"The light is fading quickly, and you switch on your torch. There is a rustle in the undergrowth. It’s too small to be a kangaroo or a wallaby. You shine your torch in the direction of the sound. Then, from behind a log, a small bettong hops towards you – oblivious to your presence. It digs a little by your feet, and then scoots into the undergrowth. As you scan the open, grassy woodland with your torch you realise that you are surrounded! Bettongs are hopping all around, digging the soil, and scratching in the leaf litter. Smaller bandicoots run between them, searching for grubs and bugs.
The woodland is teeming with life, and you have just experienced something that no-one has experienced in Canberra for nearly 100 years."
The Trust goes live!
The Capital Woodland and Wetlands Conservation Trust (The Trust) has been established to ensure the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary and Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve are sustainably managed to provide rich and diverse environments for current and future generations.
“The Trust’s new website www.cwwct.org.au showcases two of Canberra’s living environments while enabling the community, corporate sectors, local entrepreneurs, developers, and interested local residents an opportunity to support or become involved with these two reserves” said Max Bourke President of The Trust.
Two special places
The Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve together protect over 600 hectares of the Australian Capital Territory’s most significant landscapes. These reserves showcase the importance of environmental assets in our communities.
The Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary provides a safe haven, where healthy box-gum woodland can thrive and ‘wildness’ be experienced. It sustains a representative diversity of woodland plants and animals while inspiring respect for and understanding of the beauty, richness of species and ecological processes of Australia.
The Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve is a species-rich urban wetland that provides an important refuge for migrating and other birds and is a place where you can enjoy and learn about the special characteristics of wetlands and birdlife within them.
The difference between these reserves and all others in the Territory is that they are in our backyard and they have an extremely focussed and intensive evidence based management system that is unique in Australia. Both these reserves have the potential to produce long term results in ways we have never managed to achieve before for the benefit of our children and our grandchildren.
“This is active science aimed directly at better scientific and conservation management for these sites and in similar natural areas in Australia” said Max Bourke.
The Trust is raising funds for a range of projects that are beyond the scope of normal government funding. In this way, Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary and Jerrabomberra Wetlands Nature Reserve will become outstanding locations for nature conservation, ecological research, innovative management, education and nature-based recreation.
You can get involved in supporting these nationally significant wetlands and woodlands to make sure they continue to provide habitat for a diverse range of birds and other animals and remain accessible to the wider community for generations to come
For more details go to www.cwwct.org.au or call Jill Faulkner Executive Officer, Capital woodlands and Wetlands Conservation Trust on 0428 224 904 or [email protected]
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What a great description, I love seeing the wildlife in the woods.
ReplyDeleteKeith.