Current
Projects
Some current and
recent Australian Platypus Conservancy projects include:
Platypus
Count - a program to monitor the status of platypus and Australian water-rats
along selected waterways, including the Yarra River, conducted by volunteer
observers using standardised techniques (see
website: “Ripples” No. 36, 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 for more details).
Major partner: EPA Victoria’s Inspiring Environmental Solutions
Program.
Other partners: City of
Albury
Platypus Study –
the first-ever project to monitor the status of platypus and Australian
water-rats along the Murray River, conducted by APC biologists and volunteer
observers at Albury-Wodonga using standardised techniques
(see website: “Ripples” No. 42 for more details).
Major sponsor: Norske Skog.
Capital Region Platypus Program
- a project
to monitor the status of platypus and Australian water-rats in the Australian
Capital Territory and surrounding region, conducted by volunteer observers
using standardised techniques and by collection of platypus sightings during
an annual “Capital Region Platypus Month” (see
website: “Ripples” No. 45 and 46 for more details).
Major partner:
Platypus
Monitoring by Community Groups - a project to investigate the status of platypus and water-rats using “Friends”,
Landcare and similar community environmental organisations to conduct regular
group observation sessions along their local waterways (see website:
“Ripples” No. 38, 39, 41 and 44 for more details)..
Major sponsor: Sara Halvedene Foundation.
Queanbeyan
Platypus Awareness and Conservation Strategy
– development of a conservation strategy for the City Council in Queanbeyan,
where platypus and Australian water-rats live very close to the city centre.
The PACS will form part of the overall plan of management for the
Major
sponsor: Queanbeyan City Council.
Contract partner: Eco Logical Australia Pty Ltd.
Platypus
Reintroduction Project - the first ever attempt to re-establish a platypus population along a
waterway where the species has gone locally extinct.
Platypus disappeared from Cardinia Creek after the huge 1983
bush-fires; however, the waterway environment is now fully recovered from the
effects of this disaster.
In
April 2004, surplus juveniles were translocated from a nearby waterway in the
first stage of a project to bring platypus back to Cardinia Creek.
Radio-tracking showed that all animals adapted well to their now home.
In view of the success of this initial phase, additional animals were
progressively added to Cardinia Creek. Routine
breeding is now occurring, suggesting that a viable breeding population is
becoming established (see website: “Ripples” No.
33, 35, 36, 39 and 40 for more details).
Partner:
Cardinia Catchment Landcare.
Platypus
in Fire and Floods
- a major research project to study the short and long-term impacts on
platypus of the massive fires and floods which occurred in 2006/07 in
Gippsland (see website: “Ripples” No. 37 and 39
for more details).
.
Major
sponsors: Victorian Department of Sustainability & Environment and Parks
Victoria.
Platypus
Care Program -
a project to map the current status and distribution of platypus by collecting
reports of platypus sightings from the community.
Major
sponsor: State Government of
Other sponsors: Corangamite, Glenelg-Hopkins, Goulburn Broken, North
Central, North East,
Australian
Water-rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) conservation project
– Water-rat Report, a
systematic community-based monitoring program (using the model of the Platypus
Care program) is establishing the current status
of water-rats on a catchment-by-catchment basis.
Practical action will then be initiated to counter threats to the
long-term survival of vulnerable populations of this attractive native mammal
(see website: “Ripples” No. 33, 34 and 45 for more details).
Major sponsor: John T Reid Charitable Trusts.
Yarra
Ranges Platypus Conservation Strategy
– development of a conservation strategy for the Shire of Yarra Ranges which
has some of Victoria’s most threatened platypus populations within its
boundaries (see website: “Ripples” No. 39 for
more details).
Major
sponsor: Shire of
Wimmera
Platypus Conservation Strategy – development of a conservation strategy for the Wimmera, a region
that has some of
Major
sponsor: Wimmera Catchment Management Authority.
Platypus
Health and Disease Monitoring - a wide range of inter-related studies to inspect and record the
physical condition of platypus, test for disease and monitor general health.
Major
sponsors:
Platypus
Weight Variation
- analysis of variation in platypus weight and condition.
Major
sponsor: Salter Weightronix.
Platypus
Diving Behaviour
- observational study of diving capabilities and behaviour of platypus in the
wild.
Major
sponsor: Carl Zeiss.
Platypus
Education Program
- classroom visits to schools in
Melbourne and regional Victoria to teach about platypus and freshwater
conservation issues. The Conservancy has also participated in the Victorian
Government's Scientists-in-Schools Program with a special project in
conjunction with
Sponsors: EPA
Victoria’s Inspiring Environmental Solutions Program, Helen Macpherson Smith
Trust, North Central Catchment Management Authority, VicForests.
"Conserving
Platypus and Water-rats" CD-Rom
– production of a CD-Rom on platypus conservation issues for circulation to
management agencies, municipalities, conservation groups and schools (see
website: “Ripples” No. 44 for more details).
Major
sponsor: Fouress Foundation.
"Caring
for Platypus" Information Leaflet
- production of a leaflet on platypus protection issues, especially litter
entanglement problems, for circulation to management agencies, municipalities,
conservation groups and schools (see website:
“Ripples” No. 34 for more details).
Major
sponsor: Australian Geographic Society.
Platypus
Research & Conservation Centre - operation of a Platypus Research & Conservation Centre at Deep
Creek, near Bruthen, to service the Conservancy's research, education and
community action programs (see website:
“Ripples” No. 35 for more details).
Initial sponsors:
Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, Sidney Myer Fund.