A dozen landholders have signed on to revegetate their properties to help some of the world’s most endangered birds: the swift parrot and regent honeyeater.
The Stepping Stones in the Southern Downs initiative, championed by Quoll Society of Australia Inc and funded by the Australian Government’s Environment Restoration Fund, has quickly attracted much local attention.
Jessica Lovegrove-Walsh, Project Manager at the Quoll Society of Australia, is amazed at how much attention the initiative has received.
We haven’t even held our launch event and we already have a number of landholders on board,” she said. “It speaks volumes to how much the community cares about helping our unique and seriously threatened wildlife.”
The Quoll Society has been researching the movements of spotted-tailed quolls in the Granite Belt over the last year. They have found that spotted-tailed quolls won’t typically traverse large cleared areas, preferring the cover of vegetation as they travel up to 7 km in one night.
Revegetating habitat for the swift parrot and regent honeyeater will also benefit the spotted-tailed quoll and all other native wildlife.
Farmers are getting involved.
It isn’t only lifestyle blocks that are signing on to the project. Local produce farmer, Rick Humphries, has signed up to have his property revegetated.
“As soon as we heard about the initiative, we jumped on it,” he said. “We’ve been talking about planting trees around our dam and in cleared areas that used to be grazed.”
“We just haven’t had the time or resources to put to it.”
To make the initiative accessible to all landholders the cost of consultation, plant propagation, planting, and even fencing is covered by the project funding.
“If there is livestock on the property, we can fund fencing to exclude them from revegetation zones, including partial fencing around dams,” said Paul Revie, Ecologist and Zoologist with Quoll Society of Australia.
“All costs are covered.”
Partially vegetating dams can improve water quality and provide shelter for birds or other animals to have a drink. The Quoll Society emphasises that there is no loss to agricultural productivity as a result of their project, creating a win for wildlife and a win for farmers.
The Stepping Stones in the Southern Downs project launch is on the 30th of July from 9 am at the Stanthorpe Civic Centre. Registration on Eventbrite is required: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/restoring-threatened-species-habitat-tickets-378486462197
To join the initiative, contact Quoll Society of Australia: info@quollsa.org
