Grants

The following is a list of grants awarded at the August 2008 meeting of Trustees of The Norman Wettenhall Foundation.

Australian National University

Eastern chestnut mice in the post-fire environment

This is a research project by PhD Candidate, Felicia Pereoglou. The objective is to learn more about the long term impacts of fire on biota. Felicia's work aims to determine the internal mechanisms and external habitat characteristics that allow Eastern Chestnut Mice to persist at low densities between fire events. It will involve 10 sites in NSW using capture-mark-recapture processes and the funds will go towards and equipment and travel that is intrinsical to her work.

$4814.50

Invasive Species Council, Inc Website

Understanding invasive species and their threats

$9,000

These funds will support the publication of a series of short essays exploring key ecological and philosophical issues associated with invasive species. The writers will be Tim Low and Carol Booth, and the published material will be available on their website and will also be widely available to community groups. www.invasives.org.au

Entomological Society of Victoria Website

Moths of Victoria - an illustrated checklist

$11,000

Author, Peter Marriott, has indicated that there is no comprehensive species list of moths and butterflies in Victoria, particularly moths. Peter intends to publish species lists, guides and to create a web facility. The grant is to produce the first two booklets on moths in an A5 format including CD. Sales from the booklets will help to produce others in the series.

Victorian National Parks Association Website

'Small Parks' Project

$15,600

The project aims to work collaboratively with regional and local conservation groups to build a community register of 'small parks' - areas of public land with good conservation values that are often poorly managed in the reserve system. The register is to be used by government and community when working on landscape restoration and biolink projects, wildlife projects and climate change issues. Areas to be covered by this grant are south west Victoria, and central Victoria. The VNPA will work with the Connecting Country landscape restoration project currently being run in and around the Mount Alexander Shire in central Victoria.

Conservation Council, ACT Region Website

Gungahlin Interactive

$10 ,000

The newest suburbs of Gungahlin, in Canberra's north, are being constructed directly adjacent to Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves - with national and international environmental significance. Suburban development can mean disaster for ecosystems and therefore, community engagement around environmental issues is vitally important. This grant will go towards expanding their website www.ourenvironment.org.au

Latrobe University Website

Our forgotten pollinators: the importance of native bees as pollinators for four Pea species in the Victorian midlands

$5,000

The project, being undetaken by PhD Candidate, Anna Murphy, aims to investigate how impacts to plant populations can influence pollinator behavour and thus, plant reproductive output in 4 native pea species in Victoria - does increased species richness cause the facilitation of pollination events or does it lead to greater competition between pollinators for floral rewards?

University of Melbourne Website

Is habitat restoration working? Determining and increasing the value of revegetation for biodiversity

$4,962

This PhD project by Sacha Jellinek aims to determine the effectiveness of revegetation works for biodiversity - studying numbers and types of vertebrate and invertebrate species in remnants, bare areas, and in corridors. The study will look at whether to revegetate corridors or to increase remnants. Sacha has worked with Project Hindmarsh and will now be working with Trust For Nature and the Regent Honeyeater Project.

Warby Range Landcare Group Website

Pythons, pastures, production

$8,160

The project, which has been running since 2005, is about managing land sustainably for the benefit of the iconic, endangered Carpet Python. The aim is to engage the community, build community capacity, and raise the profile of the python. This application is for funding a 16 hour facilitated workshop, providing landholders with information and practical tools to implement on ground restoration works for the benefit of the Carpet Python, including soil kits, species lists, aerial photos and lectures.

Padaminka Nature Refuge

Biodiversity of Sandfly Creek, Mackay

This grant has been given to the Padaminka Nature Refuge to support the work of Maureen Cooper. Maureen will produce a book on the biodiversity of the Sandfly Creek wetlands in the Whitsunday region, home to a large variety of shorebirds. The project aims to raise awareness of the wetlands and to produce a community resource.

$7,200

Regent Honeyeater Project

Habitat restoration for threatened species in the Lurg Hills

The Norman Wettenhall Foundation has supported the Regent Honeyeater Project consistently for 10 years. It is a very successful landscape restoration project near Benalla that has engaged the farming and wider community, and our funds go towards the salary of the coordinator, Ray Thomas. For more information see their website www.regent.org.au

$10,000

James Cook University, Cairns

Insect pollinators in natural and agricultural ecosystems in Australia's tropics

This grant is to support PhD Candidate, Romina Rader. Her work involves examining insect pollinator assemblages in 4 different land uses to determine impact of land use on biodiversity and pollination processes. The project aims to provide information to farmers on where and when pollen carrying insects will be, and what factors pollinating insects respond to in the environment in order to conserve remnant vegetation, decrease use of pesticides, and increase biodiversity.