Young District Landcare

“Jet Setting” Dung Beetles!

Young District Landcare was able to generate funding for their Grazing Group through the payments for collecting and sending colonies of dung beetles to Western Australia in a collaboration which saw thousands of live beetles shipped to the other side of the country after being collected on local farms.

Capacity building - LEP23_036_LLC5_3

The issue

Murrumbidgee Landcare was approached to participate in a state government funded project to attempt to increase southwest Western Australia's dung beetle species diversity. The WA Landcare group identified seasonal gaps in dung beetle activity and called on farmers in southwest NSW to collect some of the desired species which were known to exist in our area. The WA Landcare group was also keen to liaise with Landcare groups nationally to build our collective on-ground knowledge of beetle management, species phenology, and identification of gaps in beetle activity.  

There was keen interest from Young District Landcare (YDL) and Harden Murrumburrah Landcare Group (HMLG) farmers, as many of them knew little about the habits of these amazing creatures.

The solution

In January, D. gazella and E. africanus dung beetles-both gold/brown species-were targeted for collection in the Cootamundra, Harden, and Young areas, with similar-coloured species like E. fulvus and E. pallipes also likely to be trapped. It didn’t matter if other species were included when sending colonies to WA, as this simplified sorting and helped fill ecological gaps. Local Landcare groups, led by Julie Roberts, organised a field day where 20 participants collected, identified, and cleaned beetles from their properties for interstate transfer. The event included practical demonstrations, information sharing about species and land management, and discussions on the benefits of dung beetles, with all beetles thoroughly cleaned to meet quarantine requirements before being sent to WA.

The impact

There were both regular and new attendees to the Young Grazing Group field day, with an enthusiastic response to the collecting of the dung beetles for the WA project. There was knowledge shared within the group and an enthusiasm to learn more about dung beetles. At least 3 colonies of beetles were packaged and sent off interstate and the funds will be used by YDL Grazing Group to facilitate more field days later this year. 

Learnings

  Dung beetles have many benefits for the environment including aerating the soil; relocating minerals from the dung into the grass root zone; deepening topsoil; providing habitat for earthworms; increasing rainwater penetration and water retention in the soil; allow movement of nutrients, chemicals, and organic matter into the soil via tunnels; and reducing fly populations.  

Author: Julie Roberts

Key facts

  • Landcare Groups from the Murrumbidgee Landcare area have collaborated with Landcare in Western Australia for a project involving the shipping of species of Dung Beetles interstate to seed areas with more diverse species.
  • The process of identifying, cleaning and sending the beetles was incorporated into a field day involving graziers from the Harden and Young districts of NSW.
  • Dung Beetles have numerous benefits for our landscape, and Murrumbidgee landholders are keen to continue to learn more about them and how they can contribute to healthier environments.