Around your reserves in 90 days

Fire at Eurardy

	Photo: Al Dermer

"Intensely hot and uncomfortable," is how Elizabeth Lescheid remembers the feeling of being clad in non-breathable flame-retardant gear as she fought a fire on Eurardy Reserve in 40-degree-plus heat in late February.

"It's the first time for a bushfire here since Bush Heritage purchased the property in 2005," says Elizabeth, Eurardy Reserve Manager. The fire started by lightning strike on a neighbouring property.

"Bushfire is always a threat here over summer due to extreme hot and dry conditions," adds Elizabeth.

"It's really important to stop a hot burn from spreading into some of our fire-sensitive areas. We were overwhelmed by the effort of the many volunteers who helped contain the fire."

Ironically, part of the 1223 ha burn area was already earmarked for prescribed burning.

Going batty

	Photo: Kurt and Andrea Tschirner

The bat may not rank among Australia's best-loved animals, but despite its reputation and its fondness for dark places, this humble animal has caught the attention of scientists from the Conservation Council of Western Australia as a climate change indicator on Charles Darwin Reserve.

A team including Bush Heritage Reserve Manager Dale Fuller and Ecologist Matt Appleby assisted the West Australian scientists to carry out bat-trapping surveys in March, confirming the presence of the arid zone form of the inland free-tailed bat and the inland forest bat.

"That brings the total number of bat species recorded on Charles Darwin to seven," says Matt. "And now that we know more about the bat populations, we have a baseline for future monitoring to see how these species respond to climate change."

Photo: Bush Heritage

Smile! You're on candid camera

Excitement ran high at Bon Bon Station Reserve when remote cameras picked up images of hopping mice in Melaleuca scrub fringing the margins of a remote salt lake.

"We can ascertain that Notomys is the species, but we're not sure exactly which ones they are from the pictures," says Reserve Manager Glen Norris.

"But the survey work we're planning in October should help to solve the mystery."

Surviving in the outback

Living and working on a remote outback reserve requires a raft of different skills. Nella and Mark Lithgow, Reserve Managers on the large remote properties of Cravens Peak and Ethabuka, recently completed a three-day Remote First Aid course to learn what steps to take in the event of a medical emergency.

"You need to be resourceful, think clearly and not panic. It's all part of the job," says Nella, explaining that because it is so remote (on the QLD/NT border) even the Royal Flying Doctor Service might take a day to arrive.

The potential hazards of life in the desert include heat stroke, dehydration and snake bites. Add to that the challenge of living in a remote location with limited communications, and things can get tricky indeed!

Singin' in the rain

	Photo: Doug Humann

Reserve managers Emma and Peter Ashton have been jumping for joy at Boolcoomatta Reserve, celebrating the first good rainfall since Bush Heritage supporters enabled us to buy the former sheep station in 2006.

Thanks to the hard work of Peter, Emma and the team of volunteers in controlling weeds and feral animals, the recent rains transformed the usually arid reserve into a flourishing landscape.

Ecologist Sandy Gilmore reports that the saltbushes have boomed, and grasses and forbs have prospered and set seed.

"Recent bird surveys showed marked increases in many grassland species including the brown songlark, inland dotterel, Australian pipit, little button-quail and stubble quail."

Photo: Matt McLean

A bumper year for the turtles

Did you know that three out of the six marine turtle species found in Australian waters – the green, the flatback and the loggerhead – are found nesting on beaches around our Reedy Creek Reserve?

Reserve Manager Matt McLean is working with the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service to monitor these ancient creatures of the ocean and protect them from feral animals.

"This year has been a good year for the turtles," enthuses Matt. "Bush Heritage volunteers have recorded over 130 nests, most of them loggerheads, which is 30 per cent up on recent years – great news as the loggerheads are endangered."

Photo: Jen Grindrod

Spotted!

Fingers were pointed, and cameras were whipped out by lucky Bush Heritage staff on a recent visit to Burrin Burrin Reserve, when the group spotted a powerful owl feasting on a greater glider while a wedge-tailed eagle flew overhead.

Regional Reserve Manager Peter Saunders said the group stood wide-eyed as the spectacle unfolded in front of them.

"I'd noticed owl scats previously and so was delighted to get such a good view of the owl, which is the largest in Australasia and classified as vulnerable in New South Wales."

Once selectively logged, Burrin Burrin's mature hollow-bearing trees are now protected, along with all other native flora and fauna at Burrin Burrin, because of the generosity of Bush Heritage supporters.