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Wildlife Relief and Recovery Grants (WIRES)

Project Title: ​	Assisting Habitat Restoration Post-Fire across the Shoalhaven
Duration:	May 2020 - May 2021
Cost:	$20,000
Description:	The project supported and assisted landcare groups to undertake restoration and recovery efforts to restore native habitat and support native fauna to recover from the results of the 2019-20 summer fires.
Objectives:	Monitoring of weed incursions and native revegetation. Contractor weed control at priority sites. Replanting at priority sites. Establishment and expansion of alternative habitat (nest boxes, bandicoot bungalows and false rock for Broad-headed Snakes) Increased recording of fauna recovery.
Outcomes:	Supply of 1250 plants to fire impacted owners at 14 sites. In addition to landowners planting, we held 5 community tree planting days with a total attendance of 90. Weed control activities were undertaken at 5 localities covering 9 separate sites.  More than 9 ha of fire-impacted bushland had their weed burden reduced and suppressed. Milton Landcare nursery propagated more than 1000 plants for replanting. A total of 242 alternative habitat microsites were established at 12 sites, to assist recovery for possums and gliders, bandicoots and reptiles. Three formal monitoring sites were commenced and are continuing. Weed load and revegetation assessments were undertaken at 21 sites. The project target of 10 ha was exceeded. Overall, 359 people were recorded as attending field days, presentations, training and tree planting events. These activities attracted participants from sectors new to Landcare, including members from Birdlife Shoalhaven and Rotary. Major project activities were communicated on social media on the Shoalhaven Landcare Facebook site. In February 2021 Shoalhaven Landcare held a Bushfire Recovery forum with talks covering the bushland recovery.

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Great Eastern Ranges Fire Recovery

Project Title: ​	Cores, Corridors and Koalas: Shoalhaven Landscape
Duration:	May 2021 - February 2022
Cost:	$30,000
Description:	This project formed a coordinated effort led by Shoalhaven Landcare, several of Shoalhaven Landcare’s member groups and Birdlife Shoalhaven to restore the health and resilience of habitat for a variety of forest-dependent native species in response to the devastating bushfire crisis of 2019 to 2020. The project was one of a series of coordinated, complementary activities being implemented to restore habitat and support movement of wildlife, taking place in strategic locations across the Great Eastern Ranges.
Objectives:	Mobilise Landcare and volunteer efforts in the restoration of fire-impacted habitat; Improve the effectiveness of this effort through on-ground contractor works, training and support for revegetation
Activities:	Reduce the impact of feral pests threatening priority species and weeds in burnt and adjacent unburnt remnant bushland through strategic and targeted control. Enhance and restore habitat for displaced priority species across burnt and adjacent unburnt landscapes Increase community understanding of the importance and processes of wildlife restoration, and increase the uptake of monitoring and recording observations of priority species, weeds and pests.
Outcomes:	Feral Pest Control. 31 sites were selected for feral pest control and 35 pests were controlled. Another 11 traps were located on different properties over a 9 month period. Contractors were asked about native wildlife observed during shoot operations. They have reported that, by early 2021, wallaby, kangaroo and wombat populations are back to pre-fire levels on those sites where there is significant grass and undergrowth regrowth. They also report possums as not uncommon. Control Weed Infection. The weed distribution and burden during the 12 months’ post fire has been somewhat unexpected. The early revegetation flush was dominated in many areas by annuals such as Ink Weed, which we expected would be a significant longer –term issue. During the late spring of 2020, the ink weed was outcompeted on many sites by native regeneration. More recently, during the summer, Wild Tobacco has started to become more dominant, occupying the mid-canopy space that previously had a eucalypt of rainforest canopy. Lantana has emerged as a significant threat on a small number of the sites that we have been assessing or working on. 57 outs of contact work was undertaken plus many unpaid hours by volunteers and landowners. Install Alternative Habitat. Three forms of alternative habitat were installed during this project, namely nest boxes, bandicoot hides and broad head snake rocks. 147 habitat installations over 13 sites were completed. Monitor Revegetation. Vegetation assessments were conducted on 22 fire-impacted sites, following advertising seeking landowners interested in being part of an ongoing project. Outcomes and learnings of our site monitoring at assessment were delivered at two public events. Revegetation. 690 tube stock were distributed for replanting on fire-impacted properties. Seed and cuttings have been collected from approximately 50 local species and supplied to the two community nurseries for propagation due to shortages as a result of the fires.. Food & Water for Wildlife. Over 150 sites for feeding local native wildlife commenced within a month of the bushfires in bushfire impacted areas across the Shoalhaven. Engagement. Training and awareness activities were delivered at the following localities with over 200 people attending. Monitoring. Changed circumstances since February (demise of NatureMapr, upgrades to FeralScan) required us to change our approach. We increased adoption of monitoring techniques using NatureMapR, Birdlife Australia’s Birdata, Feral Scan and other social media monitoring apps.

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Local Land Services Bush Fire Recovery Grant

The Red Fox

Broad-headed Snake

​Broad-headed Snake Video

Project Title: ​​	Emergency Pest Mitigation and Habitat Protection
Duration:	September 2020 - June 2021
Cost:	$13,500
Description:	Support for control of fox, goat and deer in strategic areas of Kangaroo Valley and artificial habitat for Broad-headed snakes.
Objectives:	To reduce pest animal numbers (foxes, goats, deer) for the protection of various priority species in the Kangaroo Valley area impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires.  One habitat augmentation program to increase available habitat for Broad-headed Snake populations impacted by the 2019/20 bushfires.
Activities:	Pest Control. Fox, goat and deer control by contractors in strategic areas of Kangaroo Valley. Artificial Habitat.  Design, construction and installation of suitable artificial habitat to provide harbour to Broad-headed snake populations at risk of predation.
Outcomes:	The target area covered involved 36 separate properties spread over 7 localities. The total area of these localities is approx. 100 sq km. A total of 69 pest species were controlled from a total of 82 site visits. Habitat augmentation was undertaken on three sites at Illaroo and Kangaroo Valley.(sites not advertised to minimise risk of disturbance). Three types of augmentation were installed, all on suitable sites (north-west facing rocky ridges that are not shaded); False rocks (both newly made and unused left over rocks from previous NPWS project) Relocation - rocks that had fallen off the ridge, or been disturbed, which did not provide suitable habitat For suitable rocks in situ, charcoal, fire debris and leaf litter and organic matter were removed to make a better habitat.
Notes:	Unfortunately, the broad-headed snake is now listed as endangered. Declining population numbers are most likely attributable to removal of rock faces and suitable habitat for this species, primarily due to urbanization and landscaping. Other rock-dwelling reptiles and invertebrates are without a doubt also negatively influenced by human modification of habitat.

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