Following the devastation of the Black Summer bushfires, the East Gippsland community joined with local landcare groups to start a program to monitor wildlife after the fires.
From the high country to the sea, Bairnsdale to the border, landcare volunteers installed 50 cameras in bushfire impacted areas on up to 30 private properties across the region as part of the citizen science project. With the support and funding of a Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grant, a further 20 cameras have been added.
Each camera will snap photos when motion is detected to monitor and identify the animal species that survived the bushfires, along with their distribution and abundance. So far, the most common species seen in the area include Swamp Wallaby, Red-necked Wallaby and Common Wombat, and Koalas have been seen at Buchan. Imagery from set photo points will also show the growth of vegetation over time, which will provide powerful data to guide future bushfire recovery projects in the region.
In addition to the monitoring of the region’s animals and vegetation, the project included planting 2,000 native seedlings, like Casuarina littoralis, to provide habitat and food for species such as the Federally Endangered Glossy Black-cockatoo.
Excitingly, this Landcare citizen science project creates and builds skills in the local community to observe and collect information on the wildlife and vegetation. This data will inform the strategic placement of the 2,000 plants.
The project also built vital partnerships with local landholders and landcare groups in East Gippsland which will create opportunities to work together in the future.
Funded by the Australian Government, the $14 million Landcare Led Bushfire Recovery Grants are supporting projects in regions impacted by the Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20. For further information visit www.landcareledbushfiregrants.org.au