Newsletter - Arid Recovery

Issue 1 2016
Inside this edition:
1
Introduction
2-3Research
4-5 Report
6-7 Insight
Newsletter
8
Supporters
The best defence is a good fence. The Green Army have been beating the heat this summer while completing fence upkeep and maintenance.
INTRODUCTION
Return to the desert for our new GM
Exciting times ahead as we enter 2016 with a new General Manager
by Kimberley Solly
I
t is our pleasure to announce that Dr Katherine
Tuft will be leading Arid Recovery into a
bright future as she takes up the position of
General Manager. Katherine joins the Arid
Recovery team from the Australian Wildlife
Conservancy’s Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary.
Katherine held the position of Regional Ecologist
in the iconic Kimberley region and will bring
great leadership experience from her time
as a leader to field ecologists, interns and
volunteers. With a background spanning across
fields of conservation research, monitoring
and management, feral fauna and flora
control and engaging with traditional owners,
Katherine is well suited to the dynamic role
at Arid Recovery. Katherine obtained her
PhD in 2010 from the University of Sydney,
where she focussed on the foraging ecology
of the threatened Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby.
Katherine will be settling into the Roxby Downs
community with her husband Hugh and two
sons. Katherine and Hugh have both previously
worked with Arid Recovery so are all too
familiar with our vast dunes and furry friends.
Katherine will take the helm from our interim
General Manager KJ Kovac, who has been
involved as a volunteer with Arid Recovery from
the very beginning. KJ has made immense strides
in her short time as our GM and is deserving of
a huge rest after working for 17 years in various
roles at Olympic Dam. We thank KJ for all her
hard work and dedication to Arid Recovery.
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
RESEARCH
Quoll-ified Explorers in the AR Reserve
The terrain of the Arid Recovery
Reserve adds an extra challenge
to radiotracking our quolls
by dr rebecca west
I
n the final week before Christmas we trapped
both of the female Western Quolls, Sepia and
Koombana, that we introduced to the Reserve in
May 2015. This was no small feat as both quolls
continue to move and use new bettong warrens
or bilby burrows, putting our team’s radiotracking
skills to the test to track them down across the
undulating dunes (which can block radio signals).
Once located we then use internal burrow traps
baited with stinky chicken necks (the older the better
as far as the quolls are concerned). Both quolls
were in excellent condition and kindly provided
us with scats in the traps so we can continue to
look at their diet. We fitted a lightweight GPS
collar to each of the quolls late last year to collect
information on their movements across the Reserve.
It turns out that one of our quolls, Koombana,
is much more of an explorer than the other!
Map of movements of our two quolls while they wore the VHF with GPS collar. The circles
indicate where the collar took GPS fixes at 9pm, 12 midnight and 3 am over a two week period. Koombana is using a larger home range, which (from shelter site locations as well)
does not overlap with Sepia’s. Now we know why it has been so difficult to find Koombana!
We also ran an experiment in November to see whether exposure to quolls has
influenced the responses of stick-nest rats to predator odours. To run this experiment we
had to design special feeding cages, known as ‘ratstaurants’, to stop the bettongs from
interfering. We built ratstaurants close to 20 stick-nest rat nests and provided carrot slices
with a piece of towel carrying the body scent of either cat, dingo, quoll, mulga snake,
rabbit or blank (control). We used remote cameras to film rat behaviour for each trial
and we are currently analysing the footage to see whether there are any differences in
foraging and vigilance behaviours in rats that have and haven’t had exposure to quolls.
Intern Evan Griffith returning Koombana to her burrow. Credit: Rebecca West
The team setting up an experiment within a ratstaurant. Credit: Rebecca West
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
RESEARCH
The genetics of our
threatened species
Have they retained the genetic diversity of the
original founders?
by dr katherine moseby
A
rid Recovery recently secured a Nature Foundation of South Australia
grant to investigate the genetic diversity of the reintroduced species
within the Reserve. All four re-introduced species have now been
inside the reserve for more than 10 years and we were interested to
see if they had retained the genetic diversity of the original founders. If
genetic diversity has declined then plans may need to be made to add
new genes through supplementary reintroduction of new animals. As
many threatened species already have low diversity due to their small
population size we were keen to ensure we maximized diversity to enable
the species to adapt to future events and to reduce extinction risk.
Arid Recovery Research Scientist, Katherine Moseby, partnered with PhD
student Lauren White and geneticist Jeremy Austin from the University
of Adelaide to apply for a grant to undertake this work. Arid Recovery
collected new DNA samples from the animals currently inside the
Reserve which were compared with DNA originally taken from animals
reintroduced many years ago. Lauren White conducted the genetic
analysis and interim results suggest that inbreeding is high, a result that
is expected because bettongs now only survive in the wild on three
DNA samples were taken from bettongs and bandicoots captured in the Reserve in cage traps. Credit: Kimberley Solly
islands in Western Australia, thus all remaining animals in the species
are closely related. Interestingly however, the Burrowing Bettongs
appeared to have retained their genetic diversity over the last 10
years suggesting that we may not need to add new genetic material
just yet. We are still awaiting results from the rest of the samples
and from the Western Barred Bandicoots so stay tuned for more
updates. Thanks to the Nature Foundation of South Australia for
providing the much-needed funds to allow this work to be conducted.
Snap! Snap! Snap! Can you guess what these two are doing out of bed during daylight?
At the Arid Recovery Reserve we use remotely sensed cameras to assist with incursion monitoring. Each time we sit down to review the images
we are surprised with what we find. On this occasion a Greater Stick-nest Rat and Burrowing Bettong were caught red handed during daylight
outside their nest and burrow, respectively. It turns out they were slurping up water from recent rain off the branches of a dead acacia bush.
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
REport
A NN U A L
TRAPPING
We are gearing up
for yet another year
of annual trapping;
the 17th of the past 18
years!
WHY?
Planigale gilesi after release. Credit: Aaron Fenner
Giles Planigale found at
Bon Bon Reserve
This is the first record of a Planigale at Bon Bon Reserve
by dr aARON FENNER
O
ver the past few months, two honours
students from Flinders University and 15
very keen volunteers have been pitfall trapping
small vertebrates on Bush Heritage Australia’s
Bon Bon Reserve as part of Arid Recovery and
Bush Heritage Australia’s South Australian
Rangeland Alliance program. One project they
are working on is investigating the effect that
Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), which has been
a declared weed in South Australia since early
2015, has on small vertebrate assemblages.
Buffel Grass is an aggressive coloniser and can
rapidly alter the landscape by out competing
native species and altering fire regimes. In fire
sensitive systems such as South Australia’s
mulga woodlands, its impact can be devastating
turning mulga woodlands into single species
grasslands. This project will provide valuable
information on the effect Buffel Grass has on
small vertebrate assemblages and also provide
information on how these assemblages differ in
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
areas which have buffel grass, have had Buffel
Grass removed from them (through weed
control programs conducted on Bon Bon), and
areas where Buffel Grass has not ever been
present. The project is still in its early stages
and will continue into the new year with the
next round of trapping set to happen in late
January - early February 2016. To date, 20 lizard
species, seven snake species and two mammal
species have been captured during the study.
Giles Planigale was caught in a pitfall trap while
conducting the study. This is the first record of
any Planigale on Bon Bon Reserve. Planigales are
a carnivorous marsupial in the same family as
the quolls, they will eat anything they can take
on, including small mammals and lizards. They
can be differentiated from the Narrow-nosed
Planigale which overlaps in distribution (but
yet to be recorded at Bon Bon Reserve) as the
Giles Planigale has 2 premolars in each side of
both the upper and lower jaw rather than 3.
Trapping events occur each
year as a way of documenting
changes in relative abundances,
species assemblages, health
and reproductive condition,
and longevity. These changes
will be compared on either
side of the Arid Recovery
Reserve’s exclusion fence.
who?
Annual trapping targets small
vertebrates, so our smaller
mammals (plains rats and
hopping mice) and reptiles.
In 2014, 95 mammals and
262 reptiles were assessed.
how?
We use Elliot traps to catch
our small mammlas and
pitfall traps to catch reptiles.
when?
This year the event will be held
from March 1st- 5th. If you
are interested in volunteering
at Arid Recovery for any of
our trapping events contact
info@aridrecovery.org.au
This could be the year that
we trap the Kultarr, a species
that has been caught on the
neighbouring mine lease but not
inside the Arid Recovery Reserve!
report
Green Army getting it done
The Roxby Downs Green Army Project must be one of
the most unique Green Army Projects in Australia.
by adrian friedel
F
ew young people (aged 17-24) in Australia have the opportunity to get
so close to the running and management of a world class conservation,
research and education facility such as the Arid Recovery Reserve (our Project
Partner). The wisdom and inclusiveness of Arid Recovery staff and their allies
over the past 20-weeks has provided experiences our Participants will be able
to use and reflect on in both their professional and personal lives. The Green
Army is an Australian Government initiative which provides opportunities
for Participants to work on local community and conservation projects,
while gaining skills and training that can help them enter the workforce
or improve their career pathways. The work we have carried out at the
Reserve falls into two broad categories: infrastructure maintenance, and
science and research. Fence upkeep is integral to the Reserve’s success
and ‘feral-free’ mantra. A large focus of this Project was replacing footnetting in areas where the integrity of the original skirt was starting to fail
(through rusting and chemical breakdown). In some cases we used reclaimed
netting from decommissioned pastoral fences within the reserve, to reduce
pressure on a stretched budget. We also foot-netted the western fenceline
of the 2nd Expansion, an area which was once used as a control, but now
supports burrowing residents from the surrounding exclosures. The last few
weeks of our Project will include conducting vegetation monitoring using a
quadrat-based method to quantify the impact of particularly bettongs on
vegetation species inside the Reserve (using a selection of sites outside the
Reserve for comparison). This replicates and adds to a study first conducted
in 2013. Given that current bettong populations are considered a little on
the high side, we expect a marked contrast in plant condition. My team has
also enjoyed participating in community activities such as regular market
days, the Arid Recovery Quiz night and Christmas pageant. Together with
contributions to the online presence of the Reserve (through blog and
photo submissions), this has provided an insight into the importance
integrated community involvement in maintaining the regional profile of
the Reserve. Having the opportunity to get up close and personal to the
unique wildlife of the Reserve lists as another highlight, and we are grateful
for the generosity of visiting (and resident) researchers in incorporating
the Green Army with some of their catching and processing activities. The
next Green Army round (20 week Project) starts on the 21st of March.
i For more information or to apply, visit http://conservationvolunteers.com.au/green-army/
The Green Army team have been a wonderful help to Arid Recovery,
confirming the old saying that many hands make light work! Credit: Adrian Friedel
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
Insight
Success for our Quiz Night
Our biggest fundraiser for the year was a huge hit
by letitia sikora and kimberley solly
A
rid Recovery hosted a Quiz Night at The
Roxby Downs Community Club on Friday
20th November 2015. 116 people across 15
different teams packed out The Club to test their
inner genius. We had six rounds including a local
Roxby Downs/Arid Recovery round to test the
attendee’s knowledge of their own backyard.
We were super impressed to see how many
locals knew our Big 4 and some even trickier
questions about the Arid Recovery Reserve.
The enormous turnout and support on the
night meant we raised a whopping $1920.35
to go toward our Reserve upgrade. Of course,
this fundraiser would not have been possible
without the generosity of local businesses and
residents who donated to our silent auction
and prizes. The Roxby Downs Community
Club went above and beyond by sponsoring
us by hosting the event, supplying equipment
and their hard work in setting up tables. The
night was a great success, with very positive
feedback. We can’t wait to do it all again!
Arid Recovery would like to thank
the following local businesses
and residents for their generous
donations:
Aphelion Wine Co
Arid Lands Botanic Gardens
Auto Pro
Bianco
Bill Hagger
Desert Scents
Dublin Meats
Laura Trotta
Roxbylink
Roxby Downs Community Club
Roxby Hourglass Jewellers
Smokemart
Thirsty Camel/ Roxby Downs Tavern
William Creek Hotel
Winners are grinners. The Negative Nancies were the smartest on the night, taking out the event by half a point!
Credit: The Monitor Newspaper
Market Days
Nature arts and crafts with our
future generation
by kimberley solly
O
ur stall at the Roxby Downs Area School’s
Parents and Friends Market Days
underwent a transformation in the second
half of 2015. Held each month throughout
the school year, Market Day has been a
great way to get local children involved in the
environment and Arid Recovery. We have been
getting mucky by painting feathers, making
nature wreaths, painting landscapes from
photographs, decorating holiday cards, and
making critters from natural items. A huge
thank you to Charisse and Geoff Sanders,
Ruth Shepherd, Bec West, the Green Army,
Alice Taysom, Natalie Lioulios, David Hunter
and Margaret Wyatt for volunteering
their time to help out at Market Days.
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
Decorating animal shapes with nature’s gifts. Credit: Ruth Shepherd
insight
Cheers for volunteers
“Volunteers don’t necessarily have the time, but they have the heart” - Elizabeth Andrew
by kimberley solly
A
s a not-for-profit, Arid Recovery relies
heavily on volunteer involvement to
keep operating. Volunteers offer a range of
skills and are involved in all aspects of Arid
Recovery. We have volunteers who assist
with administation, community events, feral
control or research, and some that assist
with all of those tasks! We have volunteer
options for short and long-term visitors or
residents, so why not come and lend a hand?
i If you’d like to get involved and become
a volunteer at Arid Recovery please contact info@aridrecovery.org.au
Volunteer
of the quarter
Ruth Shepherd
Although occupied for 40+ hours a week working
on the ARC Project, Ruth still found time to assist
with community outreach and education events.
Ruth was an enormous help at Market Days,
Buffel Buster working bees and school visits to
the Arid Recovery Reserve. Ruth stayed with
us for ten weeks and was a valuable volunteer.
Our Reserve upgrade is well underway
The buildings have been moved to the Reserve and are ready for a makeover
by kimberley solly
W
ith steadily growing research and
education visits along with tourism
expansions on the horizon, the infrastructure
at the Reserve is in need of an upgrade. Aspen
Parks Myall Grove in Roxby Downs donated
the two new transportable buildings, which
includes a classroom, a new kitchen and
more bedrooms. We are very thankful to
the following businesses for all their help in
getting the new buildings to the Reserve:
Aspen Parks Myall Grove
BSH
Coates Hire
Monadelphous Engineering
Toll
As for the future, we are working towards
getting the buildings ready for the tour and
education season. We will be seeking donations
for paint, decking materials, lino, and bunk
beds. Our fundraising for a new solar system
and plumbing will continue throughout 2016.
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
supporters
What better way to contribute to Arid Recovery than sponsoring
the fencline that protects our species
Sponsor 100m of fenceline - a gift to save
our species
Your sponsorship includes:
• Certificate of sponsorship
• 12 month membership to Arid Recovery
• Individualised plaque on your segment of fence
• A warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that you are contributing to
the ongoing work at Arid Recovery
i Sponsor 100m of fenceline at www.aridrecovery.org.au/donate
Donate
Join
Donate online or over the
phone to assist the work of
Arid Recovery.
Become a member of Arid
Recovery for as little as
$25 a year and receive our
quarterly newsletters and
monthly e-news updates.
Volunteer
Join us for a working
bee or assist around the
office, there are many
opportunities to volunteer
with the staff of Arid
Recovery.
Sponsor
Contact the Arid Recovery
office if you or your
organisation would like to
become a sponsor.
Help contribute to the ongoing maintenace of our fenceline by sponsoring a section today!
Thankyou to the sponsors and
supporters of Arid Recovery:
Arid Recovery is a conservation initiative supported by BHP Billiton, the SA Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, the University of Adelaide
and the local community.
Thanks to the many businesses who continue to support the work of Arid Recovery:
Alliance Airlines
Aspen Parks Myall Grove
Bianco
Blackwoods
BOOM
Bush Herritage Australia
CAT Rental
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Newsletter Issue 1, 2016
CEG
Coates Hire
Cowell Electric
Ernst & Young
Global Leadership Foundation
Greyhound Australia
Holcim
Lavricks Engineering
Monodelphous Engineering
The Monitor Newspaper
National Science Week
Red Mulga
RoxFM
Roxby Downs Area School
Roxby Downs Mortor Inn
RoxbyLink
Roxby Pest Management
SAAL NRM Board
SA Energy Solutions
Steve Morton
Toll Group
Transpacific
Woolworths