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Protecting reptiles in the Brigalow Belt
Reptiles are often forgotten when it comes to conservation.
But a joint project is underway to protect threatened reptile species in Queensland's extensive Brigalow Belt, including the Woma Python, Darling Downs Earless Dragon and a number of skinks.
Little work has been done in the past to conserve reptiles in this extensively cleared area, which runs from Townsville to the New South Wales border.
Funding
The development of the Queensland Brigalow Belt Reptile Recovery Plan was supported with $115,000 from the Australian Government. It involved the Queensland Murray Darling Committee Inc. (QMDC), Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and Environment Protection Agency and WWF-Australia.
After extensive consultation with landholders, government agencies, businesses and the community, a draft Recovery Plan will go to Australian and Queensland Government agencies for endorsement.
The Plan emphasises the importance of education and awareness for both private and public land managers, as well as the need for habitat protection, weed and feral animal control, and research.
Activities and achievements
Work has already begun on putting the Plan into practice. Rebecca Richardson, WWF-Australia representative on the project team, sees raising public awareness as one of the main achievements so far.
"We've run workshops, developed field guides and a curriculum-linked education kit, as well as a mascot - Wriggley the Burn's Dragon," she said.
"These have all been widely distributed and people are definitely becoming interested in taking part in implementing the Plan."
Alison Goodland, QMDC Coordinator for the project, said the plan aims to place reptile conservation on everyone's agenda.
"It's incredible to see the alteration in people's perceptions between the beginning and the end of a workshop, especially when they've had a chance to handle the reptiles and have some myths dispelled," Alison said.
As well as private land, stock routes, roadside verges and railway corridors are key habitats for many reptiles. This gives local government and State agencies like Main Roads Departments a critical role in conserving reptiles.
"The close partnership regional bodies have with public land managers in projects like weed control, biodiversity surveys and management planning, all have enormous benefits for reptile protection," Alison said.
"It's very encouraging. These partnerships will only increase in the future through the Recovery Plan."
Intensive work has gone into developing the draft Brigalow Belt Reptile Recovery Plan and there's more to come in putting it into practice.
More information
- WWF-Australia: (07) 3839 2677 or www.wwf.org.au
- QMDC: (07) 4637 6201 or www.qmdc.org.au
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