Articles – Page 59 – Friends of Grampians Gariwerd

GRAMPIANS ARK, FOX PREY RESPONSE MONITORING (SPRING 2008 – 2009)

Mike Stevens

Introduction
Small mammal trapping in the Grampians National Park has been conducted through Parks Victoria’s Fox Adaptive Experimental Management (Fox AEM) project since spring 2003. The Fox AEM program ceased in 2007 with a comprehensive review of Grampians data provided by Robley et al. (2008). The Victorian Governments is funding $1.3 million over four years (2008 to 2012) for the Grampians National Park to extend the Grampians Fox AEM as “Grampians Ark” joining the flagship state-wide fox baiting initiatives. The Grampians Ark is committed to continue prey response monitoring in attempts to quantify the benefit to biodiversity of landscape-scale fox poison baiting.
Spring 2003, 2004, 2005 displayed promising prey response results (Robley and Wright 2006).
However, in January 2006 a severe landscape-scale wildfire burnt almost half of the Grampians National Park including five of the seven long term study sites established as part of the Fox AEM program. … Read the rest

KOALAS IN THE PARK April 2010

Mike Stevens

Many people have been asking FOGG’s where have all the Koalas gone and why Koalas are not being released into the Grampians after the 2006 wildfire. We asked Mike Stevens to provide us with some background.

Koalas are considered a single species. However, various forms have been proposed with a northern (Queensland), southern (Victoria) and central (NSW) form with northern animals generally smaller with less fur than the southern animals yet with no genetic differentiation. The Koala is a non-threatened taxa which was unsuccessful in its nomination for national threatened species status and are not listed of conservation concern in Victoria as the species is widely distributed, not under direct and immediate conservation threat and has large population estimates.

However, there are many threats to the species such as vehicle collision, habitat fragmentation, predation and wildfire that can impact vulnerable populations. Additionally, there are certain areas nationally such … Read the rest

BRUSH TAILED ROCK WALLABIES UPDATE April 2010

Emily Bedggood

2010 is looking like an optimistic year for the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby program. There have been no deaths found since November 2009. One of the un-collared animals has been found through scat analysis which tests for DNA. This makes us more confident that the other 2 un-collared animals are still there even though they haven’t been photographed for 6 months.

We have just finished helping an honours student from the University of Adelaide undertaking a study looking at individual animal’s home range structure and their movements after release. Jenny Proctor has been doing extensive radio tracking with the help from Conservation Volunteers Australia, Parks Victoria and the Department of Sustainability and Environment. She is due to finish her project and submit a thesis mid year which should show some interesting results.

At the moment breeding is our biggest hurdle. So far we have found no evidence of reproduction … Read the rest

ACTIVITY REPORTS April 2010

Our annual Ptilotus erubescens count had to be delayed due to the very high temperatures in January. It was not until 6th February that 14 of us made it. Some flowers were finished, so our count may well be lower than it should be. Even so, we counted a record number of flower heads 6,952. The total in our 3 large protected zones (exclude rabbits, exclude kangaroos, exclude all) was 3,546. The highest previous total was 2,232 in 2008. The lowest was 452 in 2007. The figures seem to correlate with rainfall, particularly summer rainfall. Stan has more details. Leigh took photos which should be up on the website soon.
The March picnic was held on a perfect evening, but too many of us had other commitments, so only three members enjoyed an evening on Moora Moora. They reported concerns about the return of semi-permanent camps in the area discouraging … Read the rest

VOLUNTEER ROOM NEWS April 2010

Our room is now furnished with large desk, computer, printer, bookshelves, map-file for posters etc. We have inherited several herbarium collections, two of which need classifying. We still need to have a rail for hanging posters etc, a portable hard disk for photos etc, more storage boxes and so on. We really need a working bee to work out what to keep and how.… Read the rest

A LETTER FROM SYLVIA VAN DER PEET

(Sylvia was our contact ranger, not yet replaced and greatly missed)

On the beach

As Frank and I sit here looking out at the surf crashing on the beach below it is certainly a very different outlook from what we are used to seeing. The view from our lounge room window in Halls Gap usually contained Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Red-neck Wallabies and Emus against a backdrop of the Mt Difficult Range. Here we have King Parrots, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos, Crimson Rosellas, and of course Sulphur-crested Cockatoos along with numerous seabirds against a backdrop of the sea.
Of course that’s not the only difference as with the new role in Apollo Bay I spend a lot more time on the computer and not nearly so much time out in the bush, but then nothing is perfect. I do miss the flora surveys with the Threatened Species Group, and Pauline from DSE … Read the rest

ADVISORY GROUP REPORT April 2010

The AG met on 2 March. We discussed Code Red days, the proposed long distance walk, other group walks and plans for a bike riding workshop, were updated on the Brush-tailed Rock wallabies and monitoring of other small mammals, fox control (33 foxes trapped since Christmas, in addition to those killed by baits), met two new staff (Andrew Roach Team leader Visitor Services, and his partner Jacinta who will be working for DSE out of the Halls Gap office). However the bulk of our time was spent discussing a strategy for bush camping. How do we ensure that bush camping in vulnerable areas is restricted so that it doesn’t damage the park values? And how do we do this without alienating the camping community? There are at least 275 identifiable informal camp sites, many of them in inappropriate areas or of inappropriate size.
Our next meeting is a visit to … Read the rest

FOGG COMMITTEE REPORTS April 2010

Meeting held at NP 15/1/10 with Graham Parkes and Prue Daley,and subsequent discussions on 6/2/10 at Cooinda Burrong.

1. Query: How can we find out what research projects are being conducted. FOGG would be interested in procuring any information available in order to arrange for speakers on research matters. Being aware of projects in the pipe-line also helps our group to know what is going on. Answer: Research projects are co-ordinated in Melbourne. There is no formal list of projects, however researchers do need local permits so we will enquire from Mike or Tom as to what students/research may be coming up in the Park. Have advice that 2 Deakin Uni. Honours students have started work already.
2. Deer – what research is presently being undertaken in the Park? PhD student Kathy Roberts has nearly completed her thesis – to be submitted March 2010. After research has been written up … Read the rest

FROM THE PARKES DESK April 2010

Recently I had the opportunity to consider a new park management career challenge. After fifteen years as Ranger In Charge of the Grampians National Park, I applied for and was successful in being appointed to the position of Chief Ranger for the Grampians District.

My new role covers an area extending from Daylesford in the east, to the Little Desert on the South Australian border and south to Portland. The Grampians District encompasses the Lower Glenelg, Little Desert and Grampians National Parks, Buangor, Black Range, Dergholm and Langi Ghiran State Parks, Hepburn and Creswick Regional Parks and hundreds of smaller reserves.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Grampians. It is an extraordinary landscape and an amazing place to manage. The Park has a dedicated and talented management team and a fantastic support base of volunteers and advocates.

Over the years we have achieved some significant initiatives, often with … Read the rest

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

May all FOGG’s members join with me in congratulating Graham on his recent promotion as well as his upgrades in qualifications especially Grade 3 Fire Incident Controller. A big responsibility under the present climate.

Not so good is my concern re Fire Management and my concern that undue pressure is being placed on the District’s Fire Management Teams by the upper Political Management personnel who want to hood-wink the public into believing that they are doing something to reduce the fire dangers, – “the Public Must See Smoke” to prove that something is being done.
Local Managers State-wide are being pushed to light protective, fuel reduction and regeneration burns even when there is a very high likelihood that there could be ember escapes over the control lines.
When these escapes happen (three so far this season) it is the local DSE managers and crew that take the flack and blame, … Read the rest