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Feral Animal Management
UncategorizedIt’s no secret that feral animals are a massive problem around the Central Tablelands. From the predation and competition of native animals, erosion and the spead of disease, these species have had large impacts on the ecosystem since their introduction.
So what can you do to help limit the impacts of these species?
1. Read up on current approaches to managing invasive species, and some policy reforms that are needed to minimise their impact.
2. When you see wild animals, log them in the Feral Scan App.
This allows management agencies to monitor and control feral animals in the area.
Napolean Reef Landcare – Ecological Burns
Uncategorized(Picture Credit: Napolean Reef 2795 Facebook)
I had the pleasure of meeting the team from Napolean Reef Landcare for a information session and walk through of ecological burns they have been holding in the area since 2019. The Hillview Estate Ecological Burn Plan, has been adopted and supported by the Bathurst Council since early 2018.
I was talked through the background of the site, and how the ecological burns came to be – which were after a series of high intensity burns in the area that did more harm than good. The aim of the burns were to reduce fuel loads, enhance native groundcover and ecosystem integrity. There have been 3 burns out of 4 so far, with each burn informing how the next can be carried out. The most recent burn was in May 2024. Vegetation surveys have been undertaken before and after the burns.
The health of the post-burn landscapes were amazing, with low weed uptake and alot of native regeneration. The shrubs were not dense and easy to traverse, and there was proof of alot of native animal habitation, aswell as a great diversity of plant life. We even saw a beautiful little Green Hooded Orchid (Pterostylis pyramidalis) [Pictured Below].
The team at Napolean Reef Landcare have been amazing stewards of the land, and have undertaken research, testing and reporting to put together an ecological burn model which I am sure will be a precedent for many other ecological burns in the region, and will improve the overall environment in the Central Tablelands greatly. Other involved parties include Skillset, Ecological Australia, Glanmire Walang RFS, Chiffley-Lithgow RFS, Raglan RFS and O’Connell RFS
To keep up to date with what Napolean Reef Landcare are doing:
Rivers and Creek Management
UncategorizedThe Central Tablelands has a complex system of waterways that act like veins transporting hydration and nutrients through our ecosystems.
Here are some helpful resources to learn more about how to improve waterways in the area:
Take Me to the River Podcast
Episode: Reviving Rivers: Water bugs, water quality, platypus and natives with Jed Pearson
Snags
Woody debris in waterways are important in creating complex habitat for aquatic life. The previous mentality of removing timber (or de-snagging) has been proven to be detrimental to aquatic ecosystems, and do not help with flood and erosion control.
Read below some information on the importance of wood in creating habitats for fish.
*It is important to not collect firewood from natural environments and waterways, this is important habitat for wildlife so make sure you SPREAD THE WORD to obtain your firewood sustainably to protect the ecosystems of the Central Tablelands*
Environmental Flows
Recent discussions and plans around the area to harvest stormwater have stirred up some debate.
It is important to maintain an environmental flow in watercourse, which is important to both fauna and flora that inhabit these watercourses and riparian areas.
Understanding Environmental Flows