NRM Notes Issue 18, June 2014 Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Orange NSW 2800 www.invasiveanimals.com In this issue: Competition now open! Free entry! ACTA Award Winner Sue Metcalf - p1 Little River Landcare Field Day - p3 Hovells Creek Action Plan Launch - p4 Weddin Shire Pest Seminar - p5 New Feralscan community facility - p6 National Wild Dog Action Plan - p7 You can contact me: Jessica Marsh National NRM Facilitator P: +61 2 6391 3907 M: 0400 586 060 jessica.marsh @invasiveanimals.com A well deserved award for Sue Metcalf and Chittering Landcare - ‘Securing our Future’ Sue is the hard working coordinator of the Brockman River and Ellen Brook Catchment Group that is based within the Chittering Landcare Centre These rivers are 80Km north of Perth and contribute ultimately to the Swan River Catchment. The catchments cover 2200 square km of land including high density urban areas, peri urban small rural holdings, broad-acre farming and National Parks. Congratulations Sue! The community spoke and Chittering Landcare listened! The community identified invasive animals as a big problem in their Western Australian periurban environment and yet no one had the skills or equipment to properly deal with them. After a community meeting, an initial amount of funding was secured to train field operators which gave their group legitimacy and guidance about the best options to control the animals. Continued on next page... P a g e |1 NRM Notes From page 1.... After the training the group looked at the best methods of capturing feral pigs in their area and the only real option they had was traps. After trialling many different traps they came up with two that suit the pigs in the area and a different combination of baits for different times of the year. “Each area is different – what works in your area may not work somewhere else”. Sue says “Our program is simple. We trap and remove feral pigs and bait and opportunistically shoot foxes. We have six trained trappers, two of which are employed by the group as contractors. The contractors provide their own bait, vehicle, fuel and insurance. Trapping is a very resource intensive method of management but given our limited ability to use poison (proximity to residences) it is the only method available to us.” “Your people are your greatest asset. It is so important to keep them happy and motivated. Feed them!!! A cup of coffee and a chat goes a long way to help your program achieve great outcomes.” The group have removed 243 pigs in the last 18 months. By trapping, shooting and poisoning they have reduced the fox population by 2,400 in two months. “It is not rocket science. It’s basic. And it works” NRM Notes The Invasive Animals CRC welcomes Kylee Carpenter! We would like to welcome a new media and marketing Communications Officer, Kylee Carpenter, to our Canberra office. Her first week on the job was the AVPC Conference in Brisbane - perhaps a little overwhelming but a great chance to meet lots of people! Kylee comes to us from an environmental NGO where she was responsible for event management, communications and everything in between. She has 14 years experience in environmental management and sustainability advisory roles in various organisations involved in environmental advocacy, local government, health care, academia and utilities. [email protected] or phone: +61 2 6201 2890 Kylee will be the IA CRC media contact and is responsible for the upcoming annual report. Great to have you on board Kylee! Little River Landcare Pest & Weed Field Day, Yeoval N.S.W Sue Metcalf and the Chittering Landcare group were awarded the Animal Control Technologies Australia (ACTA) Award at the Australiasian Vertebrate Pest Conference in May. Sue and her group have demonstrated true community-led action and motivated hundreds at the conference during her key-note presentation. Thanks Sue and thanks to ACTA who support practitioners out there - keep up the good work. Contact Sue Metcalf: [email protected] http://chitteringlandcare.org.au/ Little River Landcare situated in the Central West of NSW hosted an Invasive Pests & Weeds workshop to coincide with their current Rivers & Rocks Project- it was a unique opportunity for landholders to address the issue of invasive species along Riparian zones. Follow up story from last issue .... St Helens Fox Program ‘Southern Brown Bandicoots spreading under the community fox control umbrella at St Helens.’ Images fresh from the remote sensing cameras around the St Helens Reserve are showing the endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot are positively responding to a fox control program. The Basalt to Bay Landcare Network has been coordinating a fox control program funded by Pacific Hydro and the Glenelg Hopkins CMA over the past 8 weeks. The program is designed to reduce fox pressure on the Southern Brown Bandicoots in the Parks Victoria St Helens Reserve, so that the bandicoots can spread into adjoining land and habitat without predator impacts. Contact: Lisette Mill, Basalt to Bay Landcare Network, Koroit Vic 3282 0408 712 713 [email protected] 2 | P a g e The day was well attended by over 20 farmers all eager to gain further knowledge in current methods on targeting feral pests & weeds on their property. The calibre of speakers from the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IACRC) in Orange lead by Jess Marsh & Chris Lane was outstanding. Practical demonstrations in monitoring and control proved popular with the landholders, gathering further skills and new ideas to help in the management and control of pests on their land. “ Great day with lots of information not normally seen in Field days. I was brought up to date with new techniques for fox and pig baiting that I was previously unaware of. I thoroughly enjoyed the amount of research that has been conducted in these areas and the way it was presented.” Don Bruce “Merriwong” Cumnock - Landholder & participant in the Rivers & Rocks project. Contact: Pip Job and Mel Kiel, Little River Landcare, Yeoval, N.S.W Email: [email protected] Phone: 02 68464569 P a g e |3 NRM Notes Hovells Creek Landcare Action Plan Launch The Hovells Creek Landcare ‘Action Plan for Habitat Management in the Western Sector of the Kanangra Boyd to Wyangala (K2W) Corridor of the Great Eastern Ranges’ was launched at the Reids Flat Community Hall in NSW on Friday 16 May. The Action Plan has been developed by Hovells Creek Landcare over the past six months with considerable input from regional landholders, the local community and wildlife, habitat management, cultural heritage, weed and feral animal control experts, with funding support from the Great Eastern Ranges initiative through its K2W community group funding program. The Kanangra-Boyd to Wyangala (K2W) Link Corridor is part of the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative (GERI), a major interstate project which brings together community groups, conservation and farming bodies and public agencies to link and protect native species habitats along the Great Dividing Range (www. greateasternranges.org.au). The long term goal is to support native species migrations along a natural corridor stretching 3,600km from the Grampians in western Victoria, through NSW, the ACT and Queensland to the wet tropics to the north of Cairns. A major focus of the plan and indeed the corridor as a whole is the management of pest animal species. The IA CRC has been involved in guiding on-ground cooperative and strategic actions and project funding initiatives in the region. On hand to launch the plan was the NSW Minister for Agriculture, and Member for Burrinjuck, the Honourable Katrina Hodgkinson MP. Contact: Keith Hyde, Hovells Creek Landcare, 02 63452405 [email protected] Facilitation at a Glance: Your Pocket Guide to Facilitation Facilitation skills are crucial to the success of groups and teams. Facilitators guide and direct the process, therefore resulting in more effective and efficient projects. Considering all the meetings that project managers and leaders hold, it’s easy to see why facilitation is fast becoming recognised as an essential core skill! Not only do project managers need to know how to run highly effective meetings, they also need strategies for creating buy-in, overcoming resistance and building true consensus. After more than12 years as a best seller, Facilitation at a Glance! is now in its third edition packed with even more resources, exciting tools, and a new concise look! Check it out online @ www.memoryjogger.org 4 | P a g e NRM NRMNotes Notes Weddin shire feral animal seminar leads to on ground action! On the 8th April Weddin Landcare and Central West Local Land Services hosted a seminar on feral animals that are prevalent in the shire. The day was well supported by over 30 landholders and Grenfell residents who gained a valuable insight into management options for feral animals. We had an array of guest speakers from various relevant organisations including Local Land Services (LLS), The Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) and Animal Control Technologies Australia (ACTA). One of the biggest outcomes of the day was the formation of 6 action groups (based on location) who will work collaboratively with neighbours and gain more support in their area. Each of these 6 groups has a coordinator who will liase with the LLS and listen to their members to ensure a coordinated approach to management is carried out across the region. Progress and Action! After the local seminar, Weddin Landcare sponsored a 1080 and Pindone course for about 15 locals, ran by Kim Rogers and Wendy Gill. Participants heard lots of practical information amongst all the regulations. All have now received certification cards and 2 groups have already carried out a group fox baiting with others planning to. Some of the groups formed from the seminar have reported that they have found a few extra members by word of mouth. Landcare has also been in contact with National Parks and State Forests who are both happy to be included in any group activities. Some cameras are also going out so farmers can get a feel for them before the group launches into larger scale pig baiting and monitoring. Contact: Stephen Perieira E: [email protected] P: 0409 814 182 Want up to date information about the IACRC and what our researchers are doing? Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/PestSmart P a g e |5 NRM Notes this h c t Wa ! Space “Toolbox Tour” with US engagement experts raise interesting issue about community engagement An international team of researchers and facilitators held workshops about community engagement practices, barriers and opportunities across Australia during May. The team included community engagement expert Lyndal JoyThompson from the IACRC and UNE, IA CRC National Facilitators Jessica Marsh, Greg Mifsud and Lisa Adams, and, collaborators from Pennsylvania State University, Bill Shuffstall and Walt Whitmer. Bill and Walt, whom each have 30 years experience, have developed an online Toolbox to provide resources for community engagement practitioners in the Australian NRM and invasive animal space. The collective team was seeking to better learn and understand how we do things in Australia, and, to identify gaps and opportunities in community engagement, techniques, tools, training, practices and processes. Workshops were held in, Armidale, Melbourne, Orange, Perth, Swan Hill and Toowoomba. Participants included LLS staff, biosecurity officers, Landcare & NRM coordinators, NPWS officers, government professionals, landholders and researchers, ensuring a good mix of perspectives and experiences. The workshops uncovered a vast amount of knowledge held by local engagement professionals and participants provided a large list of ‘wishes’ and needs for inclusion in the toolbox. The importance of issues like trust, building relationships, conflict resolution skills, good facilitation skills, mentoring in engagement and the need to plan for and evaluate engagement activities emerged as key themes from the workshops. Watch this space for future updates on the new resources that will become available for everyone. For more information, contact Lyndal Joy-Thompson: [email protected] New community facility in FeralScan FeralScan now hosts a NEW community facility for you to create or join an online group to share your observations with other active people in your local area. By joining a group, you can (1) keep members better informed about current pest problems, (2) work together with members to target problem areas, and (3) measure the outcomes of control across your local area. Groups can also print maps for planning of future pest animal control. If you are a member of an existing group (such as a landholder network or Local Council) this new feature could be very useful to you and your members. Simply visit www.feralscan.org.au or contact Peter West on [email protected] 6 | P a g e NRM Notes Check it out online @ http://www.woolproducers.com.au/nationalwild-dogs-action-plan/ After 12 months of development and consultation, the National Wild Dog Action Plan will be officially launched by the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Barnaby Joyce, on the 4 July in Armidale. WoolProducers Australia brought together key stakeholders from around the country to harness the work being done on wild dogs to facilitate a nationally coordinated approach. The Invasive Animals CRC will be part of the launch in Armidale showcasing our wild dog research and management strategies. The aim of the Plan is to deliver best practice for wild dog management that is safe, efficient and humane and supports continuing economic activity while being socially acceptable and environmentally sustainable. Wild dog control work is already being conducted by local and regional groups and the national approach seeks to build on and strengthen this work, consistent with local priorities. Wild dogs are a known or potential risk to at least 14 native mammals, reptiles and birds and estimates of the impacts on the Australian economy from livestock production losses conservatively range from $48-60 million annually. The Final Draft Plan is available from WoolProducers Australia Update on Yorke Peninsula Fox baiting Program As part of the Southern Yorke Peninsula Fox baiting for biodiversity program which commenced in 2007, field staff from Natural Resources Northern and Yorke have been collecting fox scat samples over the past 3 baiting rounds for dietary analysis. The February to April rounds occur when landowners are lambing throughout Southern Yorke Peninsula, and the results in 2013 show that the foxes diet consisted of a high percentage of sheep. The October to November round occurs when rabbit numbers peak and data shows them as the main feed source at that time. This year mice numbers on parts of Yorke Peninsula have reached plague numbers, and the most recent results reflect this in the foxes diet (see figure above right). Each round of baiting sees 2,800 baits being laid at 690 permanent bait sites over an area of 80,000 hectares during a ten week period. This process occurs twice a year. One of the pleasing observations is that reptile scales, bird feathers, bird bones and egg shells are currently a small part of the foxes diet. If fox numbers can be kept low enough, the impacts on the endangered species being protected by the program will also be reduced. Contact Ken Rudd: [email protected] P a g e |7 FERALPHOTOS Invasive Animals CRC 2014 h c r a e Res in w Revie This section of NRM Notes is dedicated to the scientific papers that have recently been published and are important in progressing our knowledge in pest management. Below are summaries of two recent journal publications- I hope you find them interesting. If you would like a copy of these scientific papers in full, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: [email protected] Slow recruitment in a red-fox population following poison baiting: a non-invasive mark–recapture analysis By Oliver Berry, Jack Tatler, Neil Hamilton, Steffi Hilmer, Yvette Hitchen and Dave Algar From: Wildlife Research, 2013, 40, 615–623 Journal and article webpage: http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=WR13073 Optimal management of invasive species should determine the interval between lethal-control operations that will sustain a desired population suppression at minimum cost. This requires an understanding of the species’ rate of recruitment following control. These data are difficult to acquire for vertebrate carnivores such as the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), which are not readily trapped or observed. We used non-invasive DNA sampling of fox hairs in semi-arid Western Australia where the population was subject to two episodes of aerially delivered sodium fluoroacetate (1080) poison baits within 12 months. Sampling took place at ~45-day intervals and individual foxes were identified by genotyping eight microsatellite DNA markers and a genderspecific marker. Following a severe reduction in density after baiting, fox density during the ensuing 12 months increased slowly (0.01 foxes km–2 month–1), such that density had only reached 22% of pre-baiting levels ~10 months after the initial baiting. Baiting with 1080 poison significantly reduced the density of foxes, and the low density was sustained for more than 6 months. Foxes moved significantly further between recaptures after baiting when at low densities. Control programs in this region may be carried out at low frequency to suppress fox density to a fraction of unbaited levels. The intensity of follow-up baiting may also be adjusted downwards, to take account of an increased probability of bait encounter in more mobile foxes. Power Hours-Invasive Species Communication Through Collaborative Webinars FREEENTRY\PRIZES WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS OF AUSTRALIA’S PEST ANIMALS COMPCLOSES30SEPT2014 FORINFO\ENTERONLINE @ www.invasiveanimals.com/feral-photos 8 | P a g e By Annemarie M. Nagle, Robin Usborne, Amy Stone, Deborah McCullough, and Clifford S. Sadof From: The Journal for Extension - Expanding and updating the research and knowledge base for Extension professionals and other adult educators to improve their effectiveness. Journal homepage: http://www.joe.org/index.php Invasive species are widely recognized as critical threats to global biodiversity, agriculture, and natural resources (Aukema et al., 2011; Pimentel, Zuniga, & Morrison, 2005). As our understanding of invasion pathways and the role of human transport in spreading invasive species has increased, so too has the importance of public education and outreach. Invasive species education and management are thus increasingly important aspects of the duties of agriculture and natural resources Extension professionals at local, state, and federal levels (Sundermeier, 2005). In a time when many state and federal agencies are experiencing budget cuts and some states are terminating their Extension programs altogether, cross-agency collaborations can help reduce costs and increase efficiency and impact. The collaborative webinar project Emerald Ash Borer University (EAB-U) was established in 2009 to address pressing communications needs regarding the invasive emerald ash borer in the midst of national financial crisis. The 40 EAB-U webinars to date have been viewed over 10,000 times. Results of a post-webinar survey evaluating audience composition, impact, and participant satisfaction are presented, and suggest EAB-U webinars reach key audiences who share and apply learned information. Extension professionals faced with complex issues such as invasive species should consider a collaborative webinar approach to efficiently communicate harmonized messages in a cost effective manner. P a g e | 9