2012, the NSW Minister for Planning & Infrastructure initiated a review of the application of Environmental Zones (E Zones) and overlays in Local Environmental Plans on the Far North Coast of NSW. Amongst the implications arising from this review was the deferral of proposed land use zonings in some areas.
We often work with other consultancy companies and/or organisations to assist them with the undertaking of various projects. Current collaborations include:
- a long-term study being undertaken by colleague Dr. Mark Fitzgerald. This study uses a BACI (Before, After, Control, Impact) designed monitoring program assessing the potential impacts upon birds of various festival events on the North Byron Parklands at Yelgun.
We have recently completed several local and landscape-scale, connectivity studies intended to better understand and predict the movement needs of koalas across fragmented landscapes.
Morihei Ueshiba (1883 - 1969)
