Help my habitat beyond the Sanctuary
Photographer: Friend of Wildlife Wonders, Doug Gimesy
Can you help our long-nosed friends?
While our resident Long-nosed potoroos here at Wildlife Wonders are tucked safely away in the sanctuary, life is much tougher for those outside the protective fence.
Long-nosed potoroos require low, dense vegetation that enables them to hide from predators, and wetter areas that produce their favourite foods – fungi and seeds. The Otways provide a perfect habitat for these potoroos, especially a pocket of the Otways called the Carlisle Heathlands.
But, recent bushfires have decimated much of the Carlisle Heath, and with it, wildlife homes and food sources, in particular, threatening the survival of the Long-nosed potoroos, who are already classified as vulnerable in much of Australia.
Right now, out there in the Carlisle, there are potoroos who may have survived the fires, but their homes are now lost, their safety is compromised and, they are vulnerable to introduced predators like foxes and cats.
But hope is not lost.
Wildlife Wonders and our partners, the Conservation Ecology Centre have created the:
Otways Bushfire Wildlife and Habitat Recovery Fund
This fund will support potoroos and other wildlife survivors of the recent bushfires and guide the recovery of this unique part of the Otways through long-term research.
Will you help our long-nosed neighbours?
As you know, the Otways are a special place. But in the heart of the Otways, you will find a place of exceptional ecological importance called the Carlisle Heathlands.
Here in the Carlisle, you will find vulnerable, threatened wildlife that you won’t find anywhere else, such as the Long-nosed potoroo, the Southern Brown Bandicoot and the Swamp Antechinus. This place is a critical safe haven for species that have declined dramatically elsewhere. Now the heart of the Carlisle has burned and the vulnerable small mammals need our help.
Why are the Otways so important?
Where will my donation go?
All donations will go directly to our partner organisation, the Conservation Ecology Centre. They are an ACNC-registered charity and all donations over $2 are tax deductible.
While the full impact of this fire on wildlife and habitat will not be known for some time, this fund will support urgent action to protect surviving wildlife and fund research to inform the long-term recovery of the Carlisle Heathlands and surrounding habitats.
The plans underway and the recovery efforts may include:
Provision of habitat pod structures to provide refuge for small mammals.
Informing immediate predator control to protect surviving wildlife.
Installation of remote monitoring cameras so we can assess impacts on small mammal populations, monitor their responses and keep an eye out for predators.
Habitat restoration to prevent permanent loss of unique flora and rehabilitate critical small mammal habitat.
Vital research to build and share knowledge of how to effectively protect and restore these precious heathlands.
Long-term planning and advocacy to support ongoing recovery and ensure we are ready to respond to future events.
Thanks to research, we aren’t starting from square one.
Researchers at the Conservation Ecology Centre have spent the past 10 years studying the Carlisle Heathlands.
They know from their research that these fires will have destroyed small mammal habitat, that they are creating hunting grounds for feral foxes and cats, as well as opportunities for other pests such as pig and deer to become established.
But they know how to act.
Your support today will help heal the heathlands.
Donations to the Otways Bushfire Wildlife and Habitat Recovery Fund will support urgent action to protect surviving wildlife and the long-term recovery of the Carlisle Heathlands and surrounding habitats.
