The Power of Community
The Power of Community
Advancing Knowledge & Community Awareness of Threatened Species in the Upper Murray
Community Participation -
LEP_23-020_LLC03
The issue
In the aftermath of the 2019/2020 Black Summer Bushfires, and the subsequent flood events in the Upper Murray and Riverina Highlands region of NSW, Landcare mobilised to help people cope with the devastation to their land and vegetation resources. With support and funding from the Local Land Services, Holbrook Landcare and Murrumbidgee Landcare produced the Murray Riverina Ecological Bushfire Recovery Strategy; bringing together community and agencies for the recovery of the environment.
The strategy highlighted the frustrating lack of locally-specific knowledge of threatened species. What are the threatened species in the Upper Murray? where are they? how did the bush fire impact them ? what is the best practice recovery actions? Landcare was able to connect with landholders and build knowledge from their experiences, as well as build our own observations to answer a few of these questions.
The solution
Local communities are often unaware of the threatened species assets they have, and Landcare can play an important role in connecting community to this knowledge and embed a culture of stewardship for threatened species that is both shared and ongoing. Using a combination of images from Landcare trail cameras and one-on-one site visits, we raised local awareness of threatened species, and wildlife in general. This resulted in new records of many of our locally-threatened species, including: Greater Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider, Broad-toothed Rat, Long-nosed Bandicoot, Booroolong Frog, Gang-gang Cockatoo and several orchid species. It also facilitated new connections for threatened species officers with private landholders.
The impact
We were able to leverage grant funding with this Recovery Strategy to support landholders in the Upper Murray and Riverina Highlands with environmental recovery. Primary producers were well supported with access to emergency grants and support through the Rural Assistance Authority, but there were many landholders with smaller bush blocks and hobby farms, and an environmental ethic, that were not well serviced and unaware of what threatened species were on their property.
Local communities are often unaware of the threatened species assets they have, and Landcare can play an important role in connecting community to this knowledge and embed a culture of stewardship for threatened species that is both shared and ongoing.
Key facts
- Over 2,300 community & land managers engagements
- One-on-one meetings with 103 land managers & 230 site visits
- New records for Long-nosed Bandicoot, Greater Glider, Yellow-bellied Glider & Broad-toothed Rat; entered into BioNET,
- $727,259 of funding leveraged
- 272 ha of works for threatened species habitat protection.