Wildlife Corridors Workshop 2019

Even insects, like this pollinating native bee, need corridors

Even insects, like this pollinating native bee, need corridors

Where: Kooralbyn (Ramada Resort, Kooralbyn)

Saturday 3rd August

Keynote speaker: Prof Ross Goldingay

Many thanks to our sponsor and host Ramada Resort Kooralbyn

Background

The first theme we chose for the Scenic Rim branch of Wildlife Queensland some years ago was “Wildlife Needs to Move.” Some need to move seasonal, others nomadically following flowers, fruits, fish or other resources, others occasionally if severe drought, fire or other disaster make their home range unliveable. Young animals need to move out into new territories. If movements are restricted populations can become inbred, with a rise of deleterious genes making their persistence into the future less likely.

See https://scenicrim.wildlife.org.au/wildlife/wildlife-corridors/ for details

We have also spent a couple of years looking at the distribution of gliders in the Scenic Rim, especially squirrel gliders, since they are dependant on low-altitude open forests which are not as well protected as the tall dense forests preferred by other glider species.

sq_glider_Jimboomba

See https://scenicrim.wildlife.org.au/projects/gliders-of-the-scenic-rim-an-on-going-study/what-the-glider-study-is-all-about/ for some background on this, and related pages for results of some of our surveys.

We now have funding for the establishment of wildlife corridors for gliders, thanks both to the Scenic Rim Regional Council and a special fund-raising effort by the central branch of Wildlife Queensland.

Corridors for gliders can also be modified for other species, from koalas and turtles to bees and butterflies.

Keynote speaker:  Prof Ross Goldingay of Southern Cross University, expert on gliders and the use of glider poles

 

Program

9.30am Welcome and overview of project

9.40am Why animals (and plants) need to move

9.45am Overview of wildlife of the Scenic Rim and their movement needs

10.00am Glider corridors and the use of glider poles – Prof Ross Goldingay

10.30am  Morning tea

11.00am Current plans for glider corridors in the scenic Rim

11.15am Corridors for other mammals, birds and lizards

11.25am Success of a wildlife corridor on Tamborine Mountain and the value of Landcare. Robin Rowland, Cedar Creek Glow Worms

11.40am Nesting boxes and carved hollows – Cara Parsons, post-grad, Griffith University

11.55 pm Lunch

12.50pm Corridors for frogs and turtles – what do we need to know?

1.05pm Corridors for plants via seed dispersers and pollinators

1.25pm Corridors for butterflies

1.35pm Corridors for native bees – Alexandra Griffiths, Little Bees Secret Garden, Canungra

1.50pm General discussion – what is needed in the Scenic Rim to ensure movements of our native species?

2.20pm Afternoon tea

2.40pm The importance of monitoring and how to do it

2.50pm General discussion – continuation

3.20pm Where to from here?  Plans for surveys, mapping of routes, monitoring, planting, poles, nest boxes, other shelters, aftercare of plants, collaborations between organisations, need for volunteers etc.

4.30pm Close

A scene in Kooralbyn. We still have quite a lot of habitat in the Scenic Rim. How do we keep it that way and fill gaps needed for wildlife corridors?

 

Report on workshop – coming soon!

Why animals (and plants) need to move

x

Overview of wildlife of the Scenic Rim and their movement needs

x

Glider corridors and the use of glider poles – Prof Ross Goldingay

x

Current plans for glider corridors in the scenic Rim

x

Corridors for other mammals, birds and lizards

x

Success of a wildlife corridor on Tamborine Mountain and the value of Landcare.

Robin Rowland, Cedar Creek Glow Worms

x

Nesting boxes and carved hollows

Cara Parsons, post-grad, Griffith University

x

Corridors for frogs and turtles – what do we need to know?

x

Corridors for plants via seed dispersers and pollinators

x

 

Corridors for butterflies

x

 

Corridors for native bees

Alexandra Griffiths, Little Bees Secret Garden, Canungra

x

General discussion – what is needed in the Scenic Rim to ensure movements of our native species?

x

The importance of monitoring and how to do it

x

General discussion –  Where to from here?

Plans for surveys, mapping of routes, monitoring, planting, poles, nest boxes, other shelters, aftercare of plants, collaborations between organisations, need for volunteers etc.