Wildlife Corridors workshop February 2020

Basically the workshop presented and discussed the following:

Why do animals need to move?

1.To reach sleeping/resting and feeding/drinking areas
2.To find new feeding places as resources diminish.
3.To find a new territory
4. To migrate north-south between breeding areas and over-wintering areas 5.To find a mate.

Also factors the animal itself would be unaware of:

  1. Insurance against total loss of a species. If the only population is in a patch pf forest that burns, that species is lost to the world.
  2. Genetic diversity

Why the focus on squirrel gliders?

  1. They live in relatively low-altitude, dry forests
  2. Their habitat is not as well conserved as tall mountain forests
  3. They are attractive, and a number of other species share the habitat so will also benefit (thus good Flagship sp.)
  4. We received grants from Scenic Rim Regional Council to conduct surveys of gliders over a couple of years, and this is what originally led to the corridors project

 

What other creatures could benefit?

  • Koala
  • Glossy black cockatoo
  • Grey-crowned babbler
  • Various other birds, mammals and reptiles
  • Native bees Butterflies

Basically all speciesinhabiting lowland eucalyptus woodlands and forests

Some can easily fly, walk or hop between patches. Some need more continuous shelter

Support for the project

  • Scenic Rim branch of Wildlife Qld leading the project
  • Scenic Rim Regional Council has supported many glider surveys and participated in many discussions, land for planting etc.
  • Wildlife Qld (central) has raised $5000 towards equipment, plants, workshops etc.
  • Communities Environment Program (federal government) grant of $10,211 mainly for fencing, also this workshop
  • Other government and NGOs – Main roads, Great Eastern Ranges, Healthy Waterways, WWF, Landcare and others
  • Volunteers – landowners (large and small areas), volunteer workers (planting, aftercare, fencing, surveys)

 

The plan – hubs and corridors

  • Consolidate hubs as great habitat areas, some enhancement where desirable
  • Planting and/or poles in corridor routes (private & government land)
  • Monitoring for our own information on progress, and advice to others

In the hubs:

  • Surveys of gliders and otherwildlife ASAP and as we progress, in at least 2 seasons (preferably 4): morning and evening, on foot and by motion- sensing camera
  • Enhance with additional plantings and nest boxes where appropriate
  • Future surveys to see what is working

Hubs include:

  • Kooralbyn/RoundMountain – RamadaResort, several private landowners very supportive, council land
  • Mont Alford etc. – reserves, supportive landowners, connect with Moogerah Peaks NPs
  • Birnham – ?
  • Duck Creek area – owners of large properties supportive, connect with Lamington NP
  • Maroon area – council reserves, landowners, connect with Mt Barney NP

 

Can you:

  • Offer part of your land for planting?
  • Provide materials (tree guards, nesting boxes etc.)
  • Help with planting, weeding and watering?
  • Help with fencing?
  • Help with surveys?
  • Help with collating information?

Please either