Grants

The following is a list of grants awarded at the February 2009 meeting of Trustees of The Norman Wettenhall Foundation.

Australian Network for Plant Conservation Inc (ANPC)

Publication of "Minding our own biodiversity" (papers and outcomes from the ANPC's 2nd National Forum)

The ANPC's 2nd National Forum is 30 April-1 May 2009 and focusses on biodiversity conservation on private land. The forum brings together landholders, NGOs and government organisations and topics will include land purchase and protection, covenanting, incentive programs, agency support, and issues for owners of bush blocks.

$4,675

Costermans Publishing

A book on geology and geomorphology of southeastern Australia

$5,000

Well known author and publisher, Leon Costermans, is to produce and co-author a book for people interested in the environment and environmental management, which concentrates on the substrate - geology, landforms and hydrology. There is very little material available on this area. The publication won't be ready to print until 2010 and The Norman Wettenhall Foundation is looking for others to act as joint-funders with us. Please contact Beth if you are interested.

The Australian National University

Combining the old with the new: aboriginal knowledge and satellite technology address the plight of a threatened species, the Australian Bustard, in the Australian tropical savannas

$5,000

The project aims to combine traditional Aboriginal ecological knowledge with satellite telemetry and spatial info systems to study the main threats to the Bustard - woody weed infestations and traditional harvesting problems. Specific areas of the study will look at behaviour, harvesting, sex preferentiation, habitat characteristic of display sites, habitat changes, movement, TEK. We have chosen to focus our support on the aboriginal interviews.

Bush Heritage Australia

$8,340

Jumpin' Flashjacks: recovery of Bridled Nail-tail Wallabies on Goonderoo Reserve, Queensland

This wallaby was 're-discovered' after being presumed extinct and only 200 are left in the wild. Bush Heritage are wanting to consolidate existing populations in order to save them from extinction. The aim here is to establish the extent to which this wallaby occupies Goonderoo Reserve (owned and managed by BH) using camera traps; improve the quality of habitat using fire management, weed control and regeneration; monitor and control predators; and monitor bridled nail-tail wallaby use of Goonderoo Reserve. We are supporting population monitoring and volunteer support.

H11 and H12 Community Action Group

$8,000

Fiery Creek stream health: Chinaman's Swamp sub-catchment Project"

This is the second grant awarded under the RE Ross Trust's Small Victorian Rural Grants Scheme.

This project in the Lake Bolac area proposes to undertake ongoing research to provide conclusive data on ground water salinisation, thereby providing information for use by the wider community in catchment management.

The community is concerned with the levels of salt reaching Lake Bolac from sub-catchments extruding salt to Fiery Creek which feeds the lake. The community is also concerned how salinity and sub-soil salinity are likely to affect agriculture, biodiversity and flora and fauna - particularly in the creek and lake. Results will be widely distributed to the community and future restoration works planned as this work is part of a large landscape restoration project.

The Hills Shire Council

$4,588

'Silent Night' community microbat study

This project aims to develop a community microbat monitoring scheme in order to collect data and provide information to the Council's biodiversity mapping. Information collected will include the distribution and abundance of each microbat species. The project will engage the community in biodiversity conservation and will work with other groups to monitor changes in microbat biodiversity over time. The project also aims to provide the information to the community via media and workshops. Funds were sought for the necessary monitoring equipment.

Wellstead Historical and Heritage Committee

Wellstead taxidermy display

This project follows on from a community mammal survey and production of a mammal booklet for the area. The community are given permits to taxidermy dead animals and they are put on display in a community centre. So far 59 birds and animals (31 species) are on display. The group applied for funds for taxidermy of 5 new animals and birds to add to their educational program involving school children, the community and tourists.

$5,215