Research Projects: There is an impressive list of projects being undertaken at the moment: birds, aquatic creatures, small mammals, importance of unburnt patches, Chytrid fungus survey of frogs, cinnamon fungus research, impact of sallow wattle infestations. To take just one of the research projects that has been borne out of the 2012 Grampians Bioscan, demonstrating the direct management benefits of our Museum Victoria and Parks Victoria partnership/relationship. It will assist us to understand the re-colonisation of Smoky Mice after a significant disturbance event such as the February 2013 Fire Complex. The research provides us with a unique opportunity to learn and adapt our fire regimes and predator control program to help protect this species. The project is funded by Museum Victoria with in-kind and material support from the Grampians Ark program. There’s some great pictures and further information on:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/mv-blog/may-2013/smoky-mice-in-the-grampians/
Brushtail Rock Wallaby update Autumn health check trapping was suspended as we suspected one of the female wallabies had 'young at foot', which is good news. The female in question is the longest persisting wallaby at the site, hopefully she can pass on behaviours she has learnt at Moora Creek onto her offspring. We are currently using a new fox control trap close to Halls Gap in order to determine if it will be useful to deploy within the Rock-wallaby site. The trap is called a 'collarum' and is a non-lethal neck-hold trap. This trap has several advantages in that it is target specific (should only be triggered by a fox); does not need a toxin (like 1080); and as it captures and holds a fox we would be able to confirm we have removed a fox from the wallaby colony. We have special permission to use these traps from DEPI and are the first to seek permission to use them in Victoria.