Australian Government – Wildlife Habitat Recovery in the Upper Torrens – 2021-2022
Now in the third year of recovery since the December 2019, the URTLG applied and were successful with almost $100k of funding from the Australian Government under the Bushfire Recovery for Wildlife and Habitat Community Grants Program. The project has undertaken recovery on six properties in and around Gumeracha and Mount Torrens, and has provided weed and erosion control, fencing and provision of artificial hollows, in addition to the development of a Monitoring and Management Plan (MMP) which has included flora and fauna surveys over the properties.
This project has focused on properties with high value conservation that have been previously involved with the URTLG in the past. Previous flora survey data has been compared with the recent surveys to ascertain the impacts on the flora and fauna from the intense fire. The MMP will provide the landholders with a resource (document) to guide ongoing restoration and recovery activities and includes a monitoring plan.
As with the previous bushfire recovery projects, the URTLG have initiated partnerships with local community groups to assist in the delivery outcomes including, the Rotary Club of Onkaparinga (fence building), Prince Alfred College students & Gumeracha Men’s Shed (nest box building) and Save our Wildlife Foundation Inc. (SOWFI) (nest box installations). Additional on ground planting support has been welcomed by corporate volunteers from KPMG, Country Road, Chep and staff from Lockhead Martin.
In addition, the URTLG project with this funding have been able to support another project being delivered by the Mid-Torrens Catchment group and UNISA, whereby research is being undertaken to look at the Physical characteristics of nest boxes and tree hollows and their impact on microclimate retention inside cavities (refer to Publications page).