Preserve and renew: biodiversity and wildlife corridors

 

Biodiversity sustains us on many levels. Other than the aesthetic and spiritual fulfilment many people enjoy, biodiverse ecosystems provide for a profusion of life forms (plants, micro-organisms, animals). In turn, they provide the resources we use to produce goods and sustain human health (such as medicines and good air quality).  In the long term, reducing biodiversity simply diminishes the health of the living systems on which we depend and to which we are profoundly linked.

There are many ways to support and enhance local and regional biodiversity, no matter where or how you live. Here are just a few:

Plant indigenous. Local natives support the development of small-scale wildlife corridors and provide localised benefits in landscape protection, pest control and respect for indigenous heritage biodiversity corridors. St. Kilda Indigenous Nursery can help you find attractive indigenous plants that support regional biodiversity. 

Join the EcoCentre. The EcoCentre is one of your best local resources on regional biodiversity. They provide information and activities related to preserving local reserves and wildlife, as well as links to local action groups and networks. Whether you have a question or a proposal, make the EcoCentre your first port of call. Call 9534 0670 or visit the EcoCentre website.

Join a local conservation group. There are many local groups in the City of Port Phillip that voluntarily enhance and support local reserves, biodiversity corridors, wildlife and visiting fauna, and significant natural sites. These groups do fantastic work locally and regionally to maintain and enhance Victoria's biodiversity and remaining natural ecosystems. Visit the EcoCentre website to find affiliated local friends' groups.

Here are just some local natural heritage protection projects:

Support the development of biodiversity corridors. Maintaining and enhancing biodiversity corridors remains a critical key to providing safe passage and habitat for Australia's fauna and migratory birds. It is also an essential way to preserve the many unique locally indigenous plants of Australia. Whether it is in the Victorian Central Highlands, old growth forests in East Gippsland, Tasmanian wilderness or grassy woodlands of New South Wales and Victoria, there are many ways to get involved in supporting their preservation and enhancement. Here are a few:

  • Trust for Nature. Trust for Nature buys properties that are next to or inside natural biodiversity corridors, then covenants (i.e., places conditions for biodiversity protection on this site on all future owners) and on-sells properties to private owners. This approach has been very successful and has assisted in repairing fractured biodiversity (and wildlife) corridors in many parts of Victoria. You can get involved with Trust for Nature as a supporting member, to assist in voluntary planting and maintenance schemes on degraded properties, or purchase a Trust for Nature property. Visit www.trustfornature.org.au.
  • Bush Heritage Australia is a national, independent non-profit organisation focused on the protection of Australia's unique and abundant diversity of life. This is achieved by acquiring and managing land, water and wildlife of outstanding conservation value. Visit www.bushheritage.org.au.
  • Friends Of Sandringham Railway Reserve. This is a good example of a local biodiversity corridor project. Check the website, or contact Angela 0425 857 670.

Support a rainforest alliance. Australia's unique rainforests stretch from Tasmania to far north Queensland. In Australia's increasingly dry climate, enhancing local rainforests is a great way to preserve these ‘natural lungs' and water catchments. Consider supporting a rainforest action group that uses your donations to buy, preserve and maintain rainforests. There are a number of groups; here are a couple of starting points:

  • The Australian Rainforest Conservation Society is a national, non-government organisation based in Brisbane. Its goal, through research, lobbying, public education and grass-roots support, is to protect, repair and restore the rainforests of Australia and to maximise the protection of forest biodiversity. Visit www.rainforestrecue.org.au.
  • The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has a number of national affiliates including rainforest protection alliances in both temperate and tropical climates. Visit the ACF at www.acf.org.au.

Support sustainable forestry. Sustainable forest management is an approach successfully practiced in parts of Europe and Asia to harvest timber and other resources while maintaining forest biodiversity and natural regeneration. It should be the only way to harvest in Australia's old-growth and biodiverse forests. Instead of clearfelling, mature timber is harvested with care to leave surrounding vegetation undamaged. In this way, the forest continually regenerates naturally whilst yielding a smaller but long-term source of local timber. Some plantation forests, while mono-cultural (mostly one species) are sustainably managed in a number of other ways (through the creation of wildlife corridors, water catchments, with no use of chemical sprays). Support these practices by choosing to buy only sustainably sourced timber and sustainable forest plantation timber. Visit the One Stop Timber Shop website.

Advocate against logging and wood-chipping in old-growth forests. Australia's unique old-growth forests contain some of the most unique, special places and wildlife sanctuaries for many of Australia's threatened and endangered wildlife (such as the Victorian long-footed potoroo). Many are threatened by poor logging and wood chipping practices. It is also a lousy deal in the long run for our biodiverse ecosystems if we replace old growth forests with plantation forests. Visit the Wilderness Society website for more information.