> Hiltaba Grand Working Bee

> Ecotourism

> Significant Environmental Benefits – Beach and Santos

> Mammal Fauna of Witchelina

> Carpet Python and Superb Fairy-Wren - NFSA funded Research

> Property and Water For Nature Updates

Winter 2014 newsletter of Nature Foundation SA IncPrinted on 100% recycled paper

[ SAVE | PROTECT | RESTORE ]

The Vital Work Appeal is a ‘call to action’ for supporters of Nature Foundation SA to help us to generate funds for the new financial year and address the ‘pressure points’ facing the Foundation. Help us to make a difference…

2014VITAL

WORK APPEAL

Andrew and Annabelle Ottens (nee Homer) recently welcomed the utterly gorgeous Clara Grace Ottens to the world.

Annabelle is a long-time supporter of Nature Foundation SA having been a NFSA Fundraising and Marketing Committee member and always at the ready to help promote our activities through her role as ABC Rural Country Hour Presenter. How’s that smile? – too cute!

Photo credit: Megan Rusk

Hello to all of our great Friends and Supporters

We are at this point in the year again when we ask all those who have admiration for the work carried out by the Foundation to help us raise funds for the day to day running of the Foundation.

I must sound like a broken record when I keep saying that …”it is relatively easy to attract tied funds to help the Foundation carry out specific tasks but devilishly difficult to attract funds to pay staff, buy office equipment, print newsletters and buy pens etc”…..

Your Foundation can proudly boast amazing successes, some of which I have listed below • NFSA is the third largest owner of privately-owned

conservation land in Australia after Bush Heritage Australia and Australian Wildlife Conservancy

• In addition NFSA has purchased, or assisted in the purchase of, 23 properties which it has gifted to other land management entities totalling over 7,000 Sq Kms (the size of Yorke Peninsula)

• NFSA is the only Not-for-Profit entity to be given significant environmental water by the Commonwealth to restore private and community wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin.

• NFSA is the most successful group in the state in attracting Significant Environmental Benefit offset payments to improve Native Vegetation

• When reporting outcomes to the Federal Government on Management Plans and outcomes on Witchelina and Hiltaba on each occasion NFSA was congratulated and told it was the national leader in the standard of work in this field

Without financial assistance we struggle to achieve these amazing results!!

The Council has recently established new committees and working parties to raise “new funds”.

A new Carbon Capture and Carbon Credits Committee under the expert leadership of new Councillor Suzanne Ridding has had an exciting start with much appreciated support from Nicholas Newland (previous Councillor and current member of the Fundraising Committee and the organization of which he is President CANOPY). NFSA believes that the work it already does in some cases makes it able to attract funds to enhance this work via the 4C’s Committee.

Eco-Tourism has been a long held interest of Councillor Chris Reed. You can read about the genesis of this initiative in this Newsletter. Many of us believe that by developing a special product on our properties we will attract income for NFSA whilst encouraging people to respect the properties and the work we do on them to Save Protect and Restore them.

Susie Herzberg our Hon Secretary is developing the concept of setting up a Perpetual Trust Fund which, although it will take time to grow, will ultimately attract significant donations and bequests

from which the Foundation will benefit immensely from the annual return on investment. Our goal is to attract $4 – 5,000,000 in years to come.

Our CEO Ian attended a conference on Philanthropy in Texas USA recently (with the cost of the tour being met by Perpetual Philanthropy) and is structuring plans to commence developing expertise in this area. Ian will survey various groups soon to give direction to this new initiative.

SO WE ARE NOT IDLE when endeavouring to develop fundraising opportunities so again I ask for your support to aid the ongoing daily work of the Council and Staff.

We wish all the best to those very committed staff in the DEWNR and particularly in the Native Vegetation office who lost their jobs recently. After severe financial cuts last year the NV staff was reduced from 28 to 10! NFSA thanks you all for your commitment to the environment and it trusts all will work out for you in the future.

Finally I was very proud to speak at the inaugural celebration of the Nature Glenelg Trust an extremely impressive passionate and relatively young group of naturalists working across the state border in Victoria and SA as they introduced their first property to over 100 people at Frances recently. Nature Glenelg Trust is very thankful that along with the Native Vegetation Council we made the purchase of Eaglehawk Waterhole (over 600ha) possible. It is stunning country, many rare and endangered species and 45% of the ‘crab-hole’ wetland areas in that part of the South-east. We congratulate Mark Bachmann and his team.

I would like to donate: $30 | $60 | $120 | $250 | $500 | Other: $ _______

I would like to pay by credit card (tick type below) EFT OR My cheque/money order is attached.

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Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) BSB:105900 Acc No: 963747240 Name: Nature Foundation SA Inc.

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We recommend that you email NFSA at naturefoundationsa@nfsa.org.au to advise of the EFT transaction

Donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Please post to:Nature Foundation SA Inc. PO Box 448 Hindmarsh SA 5007, or Phone 1300 366 191

The Vital Work Appeal is a ‘call to action’ for supporters of Nature Foundation SA to help us to generate funds for the new financial year and address the ‘pressure points’ facing the Foundation. Importantly this is the one appeal each year that generates ‘untied’ funds – funds that are not tied to specific projects but rather provide critical financial support the

general operations of the Foundation.

Funding the work of the Foundation is a complex and incredibly challenging proposition. The majority of our grant funding is tied to specific projects and programs supporting the on-the-ground work of Nature Foundation SA - from landscape (large scale) arid land conservation at Hiltaba and Witchelina in the north of the state to environmental watering to restore River Murray woodlands and floodplains. This project and program funding generally excludes funding for key equipment and human resource capacity to deliver across other areas.

I’m sure you can see our dilemma - ‘untied’ funds are critical to underpinning the day-to-day operation of Foundation - if there are insufficient funds then we are hampered in our organisational capacity. Securing ‘untied’ funding invests in our people and provides the ability to continue to deliver high quality

conservation outcomes in the field. It also gives us vital leverage to attract grant funds.

The Vital Work Appeal funds support staff and operations to deliver in the three key areas of the Foundation:• The purchase and management of land with significant

conservation value;• Funding of high level conservation research projects;• Coordinating environmental watering along the River Murray

in South Australia.

Even with the contributions of our core staff and our volunteer Council and Committee members and volunteer teams, these core activities of the Foundation place considerable pressure on the Foundation’s resources.

NFSA works to Save, Protect and Restore areas of high conservation value – creating an environmental legacy for the future. It is only with the support of members and donors that we can work to fulfil our mission – conserving South Australia’s natural biodiversity for the future.

I echo the words of our President Bob Lott and Patron Barbara Hardy in inviting you to contribute to our Vital Work Appeal to provide practical support for the work of Nature Foundation SA.

2014VITAL WORK APPEAL

IAN ATKINSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Witchelina – view from Termination Hill to the south-east Credit: John Ovenden

Congrats!

President’s Letter

Hiltaba Nature Reserve Credit: Natasha Harper

Front cover image

Donation Form | 2014 Vital Work Appeal

BOB LOTT, PRESIDENT

2 www.naturefoundation.org.au 3www.naturefoundation.org.au

BY PATRICK MENTZEL FUNDRAISING AND MARKETING MANAGER

Nature Foundation SA was thrilled to have a total of 35 volunteers and staff who participated in the Hiltaba Grand Working Bee (22 – 25 May).

We had a range of activities that volunteers could nominate their interest in: conservation projects included warren mapping, photo points (used to monitor changes in vegetation over time), Yellow footed Rock-wallaby monitoring and prostanthera exclosures (building enclosures to protect Prostanthera florifera (aka Gawler Ranges Mint). Maintenance work included painting, ceiling removal, insulation, wool shed footing, and work was undertaken to mark up walking trails and install parking area fencing at Pretty Point.

All of these projects are important in their own way both to assist in the conservation efforts and to help with the infrastructure maintenance on the Homestead and outlying buildings

including the Shearers Quarters. Some huge jobs are now crossed off the list including installation of 150m2 of insulation in the Homestead roof – a big thanks to Fletcher Insulation for their supply of insulation at cost – we are very grateful.

It wasn’t all work though, the group went to Lilly Rocks for a BBQ on Friday and Dr Greg Johnston (NFSA Conservation Ecologist) led the ‘tag along’ tour on Sunday that took in the sites of this magnificent property including having a look at the extraordinary Myall Trees which can live up to 300 years.

We had some familiar faces and many newcomers too with very positive feedback regarding the experience – particularly the opportunity to get to see the property on the tour.

We would like to thank our event sponsors K1 by Geoff Hardy for the wine, West End Community Fund for the beer, and Harcourts Foundation who donated $3,000 towards the cost of the event.

A huge thank you to all those who participated – we look forward to seeing you again next year!

Hiltaba Grand Working Bee

K1 Wines www.k1.com.au

West End Community Fundwww.wecf.org.au

Harcourts Foundation www.harcourtsfoundation.org

Developing walking trailCredit: Patrick Mentzel

Common Ground Eco-Tourism trial at Witchelina Nature ReserveCHRIS REED – NFSA COUNCILLOR AND CHAIR, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Nature Foundation SA believes that the Witchelina and Hiltaba Nature Reserves are such beautiful and important landscapes that we want to share them with members and supporters. At the moment we offer a 4WD trail through the magnificent Willouran Ranges at Witchelina and from June-October this year we are trialling new ‘Tag Along’ tours with the Managers at Witchelina. ‘Wildflower Tag Along’ tours are being offered from August-October with a minimum of six vehicles, bookings are essential.

We are also going to trial offering camping sites and accommodation in the refurbished Shearers Quarters and Managers residence at Witchelina. Contact Nature Foundation SA on 8340 2880 or at naturefoundationsa@nfsa.org.au for further information. Please note that accommodation availability is subject to operational requirements including researchers at the sites (who are given priority).

Conservation will always be our first priority however there is scope to open up these properties to a niche eco-tourism market within guidelines that will manage the impact of visitation. We believe people are able to gain a far deeper and more profound insight into our work if they can experience it first hand.

We have to be pragmatic in identifying new funding sources if we are to manage these properties sustainably into the future and eco-tourism will help raise valuable funds. However the real gain is in promoting the conservation value of the assets of the country and creating a bigger profile of what we are achieving to potential new supporters of the Foundation.

Eco-tourism and conservation can work to a common goal – to protect these magnificent landscapes and the flora and fauna therein.

Expanding our eco-tourism work aligns well with the definition from Ecotourism Australia: “Eco-tourism is ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation.”

Watch this space for Hiltaba ecotourism updates …

Willouran Ranges, Witchelina Nature Reserve Photo: Graham Chilman

Para Woodlands Planting Festival Friday 20th – Saturday 21st JunePara Woodlands is a former farming property (located near Gawler) generously donated by Mrs Elizabeth Law-Smith and her late husband David to Nature Foundation SA.

The focus at Para Woodlands is habitat restoration. The plantings are an important step in this long-term project which aims to re-establish native vegetation including the critically endangered Peppermint Box (Eucalyptus odorata) grassy woodland, and provide valuable habitat for woodland birds (whose numbers are on the decline).

In 2013 a combination of overstorey (Eucalyptus species) and understorey plants (native grasses and Lomandras) were used to

re-establish a SA Blue Gum and Peppermint Box open woodland with a grassy understorey. The Peppermint Box Grassy Woodland and the Iron-grass Temperate Grassland are two ecological communities that are listed nationally as Critically Endangered

under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

Para Woodlands is located near the township of Kalbeeba, 3km southeast of Gawler, off Allendale Road. Entry is via the Rocla gate (UBD Map 24, Q15). Volunteers are encouraged to dress according to the weather (be sun/rain smart), and bring gloves for planting. No previous planting experience is required. Hot drinks and a lunch will be provided. Toilets are available.

This event is supported by the Depart ment of Environment, Water and Natural Resources and Nature Foundation SA.

To register attendance please contact Dragos Moise, Para Woodlands Restoration Ecologist - 8336 0913 or Dragos.Moise@sa.gov.au

Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby trapsCredit: Millie Nichols

Credit: Patrick Mentzel

4 www.naturefoundation.org.au 5www.naturefoundation.org.au

John T Reid Charitable Trust (Major Benefactor) www.johntreidtrusts.com.au Salary support for Water For Nature Regional Manager

James N Kirby Foundation (Major Benefactor) www.kirbyfoundation.com.auPump used at Ramco River Terrace Pipes and sprinklers used at Loxton Riverfront ReserveTractor pump at Rilli ReachTrailers to transport equipment

West End Community Fund (Major Benefactor) www.wecf.org.au

‘Big Red’ Pump used at Clark’s Floodplain and Johnsons Waterhole

SA Water (Major Benefactor) www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/Environment/Contribution to multiple sites including Layflat hose and pump for Thiele’s Flat.

Mullum Trust (Major Supporter)

http://thetrusteeforthemullumtrust.myob.net/ Contribution to the recently purchased ‘Green and Gold’ pump

Myer Foundation (Major Supporter) www.myerfoundation.org.au

Contribution to the recently purchased ‘Green and Gold’ pump

LAMS Engineering (Major Supporter) www.lamsmechservices.com.auContribution to building the ‘Big Red’ Pump

Australian Communities Foundation (Supporter) www.communityfoundation.org.au/Contribution to the recently purchased ‘Green and Gold’ pump

WATER FOR NATUREWe’d like to acknowledge and sincerely thank the wonderful sponsors of staff and equipment for the Water For Nature Programme. Sponsorship has provided practical support for the salary of our Regional Water For Nature Manager, Craig Ferber and investment in water delivery equipment such as pumps, pipes and sprinklers. We thank each and every Water For Nature Sponsor for helping us deliver large volumes of Commonwealth Environmental Water over 5 years.

AN INITIATIVE OF NATURE FOUNDATION SA

AN INITIATIVE OF NATURE FOUNDATION SA

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Nick Stanitski and the James N Kirby Foundation

sponsored tractor pump

The new ‘Green & Gold’ pump purchased with funds from the

Myer Foundation, Mullum Trust and Australian Communities Foundation.

West End Community Fund & LAMS ‘Big Red’ Pump at Johnsons Waterhole

Launch of the ‘Big Red’ Pump at Loxton - Craig Ferber, Water For Nature Regional Manager (second from left) accompanied by (L>R)Tim Rothe (LAMS), Roger Schmitke (Chair Riverland West Landcare) and Ian Atkinson (CEO Nature Foundation SA)

Witchelina HiltabaSince the previous edition of Nature Matters, activity at Witchelina has begun to pick up again as the hot summer months draw to a close and everything breaths a long sigh of relief welcoming the cooler days ahead. In spite of the heat, total rainfall to April this year (128.4 mm) has almost exceeded last year’s total annual rainfall (133.2 mm) which is really great for a regenerating landscape.

Flinders University has continued its work on understanding the Witchelina seedbank with a number of field trips this year with the research team recently resurveying all of the reserves monitoring sites. We hope to begin to share the results of this project when the huge amount of data has been analysed.

Feral animal control has continued with our shooting contractors focusing on goats, foxes and cats. Recently over a two week period our shooter was only able to locate 37 goats which reaffirms that the resident goat population has been all but removed. Cat numbers remain fairly consistent with 24 dispatched and only 1 fox. The very low fox numbers confirm that baiting (ground and aerial) has been successful and will allow native fauna to make the most of breeding opportunities triggered by recent rains.

Both Witchelina and Hiltaba have again participated in the Natural Resources SA Arid Lands’ Biteback program which has resulted in the whole property being aerial baited in April. The Foundation recognises its legislative responsibility to control Wild Dogs south of the dog fence and acknowledges the assistance provided by the SA Sheep Industry Fund and Biosecurity SA.

Commiserations to the Conservation and Wildlife Management Branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of South Australia who had their recent trip to Witchelina washed out on the first day. The Mount Lofty 4WD Club and the Port Augusta Bird Watchers Group both managed to stay dry and had successful trips in April.

The Mount Lofty 4WD Club was able to salvage and restore a large shed left abandoned by a past mining exploration company. This shed will be very useful in providing a base for work in the northern parts of the property.

Eleven bird watchers from the Port Augusta Bird Watchers Group spent 3 days surveying birds at a variety of locations around the property. The group recorded 74 bird species of the total 160 species recorded at Witchelina to date.

Acacia liqulata (Umbrella Bush) Credit: John Maguire

Credit: Doug Ransom

Similarly to Witchelina, Hiltaba has benefited from cooler weather and a good start to the year’s rainfall recording 136 mm (roughly 50% of the annual average of 263 mm) filling all the rock holes allowing the Painted Frog (Neobatrachus pictus) to breed prolifically.

The Conservation and Wildlife Management Branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of South Australia had a successful trip in April dispatched 125 goats and 2 cats. Bringing the total number of goats dispatched this year to 770 with Graham Miller (contract shooter) undertaking regular patrols thanks to a grant from the Natural Resources SA Arid Lands. Goat numbers on the property are now being maintained at low numbers which has allowed widespread regeneration in the granite hills with carpets of seedlings emerging.

In addition to aerial baiting by Natural Resources SA Arid Lands’ Biteback program the property has also been aerially baited for foxes as part of DEWNR’s Bounceback program in conjunction with the Gawler Ranges National Park which has resulted in very low numbers of foxes and only one shot so far this year.

We have begun mapping wombat warrens on the plains of Hiltaba in order to understand the distribution and abundance of wombats on the property. It is also necessary to know how wombats and rabbits are interacting and to what extent they cohabit or share warrens. Once armed with this knowledge a more effective rabbit control program can be developed without harming the resident wombat population.

ALEX NANKIVELL NFSA CONSERVATION PROGRAMS MANAGER

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6 www.naturefoundation.org.au 7www.naturefoundation.org.au

DR GREG JOHNSTON. NFSA CONSERVATION ECOLOGIST

Save, Protect, Restore…

The Nature Foundation’s catch cry is ‘Save, Protect, Restore.

The sign in front of the Nature Foundation office at Hindmarsh shows a landscape with blank profiles of various animals. These profiles represent species that have gone extinct and are now missing from the landscape.

The Foundation purchased (saved) Witchelina Reserve in 2010 and that land is now part of the National Reserve System (is protected). We are now working to restoring the harsh, but delicate landscape. But to what extent is this truly possible?

The mammal fauna of Witchelina is instructive. Fifty three species of mammals have been recorded on Witchelina, or are likely to have lived there based on nearby subfossil material from owl pellets. Eight species occur as introduced domestic or feral populations, and are targets for removal, as part of our environmental restoration program on Witchelina.

Nineteen (42% of) native mammals species have gone extinct on Witchelina since the European settlement of South Australia. Eleven of these still occur elsewhere, often in small remnant populations, and are candidates for future translocation projects to restore functioning ecosystems at Witchelina. But eight mammals that once lived on Witchelina are globally extinct. These are ghosts, species that have gone forever from the landscape – just like the blank profiles on the sign at the Nature Foundation office.

Active management for conservation is crucial to Save, Protect, and Restore our reserves, and to prevent future extinctions.

Mammals of Witchelina ReserveIntroduced species Native species

Not Wanted Still There Locally Extinct Globally Extinctcattle Kultarr* dusky hopping mouse* western quoll* crescent nail-tail wallaby*

goats Mulgara* plains mouse red-tailed phascogale* lesser stick-nest rat*

sheep Gile’s planigale Bolam’s mouse yellow-footed rock wallaby short-tailed hopping mouse*

fox fat-tailed dunnart desert mouse ghost bat* long-tailed hopping mouse*

horse stripe-faced dunnart sandy inland mouse greater stick-nest rat broad-cheeked hopping mouse*

cat western grey kangaroo long-haired rat Numbat* Gould’s mouse*

rabbit euro short-beaked echidna golden bandicoot* pig-footed bandicoot*

domestic mouse red kangaroo Gould’s wattled bat greater bilby* desert rat kangaroo*

eastern free-tail bat chocolate wattled bat western barred bandicoot*

white-striped freetail bat lesser long-eared bat brush-tailed possum*

Forrest’s mouse inland forest bat burrowing bettong*

spinifex hopping mouse Finlayson’s cave bat

fawn hopping mouse* dingo

*Likely to occur on Witchelina based on nearby occurrence or material in nearby subfossil owl pellets

SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT (SEB)Witchelina Nature Reserve has been recognised by the Native Vegetation Council as being both an offset and credit (offset) for future offsets for clearance within the SA Arid Lands NRM region. Importantly we are managing Witchelina to achieve landscape scale conservation which is only possible because of its size at over 400,000 hectares. A number of Mining and Oil and Gas companies have opted to discharge their SEB liabilities to Witchelina including both Beach Energy and Santos which have operations in the north east pastoral district of the state in the SA Arid Lands NRM region in similar country.

Without this support our long term efforts at Witchelina would simply not be possible. We value all SEB contributions but would like to single out Beach Energy and Santos both of whom have contributed very significant SEB and non SEB funds to the acquisition and ongoing management of Witchelina Nature Reserve (purchased in 2010).

Their current SEB contributions provide practical financial assistance in meeting the objectives of the Management Plan for Witchelina Nature Reserve that drives the achievement of environmental gains and conservation outcomes including the priority issues of reduction of total grazing pressure and predation control.

An ongoing monitoring program that records changes in species diversity and abundance of flora and fauna over time is important for demonstrating the environmental improvements on the property. Improvements will be quantified, and the NFSA will demonstrate specifically how a Significant Environmental Benefit is being achieved, while also continually adapting and improving management techniques in response to the trends shown in the monitoring program.

We will feature other SEB contributors in future Newsletters.

Beach Energy

Beach Energy was founded in the 1960s by the late Dr Reg Sprigg, a highly regarded oilman, geologist, explorer and conservationist. Beach Energy’s approach to the environment, and its relationship with the land, continues to

honour the philosophies espoused by Dr Sprigg. The company’s commitment to conducting operations in an environmentally responsible manner is of paramount importance.

Beach has supported the work of Nature Foundation SA (NFSA) as a major benefactor since 2007 and has provided further support though SEB (significant environmental benefit) offset contributions since 2010. In 2008 Beach’s Managing Director, Mr Reg Nelson suggested the Foundation consider SEBs as a manner of raising funds to purchase land for environmental benefit. Subsequently, Mr Nelson and Beach facilitated opportunities from which the funds for the Witchelina purchase later flowed. In fact Beach Energy is the Foundation’s greatest financial contributor from within the resource sector.

The Foundation can already see these contributions delivering a positive impact on the ground. This includes widespread natural regeneration of previously suppressed perennial vegetation in Witchelina’s hilly country. In time, we hope this will also include increased sightings of the Plains Mouse (Pseudomys australia), which has a vulnerable rating under the EPBC Act.

Beach Energy is a generous sponsor of the Foundation and has enabled a base-line Biodiversity survey to be conducted and the employment a Senior Ecologist for three years. The Nature Foundation SA is immensely grateful for Beach’s practical support and look forward to an ongoing partnership.

www.beachenergy.com.au

Santos

Founded in 1954 Santos is one of the country’s leading gas producers with the Environmental Vision…”We will lighten the footprint of our activities”…. Santos believes that environmental stewardship is both a management

obligation and the responsibility of every employee. Again the late Dr Reg Sprigg played an immense role in the development of Santos as its senior Geologist who focused the search for Oil and gas in the present Cooper Basin

Santos came on board as a key partner in the purchase of Witchelina Station in 2010 and has contributed SEB environmental offsets to Witchelina Nature Reserve – a very substantial contribution that is helping Nature Foundation SA work to achieving our conservation goals for the property. Santos has also made non-SEB contributions for the first three years since acquisition.

Santos has been extremely supportive of the project from its inception and like the Foundation is very keen to see the achievement of quality environmental gains in the north east pastoral region at a landscape scale. The Witchelina Nature Reserve ‘Management Plan’ approved by the Commonwealth and State Governments gives priority to the objectives to reduce grazing pressure (sheep, rabbits and goats) and manage to revitalise the natural ecosystems through threatened species programs and feral animal control especially cats and foxes.

We are appreciative of the incredible support of Santos through both their SEB offset contributions and corporate support - a foundation partner in the development of Witchelina Nature Reserve.

www.santos.com

BOB LOTT, PRESIDENT NFSA

8 www.naturefoundation.org.au 9www.naturefoundation.org.au

RESEARCH FUNDED BY NATURE FOUNDATION SA

“RESOLUTION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CARPET PYTHON SYSTEMATICS TO INFORM CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT AND ENABLE THE DEVELOPMENT OF FORENSIC GENETIC TECHNIQUES TO AID PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING CARPET PYTHONS AND HIGHLIGHTING POACHING ‘HOTSPOTS’”RESEARCHER: MS SHERRYN CIAVAGLIA, FLINDERS UNIVERSITY PHD STUDENT

What was the aim and purpose of your project? My research aims to develop forensic investigative tools for wildlife that are commonly targeted in illegal activities. Australasian carpet pythons are very popular as pets, both locally and overseas and frequently they are the focus of criminal activities, often at the animal’s expense. Legislation uses species and subspecies designations, but the science underlying the carpet python taxonomy is not yet conclusive, causing problems when dealing with legislation that relies on these definitions. This project aims to clarify the taxonomic relationships of carpet pythons, while producing the techniques

that will enable successful prosecution of criminals. Equally important, the ability to successfully investigate these crimes will help to deter future criminal activity involving these animals.

Summarise the results of your project. The carpet python (Morelia spilota) is one of eleven species of Morelia python and also includes eight subspecies within Australia and New Guinea. The nomenclature of the subspecies is still debated, causing issues for forensic applications. Two subspecies of carpet python have geographic ranges in South Australia. My results show that the animals residing within these two ranges are most genetically similar to other individuals within the same range. Genetic work shows that from the cytochrome b locus, there is no evidence of interbreeding between these two populations (the ranges of which meet around the Eyre and Yorke Peninsula intersection), but other genetic markers are required to elaborate on this question. The population found in the south west of South Australia is

genetically very similar to individuals found in southern Western Australia. The snakes to the east of South Australia are less closely genetically related to each other. The individuals in the north east of the state are most similar to an individual in central west Queensland, while the south eastern populations of South Australia are very closely genetically related to individuals naturally occurring in northern Victoria and south western New South Wales.

What is the most exciting thing about this work?“The most exciting thing about my project is that I am working to prevent wildlife crime, a facet of illegal activity that does not yet receive the attention it requires, yet is causing devastating and irreversible impacts on our environment. Science is an amazing tool that can help solve so many problems, the possibilities are only as limited as the questions posed. My hope is that the results of the field of forensic wildlife research will transcend current generations and preserve out natural wonders for those who come after us.”

‘THE ADAPTIVE CAPACITY OF THE SUPERB FAIRY-WREN IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT’ RESEARCHER: MISS CHRISTINE EVANS, FLINDERS UNIVERSITY PHD STUDENT

What was the aim and purpose of your project? Fire is part of the Australian landscape but imposes rapid change to environmental conditions, so it is important to understand how our native wildlife responds to fire. In our study, we tested if the Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus), an iconic, insectivorous bird, shows an adaptive response to fire using the sever 2007 Kangaroo Island Fire as a case study. We compared our long-term data from 2006 to 2012 on insect abundance, wren foraging, group size and morphology.

Summarise the results of your project. • The study shows Superb Fairy-wrens

have an adaptive capacity to fire.• Superb Fairy-wrens can rapidly adapt

their foraging behaviour when local conditions change after fire.

• Superb Fairy-wrens were larger two

years after the fire, perhaps because large wrens were able to colonise the burnt habitat.

• Group size was much smaller after the fire, with few nuptial males, but group size recovered to pre-fire group size four years after the fire.

• After the fire, insect species diversity was lower with more small insects, however insect abundance remained constant across the years.

What is the most exciting thing about this work? “The most rewarding thing about this work was having the opportunity to study the iconic and charismatic Superb Fairy-wren in the serenely beautiful Flinders Chase National Park, and being able to observe how the population bounced back after the devastation 2007 bushfires on Kangaroo Island.”

Top: An eclipsed male Superb Fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus). Above: Fairy-wren habitat at Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island Source: Paul Vagnarelli

Mouth swabbing. Photo: H. Dridan

Aiding the vegetation recovery of the Bitter Saltbush, Bladder Saltbush and Pearl Bluebush is an outcome from the Hiltaba Management Plan goal of ‘Reduction of total grazing pressure. This includes the reduction/removal of domestic herbivores (sheep, cattle) and feral herbivores (goats, rabbits). Nature Foundation SA has removed virtually all of the sheep (but we find a few strays occasionally) and has an ongoing management plan to remove feral goats with 8200 goats removed to date. Rabbit control measures are being planned but numbers are quite low at this time.

Hiltaba Management Plan GOAL 5 Vegetation recovery where it has been denuded or degraded• Indicator – Increase in Bitter Saltbush (Atriplex stipitata) in

denuded areas• Indicator – Increase in Bladder Saltbush (Atriplex vesicaria) in

degraded areas• Indicator – Viable population of Pearl Bluebush (Maireana

sedifolia)

Hiltaba Nature Reserve located on the Eyre Peninsula is managed for nature conservation as a part of Australia’s National Reserve System and covers an area of 77,000 hectares (or 770 km2) within the Gawler biogeographical region. The Hiltaba Management Plan uses an adaptive management framework that aims to reduce the impacts of threats and threatening processes on the core natural and cultural values.

Hiltaba has five vegetation communities, Western Myall Woodlands, Mallee, Open Chenopod Shrublands, Black Oak Woodlands and Granite Hills. Each community has its own peculiar features, species, processes and management issues.

Biological surveys conducted by Bushblitz in 2012 and the Scientific Exploration Group (SEG) in 2013 have provided important additional information regarding the biodiversity of the reserve that informs management planning. As part of the biological survey, permanent monitoring points and photo points have been established for time series tracking of fauna and flora response.

The Bladder Saltbush or Iriya (Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara). Living 10-15 years this perennial shrub occurs on clay soils of stony gibber plains, chalk or limestone plains and rocky hill slopes and sandy and silty loams on sand plains and bases of sand dunes. One of the first species to be grazed at Hiltaba.

The Pearl Bluebush, also known as the Dense Bluebush, Pearl Bush or Hoary Bluebush, is drought resistant and long-lived (100-200 years) but can be slow growing. Pearl Bluebush is an indicator of soils that overlie limestone and is attractive to herbivores - sheep graze this species and rabbits have been known to ringbark the shrubs. Pearl Bluebush remains long after Bladder Saltbush is grazed out.

The Bitter Saltbush is found on sandy and loam soils of plains and sand plains – also known as Mallee Saltbush, Kidney Saltbush or Recovery Bush. Leaves are variable but commonly spearhead shaped 1-2cm long with the edge of the leaves curved – fruit are kidney shaped 6mm. Lives for 15-25 years, replaces Bladder Saltbush following over grazing of the plains at Hiltaba.

Managing for Conservation

Myall open woodland with understorey dominated by Pearl Bluebush and Bladder Saltbush in good condition in Peeweena Paddock Photo: Greg Johnston

Black oak (Casuarina pauper) woodland with an understorey of Bitter Saltbush (Atriplex stipitata).

Photo: Greg Johnston

DR GREG JOHNSTON. NFSA CONSERVATION ECOLOGIST

Pearl Bluebush

Bladder Saltbush

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Para Woodlands Planting FestivalFriday 20th June & Saturday 21st June, 10am-4pm

Kalbeeba, South-East of GawlerCome along and help plant trees and native grasses to re-establish native vegetation and provide valuable habitat for declining woodland birds.

Kangaroo Island Planting FestivalFriday 4th July - Sunday 6th JulyVolunteers are needed to help restore habitat for some of Kangaroo Island’s rarest plant life. Over 100 species will be planted, many of which are found only on Kangaroo Island.

Tiliqua Lizard CrawlSunday 7th September, 11am – 4pm10km North-West of Burra

Our third annual Tiliqua Lizard Crawl near Burra to monitor the burrow density at our reserve dedicated to conserving the endangered Pygmy Bluetongue.

NFSA – Annual General MeetingThursday 23th October, 5:30pm start

Meeting followed by refreshments The Annual General Meeting will be held at Holden Street Hindmarsh for members and includes highlights of research supported by NFSA.Left: Dr Bob Sharrad (NFSA Councillor) with PhD research speaker at the 2013 AGM

Nature Foundation SA Christmas Dinner – Adelaide OvalSaturday 29rd November, 7pm - middnight

Venue: Adelaide Oval – Premiership SuiteChristmas event for all members, donors and supporters. Entertainment, three course dinner and silent auction (Venue capacity - 100 people)

Credit: Adelaide Oval

*Please note that some dates may be subject to change

The views expressed in Nature Matters are not necessarily those of Nature Foundation SA Council or staff.

Credit: Julie Schofield

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