Our initiatives - Biodiversity
At Albury/Wodonga and Wagga Campuses barb wire has been replaced on a number of fences and continues to be replaced on others. This protects squirrel-gliders, kangaroos, birds and other animals that might have been injured or killed by the wire.
On various campuses exotic trees and plants that need to be replaced are usually replaced with natives and attention is being given to plants of local provenance. At Wagga campus Facilities Management has set aside areas for regeneration of native grasses and favours mowing regimes along verges that minimise the spread of weeds.
These actions build on previous actions on the CSU farms at Wagga and Orange. At the CSU Wagga Farm over 30,000 tube stock have been planted in the last ten years, largely along water courses. A number of areas have been fenced off from stock as part of this process. An area of remnant vegetation in the Equestrian Cross country is being managed to lessen the impact of grazing.
In 2006 the University (Orange campus) became a member of the local Summer Hill Land/Creek care group. A volunteer group of University staff formed to collect seeds from the local native vegetation and propagate these seedlings to supply the campus' own tube stock. In 2007 the Summer Hill group (with a Catchment Authority grant) re-vegetated approximately 9ha of the campus, planting over 1300 trees and shrubs. Groups involved in the development of the site and planting include University staff, Killara Nursery members, Summer Hill creek care members, NSW TAFE students, the CMA and Landcare NSW.
Box Gum Grassy Woodland Interpretive Signage Wagga Campus
Box Gum Grassy Woodland (BGGW) ecological communities are located in sections of the CSU Wagga campus. The BGGW ecological communities are a listed as a threatened community under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.
CSU Green, with the assistance of a Landcare NSW Inc. Communities in Landscapes (CIL) Community Small grant, installed three interpretive signs at three locations across the campus. The signs were installed in locations with good examples of BGGW, where there was to be no foreseeable future development and in a location with good access and high usage by CSU staff and students and visitors.
The interpretive signs were installed to educate and promote the endangered community. The signs provide a description of the significance of BGGW ecological communities and the work being undertaken to preserve and rehabilitate them on the Wagga campus.
The signs are located in the following areas around the Wagga campus:
- Yindyamarra Reserve
- Agricultural Avenue (adjacent to the Equine Centre)
- Coolamon Road entry.
Dr Dave Watson from CSU has made a series of short films on Box Gum Grassy Woodlands. A good introduction to this critically endangered ecological community can be viewed here (Intro).
Find more short films on BGGW by Dr Dave at the Wirraminna Environmental Education Centre website.
Biodiversity Day 2010 Wagga Campus
Biodiversity Day 2010 was celebrated at Wagga Wagga with a very successful tree planting day.
In addition to planting around 900 locally indigenous plants, several nesting boxes were made for the locally vulnerable Squirrel Glider population. The nesting boxes were recently installed by Wagga's Division of Facilities Management staff (see photo, at right), providing a safe home for these special locals.
Click here to see more photos from this great day.
Peregrine Falcons on Orange Campus
In 2007, a pair of uncommon peregrine falcons was seen roosting in the water tower on Orange Campus. Due to the lack of suitable nesting areas in the region, a small team of dedicated staff placed a nest box in the tower, into which the birds gratefully moved, initially to roost and devour their meals (mainly pigeons and starlings).
In 2008, the pair added a young chick to their family, amid much celebration by local observers. The chick was named Migii (Wiradjuri for 'lightening', as the box was hit by lightening a few days before hatching). The falcons have now had three successful breeding seasons in their nest box.
The falcons can now be watched by interested observers on all campuses, thanks to a video installed in the nest box. To view the falcons in action, and donate money to support the falcons into the future, conduct research on their behaviour, and upgrade the camera equipment, visit the excellent FalconCam Project website. The birds can be seen year-round, but most of the action happens during the breeding season, between August and December.
Congratulations and thank you to Dr Cilla Kinross, Dr Ian Grange, Scott Banks and Ron Green, all from CSU Orange (although Ian has since moved to the UK), for their inspiring efforts in aid of these magnificent birds.
What can you do?
Tips:
- Plant trees that are native to your local area.
- Minimise your use of pesticides and herbicides in your garden.
- Remember, one of the greatest threats to large number of species is climate change. So, reducing or offsetting the greenhouse gases of your work and lifestyle can have a benefit for biodiversity.
- Keep your domestic cats inside at night, put bells on their collars, and have them desexed. Native animals do most of their feeding at night and can easily become extra food for pets.
- Watch out for native animals when driving at dusk and dawn, particularly in bush areas.
Do you have practical suggestions on how the University could increase biodiversity? Voice your suggestions here!