The Albury Conservation Company has taken its biggest step yet in protecting the region’s squirrel glider population.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A draft plan developed by the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology has been released to plot the long-term monitoring of the threatened species.
Funded by the ACC and the NSW Department of Industry – Lands, the plan proposes establishing camera traps at one-kilometre intervals at 80 to 100 sites twice a year.
ARCUE researcher Kylie Soanes, who developed the plan with Rodney van der Ree, said the plan was a major step forward after more than a decade of discussions.
“We want to use these cameras to get a broad idea of where squirrel gliders are throughout the landscape and really importantly where they aren’t,” she said.
“We’re going to use motion-triggered cameras and the idea is the data, photos and images from those camera traps will be put on a public platform. The public can see what’s out there and help us with the data.
“It will be ready to start next year, but we have to get the funding behind it.”
Ms Soanes said there were a number of environmental grants available, like the NSW government’s saving our species grants, that could provide funding.
ACC co-ordinator Sam Niedra said discussing the plans with 45 representatives of 20 different organisations was the first step to enact the proposal.
“This is the first time a co-ordinated plan has been developed for the squirrel glider in this area,” he said.
“The population is going to increase five-fold over the next two to three decades, so if we’re going to conserve squirrel gliders we need to understand where they are and how they’re faring.”
Mr Niedra said if parts of the population looked to be in trouble, there were various supporting strategies.
“It’s things like making sure we’re protecting hollow-bearing trees, where they prefer to live,” he said.
“Also, they can glide safely about 40 metres, so if there are areas that don’t have a connected tree line, planting native seedlings can bridge gaps.”
Mr Niedra said the plan would not be possible without the Thurgoona Men’s Shed, whose members had built prototypes of their original squirrel-glider nest boxes to house cameras.
Men’s Shed member Bruce Dyce said the nest boxes first built by Rick Taylor years ago had been modified to fit cameras.
“We’ve had a look in a few recently and they’re working – squirrel gliders are living in them,” he said.
“The more we’ve got out there, the more it will hopefully increase the population.”
