Bushfire Recovery - community wildlife reporting

 

searching for wildlife:DELWP & Wildlfe Unlimited Image:DELWP
 

 

This page provides information about how you can contribute information on bushfire recovery of wildlife, particularly in East Gippsland but also across other fire affected areas of Victoria;

  • Detailed information (who, what, when, where, how)
  • Links to additional resources (species info, apps, other bushfire recovery work)

Our aim is to

(a) engage community in bushfire recovery

(b) gather species distribution data across the bushfire affected area

 

 Project overview

How to report

Reporting is easy

Simply log your sightings of wildlife in bushfire affected areas on one of these apps

vba go
 
iNaturalist
 
birddata 150px
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or send your reports direct to:

What to report:

Essential information

  • Species and location
  • Date and time
  • Your contact details so we can update you on wildlife recovery

Additional information

  • The more detailed information you can provide the better
  • Notable absences
  • Changes over time
  • New occurrences
  • Behavioural information (nesting, what they are feeding on etc.)
  • A photograph, if you have one, taken with the location settings turned on which provides a grid reference

Optional

Important considerations

Be Covid safe;

  • Please continue to do your bit to help slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) by following the relevant restrictions and guidelines on

https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus

Do not disturb wildlife;

  • Approaching wild animals too closely or too often can threaten their survival by disrupting resting, mating or feeding, or disturbing efforts to take care of young.
  • Unlike livestock and domestic pets, wildlife can be stressed by the presence of humans. We are considered predators.
  • Remember the bush is their home and you are just visiting, so keep a respectful distance and avoid disturbing them.
  • Never try to pat or handle wild animals. Nearly every wild animal, no matter how timid or small, is capable of inflicting injury. Some wildlife also carry diseases that can be transferred to people.
  • More information: https://www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/protecting-wildlife/protecting-wildlife

 Other ways to get involved

Take a quick online survey
nature connection survey
Nature Connection Survey (Helping to understand how Victorians’ connect with nature). 

By participating in this survey, you will help us to understand how we as Victorians interact and connect with nature. The survey is completely anonymous and should only take around 5 minutes.

nature connection survey partners
More about the Nature Connection Survey - Arthur Rylah Institute

 

Other bushfire recovery projects;
  • 7 ways you can help nature recover from the bushfires

  • iNaturalist Environment recovery project - Australian Bushfires 2019-2020

  • If you know your plants you can also contribute to the Glossy Black Habitat mapping project: Glossy Black-Cockatoos depend on Allocasuarina (she-oak) cones for food and we need your help to find out where these trees have survived the fires. Reports of Glossy Blacks being seen on the outskirts of Melbourne is a sign that they are struggling to find food in their usual places. Report your sightings of this plant species, or we’ve got a simple app that enables you to carry out a quick survey if you come across any stands of Allocasuarina littoralis while you are out and about. Contact us if you’d like to be involved.
Speak to us;

Local knowledge is valuable. We want to hear your stories; tell us what you’ve observed following the fires including changes over time and notable absences.

  • Or if you have an interested group, we can arrange an information sharing session: We can tell you more about the bushfire recovery work DELWP has been doing, as well as listen to your group’s observations and experiences.

 

 Species descriptions and links to more information

Note: Images are subject to copyright and may not be used for any other purposes.

Glossy Black-Cockatoo Calyptorhynchus lathami

 

Glossy Black female © Shutterstock. Credit: Jayden Gunn

Glossy Black-Cockatoo (male) © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths

Glossy Black male © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths

Glossy Black-Cockatoo (female) © Shutterstock. Credit: Jayden Gunn

 

Glossy Black Cockatoo historic distribution
Distribution of Glossy Black-Cockatoo in Victoria from 2000 to pre-fire records.  2019-2020 bushfire area in black. Source: DELWP.

 

Glossy Black-Cockatoos are endemic to mainland Australia and are typically found in eucalypt forests and woodlands where they feed mainly on Allocasuarina (She-oak) cones and nest in large hollow bearing trees.

Identification 

Victoria has several other species of Black-Cockatoo that are easily confused so check your ID carefully. Glossy Black-Cockatoos are distinguished by the combination of red tail panels, barred in juveniles, and a brown head. Females also have irregular yellow blotches on their head. There are two other species of black-cockatoo in Victoria: Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos, and Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos (which lack the brownish tinge to their head feathers). Not us! If you see a yellow tail, a single yellow cheek patch, or a spotty head you’ve got the wrong bird.

link to video of Glossy Black-Cockatoo on DELWP facebook
Video of the Glossy Black Cockatoo  DELWP Gippsland facebook

 

More information

Spot-tailed Quoll Dasyurus maculatus
Spot-tailed Quoll. Image: © Shutterstock. Credit: Andreas Ruhz

Spot-tailed Quoll. Image © Shutterstock. Credit: Andreas Ruhz

Spot-tailed Quoll are a largely nocturnal carnivorous marsupial, rarely seen during the daytime. They occur in many forest types, particularly including lowland, foothill and montane moist and dry forests and woodlands.  

Spot-tailed Quoll distribution 2000 to pre fire Source:DELWP
Spot-tailed Quoll map of distribution (2000 to pre-fire records). 2019-2020 fire area in black. Source: DELWP.
More information:

Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
Released Koala © State of Victoria, DELWP

Koala © State of Victoria, DELWP

Koalas feed on eucalypt leaves and can be found in eucalypt woodlands and forests across lowland Victoria. They are arboreal marsupials spending most of their time feeding and sleeping in trees and coming down only to move to a new tree.

Released Koala © State of Victoria, DELWP
Koala map of distribution (2000 to pre-fire records). 2019-2020 fire area in balck. Source:DELWP.
More information

Eastern Ground Parrot Pezoporus wallicus
Eastern Ground Parrot Head © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths
Eastern Ground Parrot Head © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths
. Eastern Ground Parrot flight Credit: Greg McCarthy
Eastern Ground Parrot in flight. Credit: Greg McCarthy

 

Eastern Ground Parrot distribution from 2000 to pre-fire 2019-2020. Source DELWP
Eastern Ground Parrot map of distribution (2000 to pre-fire records). 2019-2020 fire area in black. Source:DELWP.

These birds are shy and elusive, they flush in fright and fly low before disappearing into the vegetation. Ground parrots are found in coastal areas and have distinctive, mostly bright grass-green plumage, marked above and below with bold black and yellow barring. They are small parrots about the size of a lorikeet.

More information

Diamond Python Morelia spilota spilota
Diamond Python © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths
Diamond Python © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths
Diamond Python distribution 2000 to pre-fire Source:DELWP
Diamond Python, map of distribution (2000 to pre-fire records). 2019-2020 fire area in black. Source: DELWP.

These patterned non-venomous snakes grow up to 2 – 4 m long and live up to 20 years. They are secretive and well camouflaged, occurring only in East Gippsland and along the NSW coast.

More information

Lace Monitor (Tree Goanna) Varanus varius
Lace Monitor © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths

Lace Monitor © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths

Lace Monitor © Shutterstock. Credit: Ken Griffiths
Lace Monitor map of distribution (2000 to pre-fire records). 2019-2020 fire area in black. Source: DELWP.

Lace monitors are Victoria’s largest lizards growing up to 2m in length. They are widespread across the east coast of Australia occurring in variety of habitats includine open forest and coastal plains.

More information

 

 What other bushfire work is being done?

DELWP

The 2019/20 fires were exceptional in size and impact. The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is continuing to coordinate and deliver actions to support and protect Victoria’s plants and animals following the fires.

Find out about DELWP’s bushfire biodiversity response and recovery work by visiting this page:  Victoria’s bushfire emergency: Biodiversity response and recovery

Or jump straight to Story Map: Managing species: Victorian Biodiversity Bushfire Response

screen shot DELWP interactive mapping of bushfire biodiversity response
Story Map: Managing species: Victorian Biodiversity Bushfire Response

to learn about projects focusing on

  • Mammals
  • Birds
  • Reptiles and frogs
  • Freshwater fish
  • Invertebrates
  • Flora

 

NatureWatch - Life After Fire

This project brings citizen science wildlife monitoring to four selected regions in East Gippsland over the next 3+ years. It will provide important data on wildlife recovery in high conservation priority areas after the extensive 2019-2020 bushfires. VNPA are partnering with local community groups and landowners, DELWP's bushfire biodiversity recovery program and independent scientists to help fill gaps in knowledge and contribute to strong wildlife recovery and habitat conservation outcomes in the region. From mid-January, 2021, we will be recruiting volunteers to assist with data collection across Autumn and Spring fieldwork seasons.

Please get in touch the NatureWatch Coordinator, Sera Blair, to register your interest in joining us for this amazing opportunity or visit https://vnpa.org.au/programs/naturewatch/

 

See also:

 

 Funding / partners

This project has been put together by DELWP in collaboration with ARI. The work is funded through the Victorian Government’s $17.5 million funding package to assist Phase 1 of the Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery program. The BBRER Program provides funding for immediate relief and early recovery to species and ecological communities most at-risk from the impacts of the 2019-20 Victorian bushfires.  

This page has been developed from information provided by Hayley Ricardo, DELWP, Gippsland Region, September 2020. 

Note: Images are subject to copyright and may not be used for any other purposes.

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