"The light is fading quickly, and you switch on your torch. There is a rustle in the undergrowth. It’s too small to be a kangaroo or a wallaby. You shine your torch in the direction of the sound. Then, from behind a log, a small bettong hops towards you – oblivious to your presence. It digs a little by your feet, and then scoots into the undergrowth. As you scan the open, grassy woodland with your torch you realise that you are surrounded! Bettongs are hopping all around, digging the soil, and scratching in the leaf litter. Smaller bandicoots run between them, searching for grubs and bugs.
The woodland is teeming with life, and you have just experienced something that no-one has experienced in Canberra for nearly 100 years."
The Trust goes
live!
The Capital Woodland and Wetlands
Conservation Trust (The Trust) has been established to ensure the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary and Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve
are sustainably managed to provide rich and diverse environments for current
and future generations.
“The Trust’s new website www.cwwct.org.au showcases two of Canberra’s living environments while
enabling the
community, corporate sectors, local entrepreneurs, developers, and interested
local residents an opportunity to support or become involved with these two
reserves” said Max Bourke President of The Trust.
Two special places
The Mulligans
Flat Woodland Sanctuary and the Jerrabomberra
Wetlands Nature Reserve together
protect over 600 hectares of the Australian
Capital Territory
The Mulligans
Flat Woodland Sanctuary provides a safe
haven, where healthy box-gum woodland can thrive and ‘wildness’ be experienced.
It sustains a representative diversity of woodland plants and animals while
inspiring respect for and understanding of the beauty, richness of species and
ecological processes of Australia .
The Jerrabomberra
Wetlands Nature Reserve is a species-rich urban wetland that provides an
important refuge for migrating and other birds and is a place where you can
enjoy and learn about the special characteristics of wetlands and birdlife
within them.
The difference between these reserves and all others in the
Territory is that they are in our backyard and they have an extremely focussed
and intensive evidence based management system that is unique in Australia . Both these reserves have the potential to
produce long term results in ways we have never managed to achieve before for
the benefit of our children and our grandchildren.
“This is active science aimed directly at better scientific and
conservation management for these sites and in similar natural areas in Australia ” said Max Bourke.
The Trust is raising funds for a range of
projects that are beyond the scope of normal government funding. In this way, Mulligans Flat Woodland
Sanctuary and Jerrabomberra Wetlands
Nature Reserve will become outstanding locations for nature conservation,
ecological research, innovative management, education and nature-based
recreation.
You can get
involved in supporting these nationally significant wetlands and woodlands to
make sure they continue to provide habitat for a diverse range of birds and
other animals and remain accessible to the wider community for generations to come
For more details go to www.cwwct.org.au
or call Jill Faulkner Executive Officer, Capital woodlands and Wetlands
Conservation Trust on 0428 224 904 or jill.faulkner@act.gov.au
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What a great description, I love seeing the wildlife in the woods.
ReplyDeleteKeith.