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Southern Ark – Chief Scientist Visits East Gippsland

On Thursday April 2, Dr Graham Mitchell, Chief Scientist with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) visited Cape Conran Coastal Park to find out more about the 'Southern Ark' project being undertaken in East Gippsland.

By Department of Sustainability and Environment - 6th April 2004 - Back to News

He was accompanied by Kevin Love, the Deputy Secretary of the Department, Geoff Vincent, Deputy Chief Executive and General Manager National Parks, representatives from Minister Thwaites' office and members of the Southern Ark Statewide Steering Committee.

Southern Ark is the first large-scale fox control project in south-eastern Australia, baiting one million hectares of mostly public land east of the Snowy River in East Gippsland to protect the native fauna from foxes. It builds on many years of research that confirms the positive impact that fox control has on the health of ecosystems.

Through the careful use of targeted and ongoing baiting, Southern Ark will lead to the establishment of East Gippsland as the largest area in south-eastern Australia where native animals can reach natural population levels.

The project aims to inform and consult widely with the local community, with landholders and schools already involved and the potential for the broader community to assist with the monitoring of wildlife through a volunteer program.

Project Manager, Jacqui Bramwell said that this is one of the top projects being undertaken by DSE in terms of the science behind it and the monitoring and evaluation component involved.

"We invited the Chief Scientist and other high level Government representatives to come out and see for themselves what the project is all about, what we're trying to achieve and why."

"They have been able to see first hand our trapping procedures, how we monitor the native wildlife that we're trying to protect and enhance through the program and just how committed the team here is to making this project work in East Gippsland."

Dr Graham Mitchell. Chief Scientist with the Department said that he had found the trip highly informative.

"There's nothing like seeing what's actually happening on the ground, it adds a dimension which to a scientist is the difference between thinking you know what's going on and actually getting a feel for it. It's not often you get to handle a Long-nosed Potoroo!"

"The stakes are high - if we can demonstrate that this type of project is successful in this part of Australia, then it could lead to a very systematic attack on what is one of the major causes of loss of biodiversity in this country."

"The fox is a worthy adversary but we need to control it and allow our native species to rebound. If we can monitor what impact that has, not just that there is an increased number of critters out there of a particular size, but what it actually does to the ecology of these forests, then it has been worthwhile. It will be very interesting to follow the progress of this exciting new project."

"It has also been wonderful to meet the people who are actually doing it, who are charged with the responsibility of rolling their sleeves up and putting it into action: carefully monitoring, carefully planning and making it happen. These people are national treasures."

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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