500 landholders ask – ‘Who’s living on my land?’

^{Margot Law, Citizen Science Officer National Parks Association of NSW}

NPA’s “Who’s living on my land?” is an innovative citizen science project that helps regional private landholders discover what species are on their property. We have trained more than 500 landholders, at 32 regional workshops over the last three and a half years, to survey their land for wildlife with infrared cameras, which we loan out to participants.

“Thanks for sharing the photos with us all… We are now thinking of setting up our oldest digital camera somewhere with its timed photos. Congratulations on a really important project. “ – Alison Clouston, High Range 2015 workshop.

The photographs help landholders connect with native species on their property, which are often nocturnal, rare and cryptic. With this connection, landholders are more likely to protect the resources that native species depend on, and participate in strategic pest management. We use the results of the survey to talk to landholders about habitat conservation and pest management; get them in contact with Local Land Services and other environmental groups; and upload valuable species data from private land onto public databases.

Australia has the world’s worst mammal extinction rate, overwhelmingly due to invasive species and habitat destruction. It is crucial for private landholders to participate in efforts to reverse this, as 82% of the Australian landmass is outside the National Reserve System.

The “Who’s living on my land?” project taps into the inherit interest that people have with new technology and the pride they have in their land. Our workshops attract all types of people, from farmers to absentee landholders, as camera trapping is an exciting and simple exercise with the capability to increase their interest in the environment.

The National Parks Association of NSW has been running “Who’s living on my land?”  since 2013 and has developed strong partnerships with the Great Eastern Ranges, Land for Wildlife, Landcare and Local Land Services. Our workshops are a great opportunity for these organisations to encourage landholders to improve their land management practices.

“Thank you for initiating the project, it’s given me a fascinating insight into the process of tracking exactly which animals are on the land in our area and a new appreciation of the diversity.” – Pam Menzies, 2016 Penrose workshop.

Come along to one of our workshops!

We host workshops all over NSW. You can see where all our future workshops are, and results from previous workshops at our website: www.whoslivingonmyland.org

“Who’s Living on My Land?” Achievements

• 32  “Who’s living on my land?” workshops with
• 531 landholders trained to set up camera traps
• 75  landholders trained in pest management by SELLS Feral Fighters
• 3,500+ ha of land added to the Land for Wildlife program
• 300,000+ photos Analysed

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‘Who’s living on my land?’ is currently supported by Local Land Services with funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme