Long-nosed Bandicoot update - Glenburn

Long-nosed Bandicoot (LNB) numbers seem to have increased since the 2009 fires along the Stony Creek at Kinglake West, along the King Parrot Creek down to Hazeldene and at Toolangi.
The thick regrowth of native vegetation has probably favoured the bandicoots and provided protection from predators such as foxes and cats.
Our fauna monitoring with remote sensor cameras in these areas has turned up many photographs of the usually secretive creatures.

Long-nosed Bandicoot at Glenburn

Long-nosed Bandicoot at Glenburn

 




Recently after noticing diggings and other possible signs on a property in Glenburn we set up our cameras and were rewarded by these photographs of Long-nosed Bandicoots.

This site is on private land along a tributry of Katy's Creek in an area of native riparian vegetation. The area has been fenced off by the landowner to protect it from their cattle and to encourage natural regeneration. This has certainly paid off because as well as the bandicoot's we also photographed Swamp Wallabies, Bush Rats, Wombats, Brush-tail Possums and birds including the shy Bassian Thrush.
 
This map shows the locations where we have recorded LNB's throughout the Kinglake Ranges over the last two years.

Map showing locations of Long-nosed Bandicoots observations by UGLN

If you see a bandicoot or possible evidence please let us know by phoning 5736 0104 or email ugrecovery@gbcma.vic.gov.au

Greater Glider recovery project

Thanks to funding provided by Landcare Australia the Upper Goulburn Landcare Network has been able to provide alternative nesting sites for the Greater Gliders living along the Number Two and Number One Creeks at Kinglake.

Kinglake Rover Sam helping to install the nest boxes.



The Greater Glider Petauroides volans

Twelve specially built nest boxes were purchased from Latrobe Wildlife Sanctuary and installed in the creek reserves amongst the tall Mountain Ash forest.

Greater Glider habitat along the Number Two Creek.

These areas were burnt in the 2009 fires, and while they are regenerating very well many of the large old habitat trees containing hollows that the Greater Gliders used were destroyed.
During spotlighting as part of a fauna survey along the Number Two Creek in November 2011 members of the Kinglake Landcare Group were lucky to observe a Greater Glider gliding from tree to tree. Since then more have also been observed at the nearby Kinglake East Flora Reserve.

Kinglake Rover Karly with two of the nest boxes.

The project has been well assisted by Rover Scouts from the Kinglake Scouts Junior Landcare Group who helped with the installation of the boxes.

Chris Cobern

California Conservation Corps

Volunteers from the California Conservation Corps (CCC) are currently in Australia on an 8 week exchange project with Conservation Volunteers Australia.

The have been working in South Australia and Victoria carrying out erosion and salinity control, seed collection, construction and maintenance of walking tracks, endangered flora and fauna surveys and monitoring.

During their time in Victoria the CCC spent a couple of days removing Blackberry, Broom and Tutsan from the Number Two Creek Reserve in Kinglake and helped with site preparation for a Kinglake Landcare/UGLN national tree day planting proposed for the nearby Koala Browse site.

Volunteers from the CCC at the Koala Browse site.

Fencers Without Boundaries winds up

After another very successful year the UGLN fire recovery fencing program 'Fencers Without Boundaries' (FWB) has finally come to an end.

SA Rotary volunteers fencing at Kinglake (2011)

Victorian Mobile Landcare Group (2010)

FWB stalwarts John Belfio and Alan Stafford at Sunday Creek (2011)

Fire affected landowners provided the fencing materials and UGLN provided the volunteer labour. For over three years volunteers with our fencing program contributed 3580 days to rebuild 246 KM of new fencing and remove 87.3 KM of burnt and damaged fencing on properties throughout Murrindindi and Mitchell Shires. 


Fencing off a wetland at Glenburn with CVA volunteers (2012)

Benalla High School students with
Uniting Church volunteers (2010)



International Bible Study volunteers with Alan helping to
fence off  the Spring Creek at Flowerdale (2012)

Funded by the Federal Governments 'Caring for our Country' and the 'Recycling for Recovery'
program, we were able to put tens of thousands of dollars back into the local community and small business' by sourcing local hotel and bunkhouse accommodation, catering and meals for our hardworking volunteers, quality tools and hardware from local suppliers, safety wear and PPE, the list goes on. 


Four Wheel drivers Marg, Geoff, Fred, Mitch and Ron. (2010)

We sourced volunteers from many areas and have been well supported by the Uniting Church, 4WD Clubs of Victoria, SA Rotary, Green Corp, Victorian Mobile Landcare Group, Benalla Secondary College, Hughes Creek Catchment Collaborative, Marcellin College, Conservation Volunteers Australia and International Bible Study Group Australia. As well as many corporate groups including NAB, ANZ, Earnst and Young, GPT Group, CPA and Cadbury.

NAB fencing at Kilmore East (2011)

ANZ volunteers removing burnt fences (2010)

Special mention must also go to the following individuals for the many, many days they volunteered towards our project: Alan Stafford, John Belfio, Neil Ireland, Lance Morrisby, Alan Diak, Tom Maddern, Chris Renwick, Rev. David Howie, all the Shepparton boys including Howard, Peter, Don, John E and John C, 4W drivers Geoff, Ron, Fred, Marg and Mitch, SA Rotarians Tony, Jannine, Brian, Kevin and Shirley and very sadly the late Glen Clement.

Shepparton boys having a break for lunch (2010)

Fencing volunteers and landowners at a 2011 get together.

In 2012 our priority was for fencing to protect native habitats such as waterways, native vegetation and revegetation sites. We built 31.8 KM of fencing on private land to protect riparian areas along the King Parrot, Spring, Mountain and Stony Creeks and also to protect over 20 hectares of remnant vegetation across the Kinglake Ranges.

Our equipment and volunteers are still being put to good use helping the Strath Creek Landcare Group with the fencing component of there biodiversity project.


Kevin Roberts (SA Rotary), Alan Stafford (Uniting Church) and Chris Cobern (UGLN)

Lorax Project 2012

The Upper Goulburn Landcare Networks revegetation 'Lorax Project' has finished for another year after a very successful year of tree planting throughout the fire affected areas of Murrindindi Shire.

JBWere volunteers at Buxton

This year 452 volunteers from NAB, ANZ, JBWere, Camberwell Secondary College, Strath Creek Landcare Group, Kevin Heinz Garden Centre, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Kinglake Landcare Group and the Salvation Army helped plant a total of 12110 indigenous plants.

ANZ volunteers at Kinglake

We also had great support again from Fifteen Trees who were able to provide much needed funds to purchase many plants for our project.

NAB volunteers planting trees funded by 15Trees

The Kevin Heinz Garden Centre with funding assistance from Rotary again grew many thousands of plants for us and even came up for a day to plant some at the Kinglake Lions Park.


Kevin Heinz Garden Centre volunteers at Kinglake Lions Park

We developed a great project with the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority which allowed us to fence and revegetate many kilometres of riparian areas along the King Parrot Creek and Spring Creek in Flowerdale.

NAB volunteers planting along the Spring Ck at Flowerdale

We revegetated 32 hectares of farmland and waterways on properties at Strath Creek, Flowerdale, Kinglake, Glenburn, Buxton and Murrindindi.


ANZ volunteers at Glenburn

The Lorax Project will continue in 2013 and thousands of seedlings are being grown as we speak in preparation for next years planting season.

NAB volunteers at Buxton

We will also be helping the Strath Creek Landcare Group with the tree planting component of their biodiversity project.

Volunteers at Strath Creek

Anyone interested in volunteering with our project in 2013 or landowners interested in getting tree planting carried out on their properties contact Chris Cobern on 5736 0104.