Funds: $98,594

Source: NSW Environmental Trust

Contract: 2009/RR/0014

In 2009 Citizen's Wildlife Corridors (CWC), supported by Southern New England Landcare, received a 3-year grant from the NSW Environmental Trust. The grant enabled CWC and SNEL to oversee works by CWC members to enhance and better manage native habitats which support threatened woodland birds of the southern New England region.

Now, at the end of the 3 years, 12 CWC landholder members have actively enhanced 16 sites in priority areas for woodland birds, and are continuing to manage these areas to support good habitat health. These landholders have protected existing refuges of native vegetation and/or completed significant plantings to enhance or link refuge areas. Overall, the 12 CWC members have protected 323,000m2 of existing native vegetation, and planted 18,225 native trees and shrubs to regenerate 255,000m2 of terrestrial and riparian land. As a result, habitats are being specifically managed to support woodland birds - by protecting, enlarging or creating patches of habitat and creating or enhancing corridors, linkages or stepping stones between remnant or planted vegetation across the landscape. In this way landholders are supporting existing, breeding and dispersing woodland birds and so helping balance the ecosystems important to our livelihoods.

In addition to landholder’s native vegetation work, surveys of the bird communities of each of the 16 sites were made, to gather baseline data about the birds at every site. This data will be important to compare with similar surveys to be done at each site in the future, so we can find out if (and how) the improved habitats do actually help woodland birds to successfully survive, breed and disperse to other areas.

The 16 sites are spread across the southern New England region from south of Walcha to just north of Guyra. Most sites are east of or along the watershed of the Great Dividing Range and so are important in creating habitat areas which may be outposts (for sites adjacent to quality habitat) or links within the woodlands of Tablelands proper and between them and the important woodland or forest areas along the eastern border of New England. These latter areas are important sources of ecosystem service providers (such as woodland birds) without which the Tablelands health suffers.

In addition to the on-ground works and surveys, ‘best practice messages’ about managing native vegetation for threatened birds, biodiversity  conservation and environmental health have been promoted across the region.  The project was showcased to participants at the New England Northwest Landcare Adventures of 2011 and 2012, and at the 2011 Wool Expo at Armidale.

Inspiration from the project also provided for special sessions on threatened woodland species and environmental monitoring at the 2010 and 2011 ‘Frog Dreaming Conference’ for 240 primary school students from 10 schools across southern New England. The messages and findings from the project will continue to be taken to regional events for some time to come. In particular, as the protected and newly planted vegetation responds to the changes in its management, further knowledge and community capacity building opportunities will arise and be communicated to CWC members, other land managers and the wider community in numerous ways.

View the CWC Woodland Birds Booklet