After two years of threatened species monitoring in Albury, in 2020 Albury Conservation Company has expanded our program into Wodonga.

When and how did the program start?

• June 2018 – Albury Conservation Company started a threatened species monitoring program across Thurgoona/Wirlinga, the major urban growth area of Albury. The initial focus of the program was the Squirrel Glider (Petaurus norfolcensis).

• The program is based on a monitoring plan funded by Albury Conservation Company (with NSW Department of Industry – Lands), and produced by the Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology in December 2016. In early 2017 the plan was addended following a peer review conducted by Dr Damian Michael, Board Dirctor of Albury Conservation Company and Senior Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University.

• The program was initially funded entirely by Albury Conservation Company, including advertising for and recruiting a wildlife ecologist (Dylan McWhinney, DM Ecological) in April 2018.

• Potential monitoring sites were identified and mapped by Liam Grimmett (LG Spatial) on behalf of Albury Conservation Company.

• Permits were obtained to undertake the research, including Animal Ethics approval from Charles Sturt University, a wildlife research permit from NSW Government, and site access was negotiated with a variety of land owners, including the Albury Environmental Land network.

Why is the monitoring being done?

• Squirrel Gliders are a threatened species in NSW, listed as ‘vulnerable’. The species is listed as Endangered in Victoria. This means they are on the slippery slope to extinction.

• Thurgoona / Wirlinga contains a regionally significant population of Squirrel Gliders, however they face an uncertain future in Albury’s growth area. If we are not careful, they are at risk of becoming locally extinct.

• Until we began the program, the surveying of gliders had been site-specific (e.g. a requirement of an individual development application), or opportunistic (e.g. nestbox checks). Hence we did not know whether the local glider population was increasing, stable or in decline.

• Our monitoring program aims to provide scientific evidence of the health of our local Squirrel Glider population, and to raise the alarm if a serious threat is detected at specific sites, allowing responsible stakeholders the opportunity to act. Before it is too late!

How is the monitoring being done?

• The main tool being used to monitor for Squirrel Gliders are motion-sensing cameras. Albury Conservation Company uses 70 cameras in the program, purchased thanks to two grants from Wettenhall Environment Trust and public donations to our 2018 Edge Pledge campaign.

• Our ecologist Dylan McWhinney is deploying the cameras at the following rates: 60+ sites per survey effort in both Albury and Wodonga, two survey efforts annually (autumn and spring), each camera is deployed for 10 days per site.

• The cameras are placed at a variety of sites around Thurgoona / Wirlinga (Albury) and Leneva /Baranduda (Wodonga) including: urban, peri-urban (approved development / proposed development), rural, riparian, remnant woodland, roadside reserves and revegetation.

What are the results of the program so far?

• Our latest Albury monitoring report for Spring 2019 can be viewed here.

• This report completes two years of strategic monitoring of Squirrel Gliders (as well as birds) by our ecologist Dylan McWhinney throughout Albury’s major urban growth area.

• In winter 2020, we expanded our monitoring program into Wodonga. 48 sites were monitored in the first round and Squirrel Gliders were detected at 26% of the total sites.

 

• Our Spring 2020 monitoring in Albury is underway. We will continue monitoring in Albury for at least until June 2021 thanks to a three year funding commitment from Albury City Council. We are preparing to negotiate funding of the program beyond the current commitment.

• We have also recently expanded the program into City of Wodonga (Vic) thanks to a major three-year grant fromt the Ross Trust, and partnership with Wodonga Council. Monitoring began in winter 2020, and will again be undertaken in Spring.

• This is a major boost for the program, and a significant step towards achieving strategic cross-border monitoring of threatened species. Initially, our focus will be arboreal mammals, primarily Squirrel Glider and Brush-tailed Phascogale.

 

 

How can community members participate?

• There are many ways that the Albury Wodonga community can participate in the program.

• Over 100,000 images have been captured by the cameras in round one of the program. For interested volunteers, we would love a hand checking individual photos and identifying which ones contain gliders and other wildlife – please get in touch with us if you are interested.

• We will be conducting events to promote the program – follow us on Facebook for announcements.

 

Program Reports:

• Winter 2018 – Squirrel Glider Monitoring Program – Thurgoona / Wirlinga, NSW
• Spring 2018 – Squirrel Glider Monitoring Program – Thurgoona / Wirlinga, NSW
• Autumn 2019 – Squirrel Glider Monitoring Program – Thurgoona / Wirlinga, NSW
• Spring 2019 – Squirrel Glider Monitoring Program – Thurgoona / Wirlinga, NSW

NOTE: The 2020 report will combine the monitoring results from both Albury and Wodonga, and is scheduled for release in early 2021.

Program Funders:

We are deeply grateful to the following organisations for the funding they have provided:

 

Program Partners: 

 

 

For more information:

• Contact our Executive Officer (Sam Niedra) – M 0447 183 747, [email protected]

• Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/alburyconservationco

• Join our mailing list by filling in your details at the top right hand corner of this website.