ENVIRONMENT NEWS October 2015

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1 ENVIRONMENT NEWS October 2015 Dr Roz Jessop, Environment Manager and Jarvis Weston, Ranger in Charge PEST PLANTS It has been quite a fickle transition from winter to spring with highly variable temperatures and rainfall which appears to have favoured quick germinating species such as thistle and delayed the usual spring flush of others such as kikuyu. Total hours dedicated to weed control for the financial year (July to September) was 600 hours compared with 1053 last year. However this excludes considerable contractor weed control of thistles, mustard, kikuyu, horehound on Cape Woolamai, phalaris and woody weeds. Late winter/ early spring projects included: Cape Woolamai; follow up on kikuyu, thistles, capeweed, mustard Conservation Hill and Observation Point; polygala, gorse, pittosporum Summerland Peninsula; thistles, boxthorn, phalaris Other projects; boxthorn follow up on the NE Coast and at Forrest Caves and a big effort at Berry Beach on follow up. Keep an eye out Chilean Needle Grass CNG on Phillip Island This healthy specimen on the Phillip Island Tourist Road just near the Woolamai Beach turn off, with lots of seed, was found by local weed contractor Neil O'Shaughnessy as he was driving past. It was right next to a white reflector pole so may have avoided being slashed. Neil photographed it, dug it up, bagged it and sent it to land fill. Good work!! Report sightings. To differentiate; the CNG has a corona while the native spear grass does not. Illustration from the WONS CNG weed management guide. Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

2 REVEGETATION/VOLUNTEERS As it draws to the end of planting season we have been making sure we are getting most of the plants out of the nursery and into the ground. So far this financial year we have planted around about 30,000 indigenous plants. Spring sees the start of seed collection time so we will now be focusing our energy into collecting local indigenous seed. Last week we hosted a volunteer week, which gave us three dedicated volunteers for the week. They planted trees at the KCC and did some planting and fence building out at five ways. The Green Army has now finished up and we thank them all for their contributions within the parks and wish them all the very best for the future. The helped with many re vegetation projects including scenic estate, Summerland s, Cape Woolamai and at the KCC. The Surf Beach Sunderland Bay Coastcare Group has been planting out sights which were once invaded with weeds. We will now start collecting seed and focusing on weed removal. Friends of the Koalas continued their conservation work through Oswin Roberts Reserve and have helped with plant propagation at the Barb Martin Bushbank. NAB groups have been very frequent with a few every month. They have been helping us increase biodiversity up at the Summerland s estate and finishing off Berry s Beach burn site. More information on volunteering with the group for work days and projects can be found on their Facebook page: Group/ In total for year 2014/15 there was a total of 4872 volunteering hours. PEST ANIMALS Foxes Fox baiting commenced in August and will continue through until 14 th December. To date encouraging bait takes were observed at both Cape Woolamai and Rhyll suggesting possibly 2 foxes succumbed to the baiting program (bait was taken and faint fox scent was observed). Dog surveys will revisit these baited areas after baits are recovered to search for any further sign. Fox surveys with detection dogs are progressing across the island with 1 scat being indicated by dogs. Further searches continue in the area while scat is analysed for fox DNA. Please call if you have seen a fox on Phillip Island Cats 42 feral cats have been removed from the park in 2015/16. Trapping has recently occurred at Observation Point and Fishers Wetland as part of the Ramsar Protection Program with 2 cats trapped at each location. Rabbits Phillip Island is being considered as a release site for a strain of calicivirus (RHDV K5) which may prove to be significantly more virulent than the current strains of calicivirus present in the rabbit population. This offers an opportunity to significantly reduce the rabbit population allowing land managers to implement a more effective rabbit control program on their land after an initial knockdown is achieved. PINP is currently undertaking rabbit control activities at Fishers Wetland and on the Summerland Peninsula. Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

3 HOODED PLOVER The breeding started well: the first nest was found with 3 eggs by Beau at Woolamai SLSC west on 7/09/15, this was quickly followed by a nests at Elizabeth Cove and Anchorage Rd so by the first week of October there were 6 chicks. Update to the 23 /10/15: 6 nests (three have failed), 15 eggs, 9 chicks (5 chicks still going). Nest Location Woolamai SLSC (west) Elizabeth Cove Anchorage Rd Red Rocks Bella Vista Rd Find Date 7/09/ /09/ /09/ /09/ /09/ ANZACS 7/10/2015 Adult Bands OLF 'CH' OLF 'SH' Om/BG now Om/B OLF 'JE' Gm/GW OLF 'EZ' OLF 'PX' Gm/YO Gm/YLg Om/G_? Gm/(YR) UB Clutch No. Eggs Chicks Chick Bands Last Date 1 3 failed 25/09/2015 Comment Eggs gone, predation? Failed ~24-25 Sept, a lot of ravens feeding in dunes and on beach Chicks by 13/09/ failed 15/10/ failed Two Phillip Island hoodies may have recently paired up at Point Leo? The band sightings and photos below by Mark Lethlean 15/10/15 21/10/2015 1st chick gone 10/10/15, 2nd chick gone 11/10/15. Possibly a Kestrel Nested at point E end of beach. Eggs gone, predation? The nest was almost jumped on GM/GO- has been around for a few years, was at St Andrews a few weeks ago but recently been seen at Point Leo with Yellow 14. They have been feeding on rock platforms and acting like a pair but 14 is a young bird. Very busy beach where they have been seen Mark The Phillip Island birds at Point Leo (note the white feathers in the young YLF 14 s hood) Phillip Islands old flagging scheme Gm/GO New yellow flag scheme for Phillip Island YLF 14 Yellow flag with black number on upper leg DATE BAND AGE BEACH FLAGS Note 20/02/ J VENTNOR WEST GM/GO Parents: Om/BG, OLF JE 18/03/ J WOOLSHED BIGHT 14 YLF Parents: OLF KS, unbanded Worldwide Plover Appreciation Day (Sept 16) went well with a display and competition at the Cowes library, a street stall set up by hoodie volunteers and a school talk at YCW. Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

4 Next Hooded Plover and Gull Count Count Date Meet Time Place Tide height Tide time Monday 09/11/ :30 am Environment Pod 1.25 m 10:37 am Beach Nesting Bird Portal: The manual to assist with entering and viewing data now available online: Contact Jon Fallaw jfallaw@penguins.org.au if you have any issues with the portal for Phillip Island. KOALAS The Koala Conservation Centre was recently successful in an application for access to orphaned koala joeys that were being caught in the Otway s by DWELP staff. DELWP have been catching koalas for health checks and limited translocations. Where koalas are deemed to be in such poor condition that they have no chance of surviving, they are being euthanized. Where this leaves joeys orphaned, the joeys are being offered to approved facilities (like the KCC) for rehoming. During a two week catching period in September, insufficient koalas with pouch or back young became available to fill the KCC request. This would seem to be a positive sign for the Otway s koalas. More catching is scheduled for later in the year which might result in joeys becoming available to be introduced to the KCC population. It is hoped the introduction of joeys will not only increase numbers, but provide new genes to our gene pool to maintain vigor in our population. KCC rangers welcome reports of koala sightings on Phillip Island and are particularly interested in the colour of any ear tags seen. Phone: (03) WILDLIFE REHABILITATION AND ANIMAL WELFARE We have recently cared for a severely malnourished Fiordland penguin. He was successfully released late August, after about 8 weeks in care. There has also been a swan, galah, magpie, rainbow lorikeet, brown falcon, purple swamp-hen, little wattlebird, ringtail possums and three penguins. Currently there are 7 mountain shelducklings, 6 wood ducklings, 2 brush-tail possum joeys and a ringtail possum joey in care. Nature Parks Rangers responded to 84 calls to the wildlife hotline during August and September. Educational posters about baby birds have been given to local vets and information centers, in the hope that it will reduce the number of kidnapped chicks this spring. MARINE POLLUTION RESPONSE TRAINING We are planning a field exercise early in In the meantime further development of training courses will continue. Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

5 FIRE Exercise Sovereign 9 September 2015 The aim of Exercise Sovereign was to test the first strike bushfire and wildlife response plans and procedures for a bushfire emergency on the Summerland Peninsula. The objectives of Exercise Sovereign included: 1. Establishment and maintenance of a Bushfire Wildlife Response Team that functions under the Nature Parks draft Bushfire response plan consistent with the relevant VEAWP, Nature Parks and incident management system protocols and guidelines. 2. Developing first strike strategies that took into account weather conditions, and the expected direction and speed of a bushfire that impacted on the priority penguin habitat. 3. Identifying strategies and tactics to implement the operational portion of a Wildlife Incident Action Plan including: (a) protection of unburnt animals and (b) collection and transportation of injured wildlife to the Nature Parks Wildlife Clinic. 4. Identify immediate relief and medium term recovery strategies for the fire affected area. Thanks to local vet, Jenny Hibble, Charlie Franken, Craig Oldis and Leona Waldegrave-Knight from DELWP Gippsland Region, Frazer Wilson from DELWP Bushfire Risk Modelling and Analysis, the Nature Parks OHS co-ordinator Peter Sterck for attending as observers and mentors on the day. Fire preparations for the upcoming season have commenced with the thinning of vegetation in APZ (Asset Protection Zones -30m boundary from the assets). This work involves removing fire fuels and dead vegetation through burn piles or vegetation being chipped through a mulcher on site. Works has now stopped at Broad Beach Ave due to STSW return and Sliverleaves APZ is complete. Works are continuing at around the Ranger's house located at Conservation Hill. These works have been carried out by contractors and staff as suggested from recommendations from fire management reports. Photo: Phillip Island CFA helping out with the APZ Burn Piles at Sliverleaves. Staff attended 'Living with Bushfire: A Community Conference'. Topics discussed included: Lancefield bushfire escape, planned burning, ecological fire research, bushfire risk, Asset protection Zones, public perception, Upcoming fire season and weather predictions. Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

6 Photo: Living with Bushfire: A Community Conference held at Federation University Australia's Gippsland Campus in Churchill An asset protection zone / spring planned burn located in the north west side of Oswin Roberts and an ecological spring planned burn in the west side of Ventnor Koala Reserve have been placed on hold due to warm weather conditions at the moment. If the season changes to fit the burn prescription this will possibly go ahead. Burn piles at Pyramid Rock have been put on hold until possibly autumn or winter next year, due to warmer weather Two staff are to complete 2015 General Firefighter Training We have started cutting back fire tracks across the park. Please see The Phillip Island Nature Parks Fire Operations Plan for widths and locations on the link below. The Phillip Island Nature Parks Fire Operations Plan has now been uploaded onto our website, as below. The above map reveals the bushfire outlook for southern Australia through to Large areas of southern Australia, especially along the east and west coasts extending inland, face above normal fire potential for the fire season, despite many fires in some parts of the country over the last 12 months. The above normal forecast is mostly due to a strengthening El Nino Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

7 over the Pacific Ocean, currently tracking as one of the strongest on record, but is made more complex this year by the influence of warmer sea temperatures in the Indian Ocean. There have also been significantly below average rainfalls over the last decade across almost all of eastern Australia, the west coast and Tasmania. Such underlying dry conditions mean that any surface moisture from recent rains will quickly decline once temperatures begin to warm was Australia s third warmest year since records began and, when combined with such long term rainfall deficiencies, an early start to the bushfire season is likely in many areas. For more information see Fire Ready Kits The Fire Ready Kit or booklet is for people living in high-risk bushfire or grassfire areas of Victoria. It is designed to help you understand your risk, know the basics of how fire behaves and think about what you might do on fire risk days. Having this know-how is an important first step to being well prepared The kit discusses topics like know your fire weather district, fire danger ratings, and Bushfire plans on fire risk days, during a fire, preparing and defending. Download the Complete Fire Ready Kit - (PDF 3000k) Text only version (DOC 96k) or in separate sections below. The Business Fire Ready kit discusses topics like, fire is a risk for your business, protect your investments, Understand ratings, restrictions and warnings, Prepare yourself and your employees and Identify your triggers and procedures Further information can be found at Business Fire Ready Kit (PDF 3000k). EMERGENCY RESPONSE On Sunday 11 th October staff and emergency services were involved in a cliff rescue from the coastline along the South Coast Rd near the Nobbies. A person had injured themselves when entering this dangerous and prohibited area and could not get back up the cliffs themselves despite the assistance of two other people with them. Therefore the CFA and the SES were required to conduct a rescue amongst very sensitive penguin habitat. The emergency services and staff involved did a fantastic job not only in rescuing the person, but also in minimising any impacts on penguins and their habitat. The Nature Parks would like to thank all those involved in the rescue for a job extremely well done. GRANTS AND PROJECTS Melbourne Water 2015/16 - Works are ongoing with contractors spraying high threat weeds such as Bridal Creeper at our wetland sites. Cut and painting of woody weeds at Newhaven swamp is progressing well. Port Phillip and Western Port Catchment Management Authority (Caring for our Country, Ramsar Grant) - Weed work at Observation Point and vermin control has continued as part of this grant. Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

8 DELWP Coastcare Community Grants The grant for Protection of Hooded Plovers and Short-tailed Shearwaters is completed and closed out. New beach signage and equipment has been purchased for volunteers, and the new Special Shorebird signage has been installed. DELWP Coastcare Community Grants 2014/15 - Weed control projects on Cape Woolamai and at Kitty Miller Bay to protect Short-tailed Shearwater habitat are complete for this season as the birds have returned home. Works will be finalised next year and the grant closed out. DELWP Coastal Environment Program 2014/15 New boardwalks have been constructed on the Bruce Avenue access track to Forrest Caves and on the Kitty Miller Bay east access track to mitigate the risk of injury and protect shearwater habitat. DELWP Wildlife Shelter Grants 2015/16 ($26, 180 inc GST) - This grant is to support a field exercise for oiled wildlife response, oiled wildlife response training, desktop exercise for wildlife bushfire response and upgrading the Wildlife Clinic to support oil and fire response. The bushfire desktop exercise - Exercise Sovereign (see above) testing first strike response for wildlife rescue and management after bushfire was held on 8 September Penguin Foundation 2015/16 Funding from the Penguin Foundation will be used to conduct a research project on the postrelease survival of hand-raised possums from the Wildlife Clinic. We have received Animal Ethics Committee for approval. Friends of the Koalas Inc. - Communities for Nature (Round 4) ($6483) - This grant of $6483 is for Friends of the Koalas Inc. to assist with eucalyptus and grassland regeneration in the Oswin Roberts Reserve. The Nature Parks is a partner for the grant. Green Army 2015/16 The Green Army Graduated on 4 th September. Thank you to all Green Army participants, their Supervisor Daniel Aston, and their coordinator from the Nature Parks end, Daniel Kallstrom. This was a fantastic program with great environmental results achieved on the ground whilst providing a platform for the participants to kick start their careers. RECENT PRESS RELEASES: World-first interactive Antarctic experience to open on Phillip Island The Antarctic Journey at the Nobbies Centre on Phillip Island is set to become the world s first interactive Antarctic experience developed in partnership with WWF-Australia, when it opens in December Visitors will be invited to take a virtual journey into the wonderful world of the Southern Ocean and Antarctica as they engage with the many interactive and immersive experiences in this exhibition, a joint venture between Phillip Island Nature Parks and WWF-Australia. Comprising three levels, Phillip Island is showcased as the gateway to the Antarctic on the uppermost level, finding some interesting links between this temperate island and the frozen lands of Antarctica. Visitors will then descend into the area known as The Lab, to be entertained and educated through a range of interactive and informative experiences. Visitors will feel the freeze as they enter the Antarctic Chill Zone, try to sink a bowling ball, compare their thermal image with an Emperor penguin, or check out a sea spider under a microscope. With the remarkable Antarctic landscape as the backdrop, the unique wildlife, ongoing research activities, and the critically important conservation values of this remote continent will come alive before their eyes. Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October

9 The final level is one of complete immersion in what can only be described as a stunning and breathtaking, state of the art multimedia experience. Visitors will find themselves enthralled by the audio visual spectacle which puts them right in the heart of the action. All thanks to the cutting-edge augmented reality technology, visitors can stand on an ice floe and pat a penguin, stroke a seal or marvel at a whale within arm s reach. As the first attraction in Australia to share the WWF brand, this development promises to be a world-class addition to the much loved attractions of the Penguin Parade, Koala Conservation Centre, Churchill Island Heritage Farm and Wild Oceans EcoBoat tours, all operated by Phillip Island Nature Parks. About Phillip Island Nature Parks Phillip Island Nature Parks is a not-for-profit organisation that prides itself on finding the balance between delivering quality ecotourism experiences and implementing world-renowned conservation, social, environmental, research and education programs. About WWF WWF is one of the world s largest and most experienced independent conservation organisations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean For decades WWF has worked to conserve the natural wonders of the Antarctic, and millions of whales, penguins and albatross that live there. Working in partnership, WWF helped establish the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary and two of the world s largest marine protected areas the Heard and McDonald Island Marine Reserve, and the Macquarie Island Marine Reserve. WWF also helped secure a ban on mining under the Antarctic Treaty Environment Protocol, promote sustainable fisheries and substantially reduce illegal fishing across the Southern Ocean. WWF-Australia s current work in the Antarctic focuses on building a network of marine protected areas, new initiatives to protect wildlife such as whales and seabirds, securing sustainable fisheries management, and responding to the challenges of climate change. Roland Pick Communications Officer Tel: Mobile: PO Box 97 Cowes, Victoria 3922 Australia rpick@penguins.org.au Web CONTACT US: Phillip Island Nature Parks Po Box 97 Cowes Victoria 3922 Australia info@penguins.org.au Telephone: Facsimile: Website: Phillip Island Nature Parks Environment News October