Fishes, Frogs, Farms and People

Gunning District Landcare [GDL] is working to recover from the brink of extinction two beautiful little creatures that are found in our local area, the Southern Pygmy Perch [SPP] and the Yellow-spotted Bell Frog. 

Southern Pygmy Perch Photos courtesy Luke Pearce

Yellow-spotted Bell Frog

A lot of our activities this year have been part of a strategy aimed at restoring our waterways and farmlands so that they are great for stock, great for wildlife and great for people too.  We know that when we have healthy natural waterways endangered species like these little perches and frogs have a much better chance.  And they are not the only beneficiaries - our sheep and cattle, our farms, our economy and our environment are also winners.

Recovery Action Plan for Southern Pygmy Perch

We have just fired the starter’s gun on work to develop a local recovery action plan for SPP in our region.  This work is being led by our SPP team comprising committee members Scott Keyworth, John Edwards and Vince Heffernan with DPI Fisheries Manager Luke Pearce supported by our coordinator, Ms Helen Ward.

The SPP team is also advised by three CSIRO/academia fish scientists [aka "The Three Wise Men"] with the most involved of these being Associate Professor Mark Lintermans [who discovered the SPP alive and well in Blakney Creek in 2005 while searching for something else].  The SPP team met in Gunning recently to start work on our local SPP Recovery Action Plan.

Your GDL subscriptions and taxes at work:  From left, Scott Keyworth, Vince Heffernan, Luke Pearce, John  Edwards and Assoc Prof Mark Lintermans meeting in Gunning to begin work on the Southern Pygmy Perch Recovery Action Plan

GDL has engaged Mark to do much of the necessary work.  In essence, Mark will be

1.       identifying the best sites for preservation and restoration work;

2.      finding any further small remnant populations if he is able to do so [similar to a small population found to our surprise and delight in Oolong Creek near Dalton earlier this year];

3.      recommending the best ways to involve land managers in sensitive areas so they can use management techniques that allow for continued production as well as preserving the SPP; and

4.      recommending where our limited funds for the construction of a riffle pond or two might best be used if this is a useful thing for us to do.

We also expect Mark to be involved in various community engagement/education activities.  As well as guiding our work over the next few years, the plan will be a very good document to support further funding applications.

While Mark has been engaged by Gunning District Landcare his activities will, almost certainly, go beyond our area and at least some of his recommendations will have wider application.  We have invited neighbouring networks to be involved in this project and have had very encouraging responses from them.

We are both excited and optimistic about this project.  There are very few local recovery action plans in existence and our advisers encourage us that we are on the right track with this.

Is there a gender balance issue here.  The SPP team at a local Meadow Creek property.  The cataract you see behind the group is a very effective barrier to Carp and Redfin which have brought the native perch to the brink of extinction.  Mark will be exploring the very real possibility that the upstream reaches of this waterway will be a really great place for Southern Pygmy Perch.

Hidden Treasures and Riches Disappearing

Southern Pygmy Perch: Photo courtesy of Luke Pearce

We are lucky to live in a beautiful and productive landscape but it is vastly different to the one that the Aboriginal people knew and managed before European occupation. 

Much of the beautiful box gum grassy woodlands have disappeared through clearing and many species of wildlife are now lost to us. Despite these losses there is a lot to be optimistic about.

We still have some healthy remnants and GDL is working to restore our bare and degraded farm lands to productive, sustainable and healthy ecosystems.

Yellow-spotted Bell Frog: Photo courtesy of Luke Pearce

We are also working to recover from the brink of extinction two beautiful little creatures that are found almost exclusively in our local area: the Southern Pygmy Perch and the Yellow-spotted Bell Frog.

Most of us would never have seen either of these creatures but their loss would make us all the poorer.  We are partnering with several government agencies to bring back these two critically endangered species.  

We have good reason to believe we can succeed.  

If you would like more information visit: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/

Could We Make the Gunning District a “No Go” Zone for the Feral Fox?

Do You Know There Are Around 10,000 Feral Foxes in Our District?

That's right!  Some 10,000 foxes have been preying on vulnerable stock and wildlife in our area.  They are a huge environmental and economic menace, having driven many species to extinction.

Until now, efforts to remove the fox as an environmental threat have been patchy and spasmodic.  GDL wants to make a real and lasting impact on this problem. We have been working with South East Local Land Services to develop a more strategic attack on fox numbers across the Gunning district and surrounding areas.  

Let's Make the Fox a Rarity Around Here

We have set ourselves the ambitious but attainable long term goal of reducing the district fox population by 90% or more.  Foxes will always be with us but we know that if enough neighbors work together to eradicate foxes over a wide area then we can have a really significant impact on their numbers.  

We have established a network of group organisers and will be undertaking at least two major baiting programs each year. Our first group baiting was a huge success with over 5,400 baits going out over the district. 

Action on this scale has to make a difference. We won't transform our district into a fox free paradise for lambs and lizards overnight.  But we can make steady progress towards this very achievable goal through persistent and widespread action over a number of year.

If your property is 10ha or larger, please consider joining us.

Oolong Creek, Dalton

Volunteers at community planting day at Oolong Creek. Photo credit here.

We have been working with the Dalton Community Association to remove woody weeds and replace them with native plants.

During this work two local youngsters found two fish which they rightly believed to be a previously undiscovered remnant population of Southern Pygmy Perch – only the fourth population known!

While this very small population is under great stress, it is a very hopeful and inspiring find for us.

We will continue to maintain and improve this area.

Yass Habitat Linkages

Yass Habitat Linkages Map

Here is an opportunity not to be missed by those of us living in the area shown in the map above.

This project aims to restore wildlife habitat and vegetation across a valued agricultural landscape.  Returning areas to native vegetation and linking them to older remnant stands will improve productivity and biodiversity. 

This is a great project.

Participants may receive $4000 per km for fencing plus tubestock and direct seeding.

If you would like advice on how your place can benefit you should contact: Jeni DeLandre at Greening Australia on (02) 6253 3035 or jdelandre@greeningaustralia.org.au.