Wildlife Corridors for the Scenic Rim

Workshop at The Centre, Beaudesert (part of Council building in Main Street)

 Saturday 27th February 2021

See Corridors Workshop February 2021 (download presentation as 5.2mb pdf)

Background

Last year we received a $10,211.00 grant from the federal Community Environment Program to provide free wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs, tree-guards, protective fencing and other assistance with establishing movement corridors between habitat remnants in the valleys of the Scenic Rim. We thank all land-owners who have joined this project, and encourage others to do so. It may involve a few dozen plants to enhance wildlife habitat and provide multiple resources for wildlife moving through your property, or just 4 or 5 trees that gliders can travel between while moving between larger areas of habitat.Our great team of volunteers have been planting trees and shrubs and. erecting tree-guards on a number of properties, as well s joining surveys to find what wildlife is present in the “hubs” and corridors routes.

We had a break from the planting over summer and are ready to start again un March 2021. The part funded  by the grant needs to be completed and a final report submitted to  the government by end of June.

We are thus expecting to be very busy with plantings from March to May. The project itself will continue beyond this

Our current priority areas for planting are:

Habitat remnants ans corridor routes

Who the workshop was for:

• Landowners willing to have wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs planted on their properties (even if just or 5 in strategic places) to facilitate movement of gliders, other small mammals, small birds, lizards and other wildlife between large tracts of remnant habitat (the hubs on our map above)
• Landowners not currently in our priority areas but who would like to be involved in the future.
• Volunteers willing to plant trees and shrubs and join surveys of wildlife
• Council reps
• Tour operators and others in support of the Scenic Rim being classified as an Eco-destinaton
• Anyone else interested in the future of our wildlife (including families)

The workshop  covered:

• Why we need corridors
• A few of the animals that could benefit from corridors or habitat enhancement, and tips on searching for and identifying them
• Where we would like the corridors to be
• What we have achieved so far
• Plans for the next few months
• Plans for the future

Australian Bush Buddies also joined us with a few of the local species that will benefit from wildlife corridors and habitat enhancement: squirrel glider, glossy black cockatoo (very friendly – flew around room landing on people), spotted python and bearded dragon