Landholders along the Illawarra Escarpment have an opportunity participate in a wildlife survey to find out ‘Who’s living on my land?’. Landholders participating in the Who’s living on my land? survey will get a chance to learn how to use and borrow an infrared camera to survey their property for native and pest animals.
“Infrared cameras are a valuable tool to find out what native and pest species are in the landscape,” says Ms Margot Law, ‘Who’s living on my land?’ project officer at the National Parks Association of NSW.
“A lot of Australia’s wildlife are nocturnal and shy, so participating landholders might sometimes be surprised for what they find!”
For instance, last year, infrared cameras put out by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage on the Illawarra Escarpment photographed the first Koala seen in the region since the 1930s.
“The Illawarrra Escarpment is home to some incredibly rare species, including Spotted-tailed Quolls, Long-nosed Potoroos and Pygmy Possums. These species are well documented on public land, like National Parks, but we would love to know if they are surviving and thriving on private land,” says Ms Law.
“We are holding a free workshop on the 24th of June 2017 at the Robertson Community Centre for landholders that live around Robertson, Tongarra, Knights Hill, Pheasant Ground, Mount Murray, St Anthonys and Carrington Falls. At the workshop, we will train landholders how to use infrared cameras and then lend them the cameras for a two-week fauna survey.”
If landholders find out that they have a feral species problem, then there is chance for them to become a ‘Feral Fighter’ with South East Local Land Services as the second half of the workshop will cover training on vertebrate pest control.
‘Who’s living on my land?’ is managed by the National Parks Association of NSW with support from South East Local Land Services and funding from the National Landcare Programme.
RSVP essential: www.whoslivingonmyland.org/illawarraescarpment/ or call Margot Law (9299 0000).
Workshop details:
When: 9-3pm Saturday 24th June 2017. 9am – 11.30am: Wildlife survey with infrared cameras (National Parks Association of NSW); 12.30am – 3pm: Feral Fighters vertebrate pest workshop (South East Local Land Services)
Where: Robertson Community Centre, 7-9 Caalong St Robertson NSW 2577
Cost: Free