Looking to the future of Kangaroo Island's biodiversity

A lot of hands-on work goes into helping the environment, but measuring whether this work is actually achieving long-term results is often a challenge.

This is no longer the case on Kangaroo Island, after the Kangaroo Island Natural Resources Management Board developed a monitoring system to ensure environmental efforts were not going to waste.

“We wanted to be able to effectively manage and monitor the changes in the condition of our natural resources and the threats that impact on them,” NRM Board General Manager Jeanette Gellard said.

“So we embarked on the Island Refuge project to help us achieve that.”

Funding

The Australian Government has provided the Board with more than $250,000 to help develop and implement the monitoring program. The State Government has also provided in kind support.

Activities

With the assistance of the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage, the Board began with a review of all available scientific and environmental information about the biodiversity on Kangaroo Island and what gaps existed in the current knowledge.

“We also evaluated the processes that were threatening the island's biodiversity,” Jeanette said. “This included risk assessments of weeds and vertebrate pests.

“All of this information has been collated and GIS mapping of biodiversity assets and threats have been prepared.

“The second phase of the project has focused on the development and implementation of a monitoring program that allows us to identify current conditions and measure changes in the future.”

Achievements

Having collected all this information, and collated it into a report, Jeanette said the Board is now in a much better position to make informed land management and conservation decisions.

“This project gives us knowledge about biodiversity on the island,” she said.

“We now have a monitoring framework that gives us reference points so we can measure and monitor environmental efforts and threats in relation to a whole range of projects.

“We also have a much better understanding of areas most in need and in the next six to 12 months, we will be able to refine our priorities for natural resource management.”

The Board will use the information gained from the project a guide to target replanting and protection work, pest management efforts and to determine where work needs to be undertaken.

“Having this baseline data means that we will be able to monitor our progress and see where our work is actually making a difference,” Jeanette said.

More information

1. Phil Pisanu, Biodiversity Officer, South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage: (08) 8553 2381 or pisanu.phil@saugov.sa.gov.au

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

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Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts