Fire and Fauna Project
The Burning Hotspots – Gondwana Threatened Species and Fire project in the Northern Rivers region of NSW aims to secure threatened populations of 8 species
- Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica
- Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus
- Black-striped Wallaby Macropus dorsalis
- Parma Wallaby Macropus parma
- Eastern Bristlebird Dasyornis brachyptera
- Three-toed Snake Toothed Skink Coeranoscincus reticulatus,
- Native Jute Corchorus cunninghamii and
- Brush Sophora Sophora fraseri.
This collaborative project will run for 10 years, working across land tenures including national parks, state forests and neighbouring private lands on the Richmond / Koreelah Ranges, in and around World Heritage listed Gondwana Rainforests of northern NSW. The work builds on hazard reduction burns and lantana removal conducted in 2016 to help protect Eastern Bristlebird habitat and a related captive breeding program underway at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.
Activities planned for 2017 include:
- Camera trap surveys and habitat monitoring
- Bush regeneration and monitoring appropriate fire regimes for Eastern Bristlebird, Brush Sophora and Native Jute
- Prescribed burning for Brush Sophora, Eastern Bristlebird and Black-striped Wallaby
- Development of Property Management Plans with neighbouring landholders
- Support for Eastern Bristlebird captive breeding program at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
- Surveys to locate Three-toed Snake Tooth Skink and threats to their habitat
Funding: This project is supported by the NSW Environmental Trust SOS Partnership Grant program.
Project Partners include: NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service in Tweed Kyogle Area working with Northern Rivers Fire and Biodiversity Consortium, NSW OEH, Southern Cross University, University of NSW, Forestry Corporation and the Border Ranges Alliance.
Further information and related material:
Project Contact – Jenny Atkins of Tweed Kyogle NPWS
Hotspots Eastern Bristlebird Case Study – outlines initial work undertaken in 2012-2013 using fire to help restore habitat
Credit: Red-legged Pademelon Image – Gail Hampshire
