7. Tasmanian Midlands - To The Rescue/Help At Hand
Projects
Species Hotels- Louise Wallis
The ‘Species Hotels’ show the creative interpretation of place. More than 300 artists, scientists and students have been engaged in the design and building of architectural wooden structures as artificial shelters, in intensive six-week periods over three years.
The constructions were informed by a ‘Big Day Out’ field day that featured restoration ecologists, biologists and University of Tasmania researchers. They shared their fauna-centric investigations of carnivores, the genetic diversity of bettongs and habitats of bushland birds. This ‘chain of hotels’ represents some of the key needs of native wildlife to live and thrive in a rich and diverse landscape, with shelter and access to food. The ‘hotels’ are designed to encourage insects to nest with ‘room service’ for birds, bats and other mammals. Every good hotel needs a café, so ceramic artists worked with students creating native ‘seed pies’ from clay.
Building on the success of the Species Hotels is a project called Eagle Perches, focused on critically endangered wedge tailed eagles, the largest bird of prey in Australia. Electrocution incidents from electricity infrastructure are recognized as a key threat to their survival. The project works with students and raptor researchers to design and build innovative, artificial perching structures to support and promote awareness of wedge-tailed eagle conservation in the Midlands.
The education program in the Midlands has embraced creative opportunities that engage with the wider community . There has been an ongoing evolution of ideas and possibilities involving goodwill, trust and sharing of positive ideas. The program finds champions such as passionate teachers, scientists, philanthropists, artists and farmers.
The Species Hotels are located on the banks of the Macquarie River at Ross in the heart of the biodiversity hotspot, where over 300,000 trees have been planted. While the restored habitat grows, the Species Hotels explore how public art can contribute to habitat restoration. It is a place to bring people together to contemplate the landscape.
Wildlife Monitoring with Students
Campbell Town and Bothwell school students have been tracking the movements of native animals and feral predators with wildlife cameras, supporting the animal-centric model of restoration. With this citizen science project students collate data for the Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s Wild Tracker system and the Tasmanian Natural Values Atlas for long term wildlife monitoring.
Students have been learning scientific methods that can be applied to real-world problems in their own region.
Wildlife monitoring provides valuable information about where these animals are occurring and how they are faring, which is essential for designing conservation programs. The program provides students with an understanding of the nationally significant values of the Midlands biodiversity hotspot, the importance of wildlife monitoring, and the process of gathering and analysing real scientific data. Wildlife monitoring has been undertaken using camera traps, which are a simple way to observe and catalogue wildlife.
Students are assisted by Greening Australia to determine a suitable location for the camera traps, install them, and to collect, analyse, and interpret the data. This involves a field trip to a nearby property in addition to two or three days in the classroom to discuss the data analysis and results. Students will be encouraged to think about questions such as: what native/feral animals exist in the landscape, can we distinguish between individual animals, and are the animals healthy? The monitoring is undertaken in line with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s ‘WildTracker’ system and students will have the opportunity to contribute their results to TLC’s long-term wildlife monitoring efforts, demonstrating the importance and value of the work that they have done. The students have enjoyed this fun and interactive way to engage with issues around landscape ecology, threatened species, habitat restoration, and wildlife conservation. By involving students directly in the process of wildlife monitoring, they get hands-on experience in conducting scientific research that will contribute to biodiversity conservation efforts in the Midlands.
Plant Propagation- Replica Planting in Schools
Students from both Midlands and urban schools have been actively engaged in planting and caging trees on Midlands farms, undertaking replica planting in their schools, germinating local eucalypts and researching direct seeding trials. Highlights of the program have included a Big Biodiversity Night out at Campbell Town for students and the community. The restoration has also been the focus of statewide forums and field days with 120 grade 11/12 Geography students. These students have been observing the landscape changes that take place after restoration has taken place.
These students are working hard to reverse the decline of biodiversity in the Midlands and reconnect with their globally significant landscape recreating over 6,000 ha of new habitat. Creating a stronghold for Australia’s critically endangered animals while revitalising local Tasmanian farming communities.
A partnership with Campbell Town High School students and Architecture and Design students from the University of Tasmania has created a sculpture trail in Ross to showcase the large-scale restoration. An ongoing program of regional forums and a combined Midlands field trip supported by scientists and researchers has engaged Grade 11/12 geography students statewide. Bushrangers is an evolving program, The real world challenge of restoring the Midlands biodiversity hot spot provides a perfect vehicle for engaging educational opportunities.
Big Nights Out - community engagement
Big Nights Out where students, their families and anyone else from the community are invited to bring headlamps to explore nocturnal biodiversity of remnant bush on Midland farms. Starting with a BBQ as the sun goes down, Henry Foster, whose farm the events have taken place, tells the excited group of night time adventurers what they might see. In the group are some Scientists with expertise in insects, birds, frogs and bats.
Many of our Midlands marsupials, as we have learned, mostly roam at night, coming out to forage under the cover of darkness. Henry’s farm, near Campbell Town, has lots of bushy and forested areas, perfect places to find our furry friends.
With full bellies the group sets of with spotlights in hand.
This has activated local families and resulted in a number of farmers committing themselves to the Island Ark restoration program.
Vision for the Future- with kids
Programs provide schools with the opportunity to experience the deep connection between people, places and environment. It gives students insight into local biodiversity issues and learning pathways, whilst engaged in meaningful, practical tasks, working with scientific researchers.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the original owners, the Palawa people and the use and crossing of the Midlands where we meet with our partners to share, learn and raise awareness about the land:
Paredarerme nation people, Laremairremener and Poredareme tribes, Luggermairrerpairrer tribe and the Tyrrernotepanner tribe
