Freycinet wax flower

Freycinet waxflower (Philotheca freyciana)

 

East Coast Catchments Project

Over the past year the Landscape Recovery Foundation has been working with Glamorgan Spring Bay Council and the East Coast Catchments Steering Committee to develop the Glamorgan Spring Bay Natural Resources Management and Climate Resilience Strategy. Considered to be a “living” document, the strategy will be progressively developed as it is put into action. We invite you to take a look and get involved in putting the strategy into action. Your feedback is also welcome as we review and improve it as we go.

The strategy provides an overview of the Natural Resources of the Glamorgan Spring Bay municipality, the pressures on those resources and priority actions for their management. It provides a framework for cross-tenure collaboration and cooperative action over the next five years.

The strategy documents include the formal STRATEGY, a SUMMARY version, and an EXTRACT with objectives, goals, and actions.

Over the next 12 months, comments and feedback will be consolidated for incorporation at the annual review. Each year the document with be evaluated against measures of success –reviewed and improved. This approach uses the principles of action planning, allowing the document to be able to adapt as new information about climate change and resource condition becomes available, to reflect community priorities, and to ensure that the actions in the strategy are achieving the desired outcomes.

For more information or to get involved contact mel.fazackerley@landscaperecovery.org

A big thank you to the community groups, stakeholders and the East Coast Catchments Steering Committee who provided input into the documents.

Prasophyllum olidum
Image © Geoff Curry

 

Saving threatened orchids

The Tasmanian Orchid Conservation and Research Program (TOCRP) aims to improve the conservation status of Tasmanian threatened orchids through the implementation of recovery actions identified in the National Tasmanian Threatened Orchid Flora Recovery Plan. The Recovery Plan identifies important conservation activities for 72 species occurring in Tasmania of which 36 are listed as threatened under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). The TOCRP is hosted at the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and is coordinated by the Landscape Recovery Foundation.

The Program is focusing on the following strategies: 

  1. Ensure that the Tasmanian orchid flora is represented in the Tasmanian Seed Conservation Centre’s collections 

  2. Educate the community about the importance of the Tasmanian orchid flora and its conservation.  

  3. Develop an orchid translocation program with goals to down list species most at risk of extinction.

For more details, see the Tasmanian Orchid Conservation Program Plan 2021-26.

All donations raised for the Orchid Conservation Program are currently going towards preserving the Township Lagoon Nature Reserve. Funds raised will be used to build fencing off the Reserve to restrict vehicle access. Find out more about this project here.

The Orchid Conservation Program has been built on considerable voluntary contributions. Here is a story from one of our volunteers and botanical artist, Deborah Wace. This program is supported by funding from the Australian Orchid Foundation, the Australian Government, West lands Nursery and Natural Area Consulting.

Swift parrot (Lathamus discolor)
Image © Eric Woehler
Used with permission

 

Swift parrot recovery

The Landscape Recovery Foundation contributes to the recovery of the endangered swift parrot by supporting ongoing monitoring of the population and nesting success. The LRF is partnering with statewide land managers to understand the distribution and population dynamics of the species and contribute to ongoing works to manage the key threats to this iconic species.

In 2022, The Landscape Recovery Foundation will undertake the following:  

  1. Assess population trends using monitoring data collected over past 10+ years 

  2. Analyse annual breeding season distribution and occupancy 

  3. Assess nest success, as trialled using acoustic monitoring data in the 2021-22 breeding season 

  4. Provide recommendations for future requirements for monitoring methodology to monitor swift parrot recovery and annual requirements for management applications. 

We plan to raise funds to support citizen science programs to better understand the distribution of the species on a yearly basis. We will collaborate with other organisations to further understand nesting success through use of acoustic monitoring technology.

 

Building landscape-scale plans

Landscapes are characterised by the local conditions; by geology, soils, vegetation, topography and climate. People live in them differently and use them according to the structure of their natural assets. The history of land use over time is also fundamental to the land's current structure and function. Broad over-arching strategies can be useful for conservation projects but targeted place-based planning is vital to capture the context in which management occurs.  

A key focus of the Landscape Recovery Foundation is to develop landscape management plans that clearly identify natural and agricultural assets, community infrastructure and management needs. The planning process is designed to prioritise action and develop a coordinated approach to delivering landscape programs that improve water quality, soil health, biodiversity and productivity.  

The plans take an holistic approach by considering how the landscape is used; how the local government planning affects land use; how state and federal legislation applies; and how local landholders can best interface with natural value assets and opportunities. The overarching aim is to improve landscape function and support long-term sustainability.  

We are currently working on developing our first landscape plan in the Derwent Catchment.