Weed Wars continue along the Avon River

Over the last year or so Wheatbelt NRM has been mapping and eradicating Bridal Creeper and Small Flower Tamarisk infestations along the Avon River -  and we are now looking to share our new knowledge and useful experiences from these activities with the wider community.

How do you get a handle on invasive weeds growing along a major watercourse?

What do you do when you find a nasty infestation of Bridal Creeper  (Asparagus asparagoides) climbing over your back fence?

Treated Small Flower Tamarisk

 Does the Avon community need to tackle Weeds of National  Significance like Bridal Creeper and Small Flower Tamarisk (Tamarisk parviflora) growing along the Avon River?

 How do you eradicate a Small Flower Tamarisk plant over 5m high and 7m across??

 

 These are just some of the questions that will be answered at the Weed Wars & The Great Escape workshop in York on Saturday 27th April 2013.

This exciting weekend workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to:

• learn up-to-date- techniques for managing Weeds of National Significance (WONS) in the Avon region
• identify Bridal Creper and Small Flower Tamarisk, 
• hear from experienced weed controllers about control efforts undertaken so far along the Avon! 

 

  NEWS FLASH!

Josh Byrne (from ABC TV) will be presenting at this workshop!!  

So come along and hear about how your efforts in your rural town garden can make a difference to the Weed War being waged Along the Avon River!

To find out more please visit the Weed Wars and The Great Escape website and register for the workshop.

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.

Red Card for Foxes in Kellerberrin

A team of landholders from north Kellerberrin has claimed victory in a local feral pest hunt.

 

The Red Card for the Red Fox program aims to coordinate community action for better control of feral foxes, cats and rabbits, and has been underway across the central Wheatbelt during March and April.

The shoot, organised by the Kellerberrin Shire, was held in March and April, over two weekends.

 

Wheatbelt NRM sponsored the Highest Points Trophy and the community BBQ as part of the Caring for Our Country Program. Wheatbelt NRM’s Regional Landcare Facilitator Mick Davis said eight teams competed from around Kellerberrin district.

“Because of the combined effort, 328 foxes were culled along with 22 cats and 72 rabbits,” Mick said. 

The winning team was North Kellerberrin, made up of Andrew Cox (North Kellerberrin), Brian Wilkins (Doodlakine), Bryce Wilkins (North Kellerberrin) and Ben Chandler (South Doodlakine), who tallied 61 foxes and four cats.

“These events are a more effective way of controlling feral animals,” Mick Davis said. "Foxes and cats prey on our native wildlife, which often includes threatened or rare species"

"Without active feral control like the Red Card program, species like the Black-flanked Rock Wallaby, which live in the Kellerberrin District would already be extinct"

Photo by Phil Lewis, WWF

Landholder Ben Chandler from south Doodlakine, who was part of the winning team, said the event helped get more people involved.

“It makes it easy, usually if you go out fox shooting it’s only a couple of hours by yourself,” Ben Chandler said. “But when you have an event like the Red Card program, it gives you a motivation to all get together.

“Otherwise you would never get together and shoot so many foxes.”

If you are interested in becomming involved in the Red Card for the Red Fox program, contact Mick on 0428 969 096 or mdavis@wheatbeltnrm.org.au

Or, visit the Red Card website at  http://www.redcard.net.au/

Skinks - Renovation Rescue!!

Early this afternoon a family of threatened skinks from WA's wheatbelt got an emergency house renovation!

In a collaborative effort, Wheatbelt NRM, WWF Australia, Department of Environment and Conservation Central Wheatbelt District staff and members of the community relocated the family to a safe location nearby.

The skinks were living in a wood pile which was destined for destruction, until a local farmer noticed them living there.

With the help of Wheatbelt NRM's Noongar Budjar Trainee's Judd Davis and Brandon Colbung, Phil Lewis and the rest of the Healthy Bushland team helped dismantle the woodpile and capture the skinks.

'They were pretty lively' said Brandon, who uncovered the first skink 'but we got them all eventually.'

While the skinks' house was being re-located, the reptiles were measured by Natasha Moore from Department of Environment and Conservation Central Wheatbelt District and Dr James Haberfield from Balcatta Vet Hospital, then fitted with microchips to enable the family to be identified in the future.

Monitoring will continue at the new residence to confirm the family are happy in their new location.

'Although the threat to these unique animals is reduced, they still have to contend with cats, foxes and harsh conditions - so ongoing monitoring after the translocation is important' says Mick Davis, Wheatbelt NRM's Regional Landcare Facilitator.

'However, given the fighting spirit (shown in the image below) and stewardship by the local landholder, it is expected the skinks will do well in their new home.'

Find out more about projects to protect and manage western spiny-tailed skinks (funded by Wheatbelt NRM and the Australian Governments Caring For Our Country program) on the WWF-Australia BLOG.

Learn more about Wheatbelt NRM's Biodiversity Program at www.wheatbeltnrm.org.au

Atlas of Living Australia Tool Update

For anyone in Australia wishing to find out more about what plants and animals are in their area, the Atlas of Living Australia Search Tool is an excellent resource.

The Atlas allows registered users to search any place in Australia for details for known records of plants and animals, with detailed species information and links to additional info. All for free!




Above is an example of the output of a search done within a 5km radius of Merredin, WA, showing a total of 236 species of flora and fauna from around 30 different locations, from just this one area.

Users can also query individual records, identify collectors and download a summary file for reference.