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Utilisation of stranded marine fauna washed ashore on K’gari (Fraser Island), Australia, by dingoes
For those of you interested in keeping up with current research, this paper was recently published in the Australian Journal of Zoology by Linda Behrendorff, Luke K.-P. Leung and Benjamin L. Allen. (more…)
Scientists to follow up Cooloola BioBlitz moth
The discovery of a new species of Boronia Moth during the Cooloola BioBlitz brought one of Australia’s leaders in scientific research to Cooloola next Month to follow up the discovery. (more…)
Fraser Island -K’gari Symposium: Sharing Knowledge, Sharing Understanding
The Fraser-K’gari Island symposium is being held at the Hervey Bay campus of the University of the Sunshine Coast on the 7-8 June 2018. (more…)
Dingoes – A highly evolved predator
There is no question that the dingo is a very capable predator. Predators often exhibit highly intelligent and adaptable behaviour and hunting techniques to catch, subdue or kill prey. (more…)
FINIA position on polluting the Great Sandy Strait
The Great Sandy Strait Ramsar Wetland is integral to the health of the Fraser Island (K’gari) World Heritage Area. FINIA is opposed to any sources of pollution to the Great Sandy Strait based on the implications for habitat for critically endangered fauna such as shorebirds and turtles that are also known to feed and breed in the area. (more…)
What to do if you get stung by an Irukandji?
Recently it was confirmed that an Irukandji jellyfish has been found off the west coast of K’gari. There have also been other suspected stings further down the coast. People visiting this area and across the broader marine environment should be extra vigilant about their personal safety. This extra care is particularly important for those operating vessels, diving or snorkelling. (more…)
Where has K’gari’s rainfall gone?
Citizen science has an enormous amount to contribute, as recently demonstrated when a Darwin mechanic discovered a new planet. Similarly, citizen science has a lot to contribute to our understanding of K’gari. For example, the driest year on record caused my son Keith and I to go poring over rainfall records. We thought that we would start with doing a detailed examination of Double Island Point, which is the closest place to the island with records going back for more than 100 years. What we found astonished us; it was a revelation. (more…)
Monitoring K’gari’s Weather
FIDO has just installed a second online weather station on K’gari at Eurong as part of an ongoing FIDO program to capture weather data from a broader area to assist in environmental monitoring. Through FIDO’s website, anyone in the world with access to the internet can see the temperature, barometric pressure, wind direction and rainfall at both Happy Valley and Eurong in real time and for the previous 14 days. FIDO also feeds the data to Weather Underground and the Bureau of Meteorology, where it can also be seen. They also add FIDO’s weather station input to their permanent storage.
Fraser Island Fauna Survey
Since departing Fraser Island 16 years ago, it was great to get back there earlier this year to renew acquaintanceships with old friends and make some new ones. I was over to assist a good friend and retired herpetologist, Harald Ehmann, to look for the endangered Fraser Island endemic, the Fraser Island Sand Skink Coggeria naufragus. I was on the island from the 8-13 February this year and Harald three days longer.
National Standards for Ecological Restoration
The National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration in Australia have just been released by the Society for Ecological Restoration in Australia (SERA) board’s Principles and Standards Reference group in close collaboration with the following partners and advisors:
Australian Association of Bush Regenerators (AABR), Australian Instituteof Landscape Architects (AILA), Australian Network for Plant Conservation, (ANPC) Australian Seed Bank Partnership (ASBP), Bush Heritage Australia (BHA) Gondwana Link, Greening Australia (GA), Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association (IFFA), The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (Advisor), Trees For Life (TFL), Trust for Nature Vic (TFN Vic) , WetlandCare Australia (WCA).
For anyone in the practice of ecological restoration, The Standards list (i) the principles that underpin current best practice ecological restoration and (ii) the steps required to plan, implement and monitor restoration projects to increase their chance of success. The Standards are applicable to any Australian ecosystem (whether terrestrial or aquatic) and any sector (whether private or public, mandatory or non-mandatory). They can be used by any person or organisation to help develop plans, contracts, consent conditions and closure criteria.
To download a copy of the document for yourself –National Restoration Standards.
