Learn more about Andy’s work via AWC in Conversation (S1E2) Blue Mountains Koala rescue and Brooklyn rainforest frog surveys.Īndy conducts a Kangaroo survey at Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland, in his role as north-east Senior Field Ecologist. ![]() Andy has been in this role for four years, but has worked with Australian wildlife for more than a decade – from urban koalas, to nesting sea turtles – and he has also run his own consultancy. He’s the lead ecologist for Curramore Wildlife Sanctuary and manages threatened species programs on other NE properties. “These projects don’t and can’t operate without both Science and Operations onboard. I studied and am passionate about ecology, and always wanted to be an ecologist, but working in Land Management first has really opened my eyes to the importance of each role and of working as a team.”Īndy is AWC’s Senior Field Ecologist for the north-east region, based in Cairns. What’s been your biggest learning so far? We are at a really exciting point in the Mallee Cliffs project and I’m just over the moon to be able to focus on the science full time in my new role!” “I’m currently working on setting up the trapping array in our fenced area, and starting to write up our eradication success for hopeful publication. Mallee Cliffs is now the site of the largest feral predator-free safe haven on the Australian mainland, so it was all worth it!”ĪWC Ecologist Rhiannon Khoury and Land Management Officer Grace Hornstra release a Bilby into the feral predator-free area at Mallee Cliffs National Park, following an extensive collaborative effort between AWC and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. “The biggest challenge is staying sane while working alone in the field, often for weeks on end, across large and remote areas. For a solid year during our initial feral eradication efforts, I was swapping SD cards and servicing between 60-100 motion triggered field cameras every week. Nothing is as fun as chasing down Numbats, nor as exciting as the anticipation you feel walking up to a closed Elliot trap, hoping for your target species.” “I’ve had the privilege of assisting with harvests, translocations and surveys of Bilbies, Numbats, Greater Stick-nest Rats and Red-tailed Phascogales. What have been some highlights of your field work? Grace undertook large-scale feral animal monitoring and managed hundreds of camera trap arrays in her role as Land Management Officer, helping to create mainland Australia’s largest feral predator-free area at Mallee Cliffs National Park in NSW. As an LMO her duties included feral predator monitoring, data collection (fulcrum) and assisting with reports, surveys and translocations. Grace recently transitioned into the role of Field Ecologist at Mallee Cliffs National Park, in outback NSW, having spent more than two years as a Land Management Officer (LMO) on the Operations team. What is it like for the dedicated individuals who chose this life, deployed in remote and challenging locations across Australia? In honour of World Ranger Day, we asked some of the AWC team to share their challenges, highlights and learnings from living and working at the front line of conservation…Īpproximately 80% of AWC staff are based in the field at AWC sanctuaries and partnership areas, delivering effective conservation land management where it is needed most. On World Ranger Day, July 31, we celebrate and honour rangers around the world who dedicate their lives to protecting our planet’s cultural heritage and natural treasures.Īpproximately 80% of AWC staff are based in the field, living and working in some of Australia’s most remote areas to deliver effective conservation land management where it is most needed. This unique ‘boots on the ground’ approach sees more than 85% of operational expenditure incurred where it makes the greatest difference to Australia’s native species and their habitats – in the field.
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