Camera Trapping Colloquium

Are you one of the many people in the WA wheatbelt using a remote camera for wildlife management?

If so, the very first International Camera Trapping Colloquium might be just for you!

The Australasian Wildlife Management Society in collaboration with the Invasive Animals CRC and partners are hosting the Camera Trapping in Wildlife Management and Research Colloquium at the ANZ Lecture Theatre, Taronga Zoo, Sydney Australia, 13-14 September 2012.

A Chudich in eucalyptus woodland habitat, Beverley WA. Mike Griffiths & Phil Lewis WWF

The event is aimed at showcasing camera trapping technology and bringing together researchers and field ecologists to increase learning potentials.

Recent reserach applications for remote cameras will be investigated and tested during the Colloquium, which is good news for many wheatbelt species currently being monitored.

Populations of Black-flanked Rock Wallabies, Western Spiny-tailed Skinks and Malleefowl are being monitored by the community through Wheatbelt NRM's Healthy Bushland project.

Two WA people working in the region with remote cameras are presenting material at the Colloquium, WWF's Mike Griffiths (working with Phil Lewis on Citizen Science) and Murdoch University's Caron Macneall (on monitoring wildife allong corridors in the wheatbelt).

We wish Mike and Caron well over in Sydney and look forward to hearing more about camera trapping into the future.

If you want more info on camera trapping, check out new research findings at out 'Reports and Publications' page.

WA Herbarium now open for business again

The Western Australian Herbarium has finally relocated all its facilities to the new $30 million WA Conservation Science Centre in Kensington, with most services restarted on 3rd August 2012. 

The WA Conservation Science Centre in Kensington

 
Most of the essential services that closed during the move are now operational again, these include:

• Additions and updates to names on the Census of WA Plant Names;
• Additions and updates to specimen data on the Herbarium’s specimen database WAHerb;
• Related content that relies on the specimen database is now being updated, for example distribution maps;
• FloraBase feedback forms.

Not all services are online yet, but this is a big step in the right direction for anyone in the Wheatbelt (or the rest of WA) who want's to get back to the Herbarium to lodge plants, volunteer or find out their plant ID's.

For a map of the new premises visit the DEC website.

If you are keen to utlise the Herbarium in your next community project, contact one of Wheatbelt NRM's Regional Landcare Facilitators, Mick Davis, on mdavis@wheatbetlnrm.org.au or Jo Wheeler on jwheeler@wheatbeltnrm.org.au

2012 Korrelocking BioBlitz!

This year Wheatbelt NRM is organising a BioBlitz in the Korrelocking Townsite, 230km east of Perth, to raise awareness of the need for increased management of remnant vegetation across the Western Australia's Wheatbelt.

The aim of the BioBlitz is to identify as many species as possible in a 24hr period (between 1pm Sat 22nd & 1pm Sun 23rd September 2012) and have fun while we're doing it!

Participants at the 2003 Moningarin BioBlitz

Spring in Korrelocking presents a chance to observe a diverse and functional ecosystem in action - a chance to appreciate the resilience of natural ecosystems to current practices.

After lunch on Sunday we will tally the lists and announce the total number of species that are found - then we begin the process of planning with the community how they wish to manage the bushland into the future.

So join us and experience your own wheatbelt adventure - visit  the Wheatbelt NRM website for additional camping and registration information.