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Arid Recovery Restoring Australia‟s Arid Lands 2008 – 2009 Annual Report This document is the 12th in a series of annual reports and outlines the activities of Arid Recovery for the period from 1st July 2008 to June 30th June 2009. Arid Recovery is a partnership which commenced in 1997 between BHP Billiton (originally WMC Resources), the University of Adelaide, SA Department for Environment and Heritage and the Friends of Arid Recovery. Copies of this report or further information may be obtained by contacting us or visiting our website. Arid Recovery PO Box 147 Roxby Downs South Australia, 5725 Phone: 08-8671 8282 Fax: 08-8671 3287 Email: [email protected] Web: www.aridrecovery.org.au Other major supporters of Arid Recovery in 2008 – 2009 included the following: Roxby Engineering and Fabrication Figure 1. Arid Recovery Reserve Cover photo credits (left-right): Fencing team finishes the Dingo Pen (Photo: Arid Recovery), Dingo (Phot: K. Kovac), Poached Egg Daisies at the Reserve (Photo: Y. Mooney), A bettong excluder used to prevent bettongs accessing Elliott traps (Photo: H.Crisp), Burrowing Bettong (Photo: S. Lyon). Below: Claypan after rain (Photo: H. McGregor) HIGHLIGHTS 2008-2009 TOP 25 RESTORATION PROJECTS Arid Recovery was voted one of Australasia‟s Top 25 ecological restoration projects. This was based on the following criteria: 1. Outstanding example of ecological restoration for a particular ecosystem 2. Has broken new ground in terms of ecological or on-ground philosophies or techniques 3. Sound ecological principles and clearly stated goals 4. Exhibits high quality on-ground implementation standards 5. Demonstrated results over many years 6. Is of significant scale or potential to be adopted on a larger scale 7. Soundly monitored and evaluated and at least one paper published 8. Sound social underpinnings and sufficient support from stakeholders to be sustained into the future DINGOES ARRIVE Arid Recovery‟s dingo project progressed to the next level with a male and female dingo being introduced into the Dingo Pen. We can now investigate how dingos, cats and foxes interact and what role (if any) they play in supressing cat and fox numbers and the implications for management. “HERO OF NATURE” Arid Recovery (spokesperson Helen Crisp, pictured), Assoc. Prof. David Paton and Prof. Michael Bull were recognised as South Australia‟s significant contributors to threatened species conservation and shared the podium with Jane Goodall on her “Hope for Nature” tour at the Adelaide Town Hall. Over 650 people attended. WILD WEST PROGRAM CONTINUES An external release of burrowing bettongs into the Wild West Zone added another dimension to the Wild West program. Findings from this integrated pest management program, in the aid to establish a population of threatened species outside a fence will steer future pest management programs at Arid Recovery and hopefully the region. However fences are still an integral part of threatened species conservation. INCORPORATED On the 31st March 2009 Arid Recovery was officially registered as an incoporated public company with a charitable trust. This begins a new chapter in Arid Recovery‟s history and we are hopeful that this next phase is as succesful as the last decade. THE ARID RECOVERY TEAM STAFF Acting Manager/Research Scientist Katherine Moseby (08/09) Ecologist Helen Crisp (08/09) Pest Management Officer Melissa Farrelly (Feb07-Aug08) Clint Taylor (Aug08-09) Dingo Research Officer Adam Kilpatrick (08/Mar09) Heather Springbett (2009) Community Education Officer Gill Van Hagen (2009) Administrator Kasey VanDenBrink (08/09) Fence Maintenance Officer Marty Kittel (08/09) Casual Research Scientist Dr John Read (08/09) Casual Contractors Frank Bernhardt In Kind Support from BHP Billiton Greg Kammermann Peter Paisley STUDENTS Students who are currently completing (or have completed) their PhD or Honours degree in conjunction with Arid Recovery during the reporting period: PhD Students Arian Wallach (The University of Adelaide) Karleah Trengove (The University of Adelaide) Alex James (The University of Sydney) Katherine Moseby (The University of Adelaide) Honours Students Vince Scoleri (The University of Adelaide) Scholarship Students Third year students or recent graduates that were awarded student scholarship placements during the reporting period: Derek Sandow (Dingo Project) Rose Herben (Summer Scholarship) Community Studies (Year 12) Karly McDonald (Roxby Downs Area School) Work Experience Olly Kerr (Urrbrae Agricultural High School) VOLUNTERS Over 2000 volunteer hours were donated this financial year to activities such as: Feral animal control, threatened species monitoring in particular radiotracking and trapping, fence maintenance, vegetation monitoring and conducting tours. Thank you to everyone. . Rose Herben with Plains Rat. Photo: H. Crisp Feral control volunteers Kevin Mooney and Travis Gotch. Photo: Y. Mooney FLORA, FAUNA and FENCE MONITORING PROGRAM Method Freq. Description Total length/area No. sites 18km 6 Investigate changes in abundance of re-introduced species 84 Annual trapping of bettongs and bilbies to determine population fluctuations 11 Determine distribution and abundance of bilbies outside of the reserve Re-introduced Species Track transects Quarter Cage trapping Annual External native transects Monthly Bilby netting Biannual Investigate breeding activity and health of bilbies Second Expn clearance Opport. Maintain integrity of control area for research purposes Burrow and nest measurements Every 2 years 80 Observe changes to bettong warrens, bilby burrows and sticknest rat nests over time. Burrow activity Annually 50 Getting revised Nest activity Biannual 30 Stick-nest rat nest activity scores and measurements Plains Rat monitoring Opport. 3 Pitfall/Elliott Sites Annual 19 22km Small Vertebrates Investigate response of small mammals and reptiles to removal of introduced herbivores and predators. 19 swale sites completed in Feb09. Birds Bird Transects Annual 84km Investigate response of birds to removal of cats and rabbits including increases in structure and vegetation cover and lower predation levels. Mist Netting Annual 2 Investigate site fidelity, longevity and habitat preference of native bird species. Photopoints Annual 48 Investigate regeneration of native plants after removal of rabbits and domestic stock. Seedling damage measurements Annual 37 Investigate damage to seedlings and larger plants by burrowing bettongs Weeds Seasonal Biannual 86km2 Seasonal and intensive weed monitoring in particular high risk areas. Spotlight Transect Quarter 40km Investigate the temporal changes in feral animals around the reserve fence line Internal Track Transects Quarter 9 Monitor for presence of feral animals within the Arid Recovery Reserve External Track Transects Quarter 7 Determine the efficacy of hand baiting trials around the outside of the reserve. Permanent traps Daily 20 Determine temporal changes in cats and foxes around reserve fence line Plant Feral CFeral cats, Foxes, Rabbits Fence Fence checks Weekly 60km Check for fence damage Fence audit Annual 40km Monitor fence condition and damage Table 1: Flora, fauna and fence monitoring conducted during July 2008 to June 2009 REINTRODUCED SPECIES Species Main Exclosure (14km2) Burrowing Bettong 500 (30 released 1999) First Expansion (8 km2) Northern Expansion (30 km2) Red Lake (26km ) (86km2) 500 (8 trans. 2001) 300 (27 trans. 2002 2 trans. 2003) 60 (67 released 2008) 1360 100 (9 released 2000) 100 (2 released & 13 trans. 2002) 50 (3 released & 3 trans. 2002; 8 released 4 trans. 2003; 15 released 2004) 250 Greater Stick-nest Rat 150 (100 released 1998) 100 (15 trans. 2001) 100 (12 released 7 trans. 2003) 350 Western Barred Bandicoot 80 (10 released 2001) 40 (7 trans. 2005) 120 Numbat 0 (5 released 2005) Greater Bilby Second Expansion (8 km2) Total 2 0 Table 2: Population estimates as of June 2009 (based on track count and expansion size) and transfers to date within the reserve. BURROWING BETTTONG Burrowing bettongs continue to be the most abundant reintroduced species inside the Arid Recovery Reserve despite a population crash in February 2009 (Figure 2). Due to the excessive damage that bettongs were having on vegetation during the very dry conditions and lack of natural predators, a total of 67 bettongs were released into the Red Lake Expansion where at least two feral cats and less than 10 rabbits were present. Track transects have been established to monitor the bettong population and as figure 2 illustrates population has remained relatively stable since release. With no sign of the bettong population (or breeding) subsiding and vegetation damage still prevailing, Arid Recovery completed a release of 99 bettongs outside the Reserve and into the predator managed “Wild West Zone” in September 2008 however there has been no evidence of bettongs living outside the fence since April 2009 (see the Wild West update for more information). Main 250 First Northern 200 150 100 50 May-09 May-08 May-07 May-06 May-05 May-04 May-03 May-02 May-01 0 May-00 tracks per km Red Lake Figure 2. Numbers of Burrowing Bettong tracks per kilometre within the Main Exclosure (10km transect), First Expansion (5.5km transect), Northern Expansion (16km transect) and Red Lake Expansion (10km transect). GREATER BILBY The greater bilby population has begun to recover since dry conditions caused a major population decline in May 2008. Summer rains triggered breeding events with juvenile tracks being seen during quarterly track transects and juveniles being captured during netting events. Bilby demographics are now being recorded using spoor measurements on the quarterly track transects to gain an understanding of the proportion of adult and juveniles present in the different expansions at different times of year. Main First 80 Northern tracks per km 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 May-09 May-08 May-07 May-06 May-05 May-04 May-03 May-02 May-01 May-00 0 Figure 3. Numbers of Greater Bilby tracks per kilometre within the Main Exclosure (10km transect), First Expansion (5.5km transect), Northern Expansion (16km transect). GREATER STICK NEST RAT Despite natural fluctuations the Greater Stick Nest Rat population remains relatively stable within the Main Exclosure and increasing in the First and Northern Expansions. Quarterly tracks transects and bi-annual monitoring of nests indicate that the population is progressing well and is well established. 45 40 35 tracks per km 30 Main 25 First 20 Northern 15 10 5 May-09 May-08 May-07 May-06 May-05 May-04 May-03 May-02 May-01 May-00 0 Figure 4. Numbers of Greater Stick Nest Rat tracks per kilometre within the Main Exclosure (10km transect), First Expansion (5.5km transect), Northern Expansion (16km transect). WESTERN BARRED BANDICOOT A significant decline was observed in February 2009 (Figure 5). However this may be an artefact of the monitoring as it was 45 degrees and a very hot night which might have limited activity. It is also unlikely that the population could have increased as much as it did in such a short time. Western Barred Bandicoots have naturally dispersed into the First Expansion for the first time since their release into the adjacent Main Exclosure in 2001. This is extremely encouraging for the overall „wee-bee-bee‟ (WBB) distribution and is encouraging to see that that there is a trend towards increasing population size despite dry conditions in 2009 (Figure 5). A long awaited supplementary translocation of WBB‟s has been proposed for September 2009 to augment Arid Recovery‟s current population with new genetics from Faure Island, W.A. This is also a very exciting step for the national recovery of this threatened species as it will be the first time that these two genetic pools have mixed in the wild. Main Northern 90 First 80 tracks per km 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 May-09 May-08 May-07 May-06 May-05 May-04 May-03 May-02 May-01 May-00 0 Figure 5. Numbers of Western Barred Bandicoot tracks per kilometre within the Main Exclosure (10km transect), First Expansion (5.5km transect), Northern Expansion (16km transect) NUMBAT Numbat tracks have not been observed in the Main exclosure since August 2008, almost three years after release. There is a high chance that the lone numbat succumbed to natural mortality. Numbats are thought to survive for 3-5 years in the wild. Arid Recovery is working with the National Numbat Recovery Team to conduct a second release of numbats in the near future, however sourcing animals is still an issue after the current listing of the numbat has been recently upgraded again to critically endangered from vulnerable. Main 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 Apr-09 Jan-09 Oct-08 Jul-08 Apr-08 Jan-08 Oct-07 Jul-07 Apr-07 Jan-07 Oct-06 Jul-06 Apr-06 0 Jan-06 tracks per km 0.6 Figure 6. Numbers of Numbat tracks per kilometre within the Main Exclosure (10km transect). FERAL ANIMAL CONTROL AND MONITORING Feral animal incursions into the Reserve During the reporting period 3 rabbits and one cat gained entry into feral-free areas of the Arid Recovery Reserve. This has been the greatest number of incursions in Arid Recovery‟s history and is most likely due to the gradual wear and tear the Arid Recovery fence is experiencing. Most of the Arid Recovery fence is over 10 years old and areas of the foot netting, particularly in the southern sections have rusted out and are washed away after rain or easily removed when animals dig against it. As a result, foot netting has been continually replaced during this reporting period and will continue until all southern sections of the Reserve are replaced. Effective monitoring for feral and native animals inside the Reserve and weekly perimeter fence checks successfully detected these feral animals and enabled staff, students and volunteers to act quickly. Two of the three rabbits were caught within 5 days of being detected. The other rabbit was caught 4 months after detection. However, this particular rabbit was in the Main Exclosure that has the highest density of reintroduced species making tracking and setting of traps much more difficult. The cat is still an ongoing issue but we have recently discovered that it has jumped out of the Northern Expansion and into the adjacent Red Lake Expansion. As a result, feral eradication in Red Lake expansion is a high priority for the coming year. Improvements to the remote monitoring of cat traps Arid Recovery and remote monitoring company “Observant”, have worked together this year to improve the remotely monitored permanent trap system that has saved countless staff and volunteer hours in checking the 20 permanent rubber foot hold traps around the Reserve on a daily basis. Remotely monitored lures have also been installed onto the system, allowing staff to remotely turn audio lures on and off at each trap using “Observant” software. Minor glitches with the trigger system have been ironed out by installing sirens that alert the person setting the trap in the field whether the system is registering the trap as set or triggered. In the next few months, remote cameras will be ready to install at trap sites to enable us to take a photo of a trap that has been triggered. This will enable trap checking to become more efficient and personnel checking the traps to be better prepared. A remotely monitored permanent cat trap. Photo: C. Taylor New foot netting (left) being replaced over rusted foot netting (right). Photo: C. Taylor Track transects Cat and fox trapping During 2008-2009, 9 cats and 10 foxes were captured in the 20 permanent rubber foot-hold traps over 6388 trap nights. Thus trap success for cats was 0.14% whilst trap success for foxes was 0.16%, slightly higher than last year but overall still very low. CatAverage % presence- baited vs. control Aerial baiting ceases Hand-baiting begins 30.00% 25.00% 20.00% 15.00% 10.00% 5.00% 0.00% baited control M ar -0 6 M ay -0 6 Ju l-0 6 Se p06 No v06 Ja n07 M ar -0 7 M ay -0 7 Ju l-0 7 Se p07 No v07 Ja n08 M ar -0 8 M ay -0 8 Ju l-0 8 Se p08 No v08 Ja n09 M ar -0 9 M ay -0 9 average activity per transect (% segments with tracks) Each quarter (Oct-Jan-Apr-Jul) feral track transects in baited and non-baited (control) areas are carried out to monitor the regional fluctuations in cat, fox and rabbit numbers in response to feral control. Figure 7 below illustrates the results of these transects. Fox numbers declined to negligible levels in response to hand baiting. Whereas, cat and rabbit numbers remained similar between baited and control areas. Date Aerial baiting ceases Hand-baiting begins 60.00% 50.00% 40.00% 30.00% 20.00% 10.00% 0.00% baited control M ar -0 M 6 ay -0 6 Ju l-0 Se 6 p06 No v06 Ja n07 M ar -0 M 7 ay -0 7 Ju l-0 Se 7 p07 No v07 Ja n08 M ar -0 M 8 ay -0 8 Ju l-0 8 Se p08 No v08 Ja n09 M ar -0 M 9 ay -0 9 average activity per transect (% segments with tracks) FoxesAverage % presence- baited vs. control Date 120.00% 100.00% 80.00% 60.00% 40.00% 20.00% 0.00% RABBIT20 baited RABBIT20 control RABBIT200 baited Mar-09 May-09 Jan-09 Nov-08 Jul-08 Sep-08 Mar-08 May-08 Jan-08 Nov-07 Jul-07 Sep-07 Mar-07 May-07 Jan-07 Nov-06 Jul-06 Sep-06 Mar-06 RABBIT200 Control May-06 average activity per transect (% segments with tracks) Rabbit Trend - Baited vs Control Date Figure 7. Presence of cat, fox and rabbit on external feral track transects outside the Arid Recovery Reserve in baited and control areas. SCIENCE AND RESEARCH Arid Recovery and the design of the Arid Recovery Reserve, provides unique opportunities for research in all facets of arid zone ecology. Arid Recovery conducts research under four broad research priorities: 1. Document and differentiate between the restoration of ecological processes after the removal of feral animals and the re-introduction of locally extinct species 2. Research the ecology of threatened and significant species and formulate monitoring and re-introduction protocols 3. Explore options for maintaining desired population levels of threatened species within the Reserve including indicators of overstocking 4. Develop and improve methods for feral animal control and exclusion. While some research is conducted by Arid Recovery staff, other research is in collaboration with external agencies. Arid Recovery continues to maintain strong links with The University of Adelaide, Arid Lands NRM Board and The University of NSW and encourages prospective students or agencies to contact us to discuss research options. During the reporting period, Katherine Moseby began her PhD entitled “Improving mammalian reintroduction success in the South Australian Arid Zone- the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on reintroduction outcomes”. This is a collaborative project between Arid Recovery and The University of Adelaide. Conferences/workshops attended: A number of conferences/workshops were attended by Arid Recovery staff to disseminate scientific information gained through either monitoring or studies completed at Arid Recovery or to contribute to scientific discussion. These included: NRM Pest Forum, Threatened Species Forum (DEH), Shark Bay Recovery Team, National Numbat and Bilby Recovery Teams, DEH Wildlife Ethics Committee and the Mulligan Flat Workshop. A spoken paper was also presented at the Australian Mammal Society (AMS) Conference in Darwin. ATTEMPTS TO RE-INTRODUCE THE GREATER BILBY TO THE WILD: AN OVERVIEW Helen Crisp, Katherine Moseby, Brydie Hill and Amber Cameron AMS conference presentation. WILD WEST PROGRAM Aim: to determine if cat and fox abundance could be reduced in an unfenced environment to a level where successful landscape-scale re-establishment of threatened species could be attained. Feral control methods used: ground 1080 baiting, shooting, intensive trapping and permanent trapping. Extensive monitoring was conducted to determine cat and fox activity and survival of reintroduced animals. Stage 1: Comparing the efficacy and cost effectiveness of these techniques for controlling cats and foxes and determining the optimal integrated control methodology (2007). Stage 2: Attempts to re-establish locally threatened species into the Wild West Zone where intensive pest management and monitoring was occurring. Greater Bilbies were reintroduced in August 2007. Burrowing Bettongs were reintroduced in September 2008. Major findings: We could not reduce cats to levels required to re-establish threatened species in the Wild West Zone despite using a combination of broad-scale, best practice control techniques (Figure 7). Fox control was achieved effectively and relatively cheaply, but without effective cat control, the biodiversity benefits for threatened species were not significant. In terms of feral animal control, permanent traps were more effective than intensive (fortnightly) shooting and trapping. There was no significant increase in rabbit activity in the Wild West Zone despite the reduction in fox numbers. The Greater Bilby exhibited much greater survival and breeding success than the Burrowing Bettong in the first 12 months after release and much higher survival than the 2004 bilby release. Most Burrowing Bettongs survived between 1.5 and 3 months post release. Future direction: Review feral cat control techniques and trial new innovative methods Continue monitoring feral animal presence through track transects Investigate dingo, cat and fox interactions and the role that dingoes may have in controlling cat and fox numbers Remove rabbits and cats from the Red Lake Expansion Investigate survivorship of bilbies and bettongs in the presence of dingoes Cat (left) and bilby (right) tracks in the Wild West Photo: H. Crisp DINGO RESEARCH PROJECT The Arid Recovery Dingo Project is the only project in Australia studying the detailed interaction between dingoes, cats and foxes in a pen trial. Depending on the results, outcomes will hopefully assist biodiversity and production managers to find a balance between protection of biodiversity and minimising calf predation. Dingo Pen Project aim: to determine what role (if any) dingoes play in controlling introduced predators such as cats and foxes. This has implications for threatened species management in the arid zone and also for dingo control. Project location: North of the Arid Recovery Reserve in the 37 square km dingo pen (Figure 8, left). Cats: Five feral cats were radiocollared in mid-2008 within the pen and their movements have now been tracked for over 8 months, before and after the introduction of dingoes. Dingos: A pair of dingoes were captured on Stuart Creek Station and introduced into the pen in December 2008. Foxes: 5 foxes were introduced into the pen in June 2009. Figure 8. Dingo project location Technology: All animals are fitted with GPS radiocollars that take location fixes every 2 hours (Figure 9, right). This information will be used to determine if there is any change in cat behaviour, habitat use, activity patterns etc after the introduction of the dingoes. Also it will indicate if dingoes are involved in predation of cats and foxes or if they are excluding them from resource points. Figure 9. Example of the data collected from one cat within dingo pen. Figure 10. The male dingo photographed with a remote camera. Preliminary results: The Dingo pair successfully reared one male pup. All foxes that were reintroduced to the pen where the dingoes are present have been found dead within a period of three weeks. Two were definitely attacked by dingoes, a finding supported by necropsy results. Others are suspected dingo attacks but need to be confirmed when the dingoes are recaptured and the data from their collars are downloaded. Cat response to dingo presence is more subtle and needs to be investigated further with dingo data. The dingo project has been proudly sponsored by the SAAL NRM board and Olympic Dam Expansion project. Scientific papers published/submitted in 2008/09: Bester, A.J., and Rusten, K., (2009) Trial translocation of the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) into arid Australia Australian Mammalogy, 31, 9-16. Bice, J and Moseby, K, (2008). Diets of the re-introduced greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) and burrowing bettong (Bettongia lesueur) in the Arid Recovery Reserve, Northern South Australia. Australian Mammalogy 30(1): 112. Moseby, K.E., Stott, J., and Crisp, H. (2009) Movement patterns of feral predators in an arid environment – implications for control through poison baiting. Wildlife Research, 36, 422-435. Moseby, K.E., Hill, B.M. and Read, J.L. (2009) Arid Recovery-A comparison of reptile and small mammal populations inside and outside a large rabbit, cat and fox-proof exclosure in arid South Australia. Austral Ecology, 34, 156–169. Read, J.L. and Kilpatrick, A.D. (2009) Improved conservation status of Atriplex kochiana. Trans .R. Soc. S. Aust. 133 Read, J.L., and Kilpatrick, A.D., (submitted to Transactions of the Royal Society of S. Aust) Improved conservation status of Atriplex kochiana. Read, JL, Carter, J., Moseby, K.M., and Greenville, A. (2008) Ecological roles of rabbit, bettong and bilby warrens in arid Australia. Journal of Arid Environments 72: 2124-2130. Crisp H and Moseby K (Submitted to Ecological Management and Restoration) One-way gates: initial trial of a potential tool for preventing overstocking within fenced reserves. Munro, N., Moseby, K.E. and Read, J.L. (submitted to Rangeland Journal) The effects of grazing by native, introduced and reintroduced herbivores on perennial seedling growth and survivorship. Theses submitted in 2008/09: James, A.I. (PhD thesis) The importance of foraging pits to the landscape function and arid ecosystems. Internal technical reports completed in 2008/09: Crisp, H. (2008) Burrowing Bettongs: undoing a decade of vegetation rehab inside the Main Expansion. A.R. Technical Report 2008 (3) Farrelly, M., and Taylor, C. (2008) Perimeter fence audit report Moseby, K., Crisp, H., and Taylor, C. (2009) Wild West Report. A.R. Technical Report 2009 (1) COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND AWARENESS FRIENDS OF ARID RECOVERY VOLUNTEERS Over 2000 volunteer hours were donated this financial year to activities such as: feral animal control, threatened species monitoring in particular radio-tracking and trapping, fence maintenance, vegetation monitoring and conducting tours. Friends of Arid Recovery is registered for the BHP Billiton Matched Giving Program, where all hours donated or funds raised by a BHP Billiton employee is matched by the company. Significant funds were generated through this program. PUBLIC TOURS Public tours of the Reserve continue to be a success and are run by volunteers from the Friends of Arid Recovery through the Visitor Information Centre (VIC) in Roxby Downs. In 2008-09, a total number of 75 tag-along-tours were conducted. Each number of visitors per group ranged from two to 20. There has been an increasing trend in the popularity of tours. Information surrounding the total number of people that attended these tours for the 2008-09 period was not available at this time of writing. Tours were most popular in the cooler months (May-October). MEDIA Arid Recovery featured in 33 known printed articles, 1 TV program („Road Trip Nation‟ SBS), three radio interviews with ABC radio and published 4 newsletters during the reporting period. Three film crews also visited and filmed at the Arid Recovery Reserve. Type of Media Unique visitors to website TV/Video Number in 2008-2009 7,178 (May 08 highest) 1 programs 3 film crew visits Print 33 Articles Radio 3 Radio Interviews Media Releases 3 Press Releases Table 3. 2008-09 media AWARDS Arid Recovery volunteers, partners and staff have been consistently recognised for their hard work and success through winning several awards and being chosen as a finalist or highly recommended for others. In 2008-2009, Arid Recovery was judged one of Australasia‟s Top 25 ecological restoration projects. Arid Recovery was also a finalist in the National Landcare Awards held in Canberra. WEBSITE Due to much dedication and time consuming work by Katherine Moseby, followed on by Community Education Officer, Gill van Hagen, Arid Recovery is heading towards the launch of an exciting new interactive website that not only reflects the new image of Arid Recovery Ltd., but will also serve to encourage input, feedback and support from corporate and general communities. The website is anticipated to be fully operational by December 2009. EDUCATION and VISITS During 2008-09 Arid Recovery continued to develop its links with local, regional and city based schools. In March 2009, Arid Recovery enhanced its partnership with Gateways to host educational stays for indigenous students at the Reserve with plans for 6-8 groups to visits each year. The educational program has developed significantly over 2009 and will be incorporated into a dedicated educational section on the new website due to be launched towards the end of 2009. A total of 15 groups visited the Arid Recovery Reserve during July 2008 and June 2009. Half of these comprised of special interest groups including the S.A. Environment Minister (Jay Weatherall), FAME (Foundation for Australia‟s Most Endangered Species), Alice Springs Desert Park, Global Leadership Foundation and the D.E.H. Outback Consultative Committee. The remaining visits were school groups, some from Roxby Downs, Adelaide and the APY Lands. One visit was a „look and learn visit‟ with two staff from the Mulligan Flat Sanctuary, ACT. Students from the APY Lands training in radiotracking. Photo: G. van Hagen School Visit to Arid Recovery. Photo: G. van Hagen Students from the APY Lands training in setting cage traps. Photo: G. van Hagen OUTREACH VISITS A total of 17 outreach visits were conducted during the reporting period and included scientific conferences/workshops (see research section for details), Roxby Downs Career Expo, local schools, Bairnsdale and District Field Naturalist Club just to name a few. Visits generally involved a talk about Arid Recovery, the Arid Recovery Reserve and time for questions and feedback. FINANCIAL REPORT This financial report is for all income and expenditure between 1st July 2007 – 30th June 2008. GRANTS During 2008-09, Friends of Arid Recovery and Arid Recovery staff applied for five external grants (marked with an * in Table 2 and Table 3) and received or secured over $140,000 (Table 2). Sizeable grants were received from the SAAL NRM Board through the cross regional NHT funding for the Dingo project. Grant Amount Applied Received (or secured) Australian Government‟s Caring for our Country (2008) (1yr)* $90 000 $90 000 Caring for our Country (2009) (3 yrs)* $232 260 0 SA Arid Lands NRM Board $50,000 $50,000 Community Development Support Program (BHP Billiton)* $19 800 0 Community Benefit SA* $32 250 0 Wildlife Conservation Fund* $7 900 0 $432 210 $140 000 TOTAL Table 2: Grants applied for and received/secured during 2008-09. INCOME A total of $579 083 in monetary contributions were received in the 2008-09 financial year (Table 3). BHP Billiton was the largest contributor with other major contributors including the Australian Government‟s Caring for our Country, SAAL NRM Board, S.A. Department for Environment and Heritage. EXPENDITURE Major expenditure items included wages and feral animal control (Table 3). Wages were paid to three full time positions (Ecologist, Pest Management Officer and Dingo Research Officer), three part time positions (Research Scientist/Interim Manager, Administrator and Community Education Officer) and two casual positions (Fence Maintenance Officer and casual Feral Animal Control Officer). *The closing balance of $225 327 is primarily allocated money for grants that are still current. Profit and Loss – Arid Recovery OPENING BALANCE $ 192 860 BHP Billiton Annual Contribution $ 325 482 NRM Cross Regional Funds (Dingo Project)* $ 38 000 Olympic Dam Expansion* $ 10 000 SAAL NRM 2008/2009 $ 50 000 SA Department for Environment & Heritage $ 50 000 Caring for our Country* $ 80 000 Friends of Arid Recovery $ 11 990 Gateways $ 10 975 Other $ 2 636 TOTAL INCOME $ 579 083 TOTAL INCOME & OPENING BALANCE $ 771 943 Personnel $ 328 485 Dingo Project $ 45 000 Feral Species/Weed Control $ 76 432 Research & Reintroductions $ 37 037 Reserve Maintenance $ 10 180 Management $ 28 850 Publicity & Education $ 18 050 Volunteer Expenses $ 2 582 TOTAL EXPENSES $ $ (*N.B. INCOME EXPENSES CLOSING BALANCE Table 3: Profit and Loss statement for Arid Recovery. 546 616 225 327* This closing balance is money allocated from grants that span two financial years) IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS In-kind contributions totalled just over $350 000. Major in-kind contributors included BHP Billiton, the Friends of Arid Recovery, University of Adelaide, DEH, Observant and Adelaide Zoo. In-kind contributions involved the donation of volunteer assistance for animal and endangered species monitoring and transfers, feral animal control and monitoring, infrastructure maintenance and research. Other in-kind contributions included vehicles, office space, transport costs and equipment. Many local businesses and landholders also sponsored Arid Recovery through the use of their goods and services. In-kind labour contributions are valued at $25 per hour. BHP Billiton provides a significant amount of in-kind support comprised of vehicles, office space, computers, staff time, vehicle maintenance and logistics. In Kind Contributions - Arid Recovery ORGANISATION/COMPANY VALUE BHP Billiton $200 000 Friends of Arid Recovery $ 85 200 The University of Adelaide $ 35 000 Observant $ 24 000 Adelaide Zoo $ 10 800 DEH $ 10 000 Wise Accounting $ 5 000 Monadelphous Engineering $ 3 000 Watson's Express Transport $ 2 000 Lightforce $ 1 200 Linfox $ 1 120 Coates Hire $ 1 250 Blackwoods $ 150 TOTAL $ 367 920 Table 4. In-kind contributions for 2008-09.