Conservation and Restoration mentoring in the UNESCO Fitzgerald Biosphere

21 Oct

Blending education, culture, training and conservation, Albany TAFE students undertaking Conservation and Ecosystem Management certification immersed into ground truthing their eco-restoration theory within the Fitz-Stirling region during March. The Fitzgerald Biosphere Community Collective (FBCC) has been eager to use funding from Lotterywest to give our future generations’ the relevant and recent exposure to industry, including the ways in which Indigenous cultural involvement holds mutual value-add benefits to contemporary land management.

We begin by meeting Goreng Elder Uncle Euy at the Karda Geoglyph, he explained the integration of Noongar cultural practices with modern Whadjula ecological restoration methods. Collaborations such as this one and Nowanup reserve have provided over 400 Hectares of protection and restoration in this region.

The mizzley (misty drizzle) day didn’t dampen spirits to continue onto Bush Heritage Australia’s (BHA) Red Moort Field Studies centre. An active member of the FBCC, four of BHA’s Fitz-Stirling properties are located within the FB. With a focus on landscape connectivity, BHA align with Gondwana Link (https://gondwanalink.org/) and it’s vision - an ambitious plan to connect the forests of the South West Capes across to the Greater Western woodlands over a 1000km band.

We learn more about Bush Heritage Australia’s (BHA) Fitz-Stirling Reserves Manager - Heather Barnes’ journey to her position now as she shares her ‘on the job’ tasks and training to prepare for careers and ongoing learning within the industry.

The Field station was also hosting a few others taking advantage of the facility for the evening. Biosecurity teams were engaged in bait deployments and PHD candidate with Murdoch University, BHA and DBCA, Natalie Grassi was in the field and shared with us parts of her research investigating wildlife ecology at conservation corridors, particularly how native wildlife and introduced predators respond to fragmentation and revegetation in the Fitz-Stirling region.

The following day we met botanist Libby Sandiford as she shared her knowledge and extensive experience of the BHA properties and her time surveying these properties during the beginnings of restoration efforts over the past decade.

We had a classroom session introducing us to the area and Botany 101 before taking a walk through Monjebup North restored and remnant patches to give some insight into the dedication it takes to attempt species diverse restoration efforts that match soil types at the SERA (Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia) standards.

A number of surveys undertaken on these BHA properties by Libby, has identified almost 1000 plant species across a 70 km stretch. She concluded that neither plant species nor vegetation type are evenly distributed across this landscape, lending itself to require nuanced processes to restore areas in this region.

Original and ongoing efforts are immense to try and restore land to a high ecological level within such a diverse and fragmented area. Additionally, new seedlings have been steadily introduced and the presence of species like Malleefowl, Tammar Wallaby and Carnaby's Black Cockatoo confirmed. Artificial nest boxes support Pygmy Possums, with ongoing efforts focused on controlling feral animals and further landscape restoration to enhance these multiple species continued recovery.

This experiential learning approach fosters a new generation of environmental leaders, lending to the melding of science, culture, and community engagement whilst strengthening partnerships between educational institutions, conservation organisations and Noongar custodians.

The impact of this initiative extends far beyond the classroom. By empowering students with the tools to engage in meaningful conservation work, the program contributes to the long-term sustainability of the Fitz-Stirling and Fitzgerald Biosphere regions and surrounding ecosystems.