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Hi
Welcome to the latest issue of
our quarterly e-newsletter. We hope it will keep you
up to date with our activities and projects in the
Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
Highlights in our news include the draft Wet Tropics
Research Strategy and an invitation from Tourism
Australia to develop a Wet Tropics proposal for the
National Landscapes program. |
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If you have any comments,
contact us on
07 4052 0531 or give us your feedback
here.
Feel free to pass this newsletter on to your
friends.
Andrew Maclean,
Executive Director
Visit our web site
here.
You
are invited to subscribe here.. |
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WTMA |
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Wet
Tropics
Research
Strategy
2010-2014
The Wet
Tropics
Management
Authority,
in
collaboration
with the
Wet
Tropics
Scientific
Advisory
Committee,
has
developed
a draft
strategy
to
position
the
Authority’s
role in
relation
to
research,
and to
identify
key
research
questions
that
need
attention.
The
draft
strategy
recognises
WTMA’s
need for
strong
and
objective
science
on which
to base
management
decisions,
the
importance
of
increasing
regional
research
capacity
and
supporting
the
research
community.
We
welcome
and
encourage
you to
read the
draft
strategy
and the
Invitation
to
stakeholders
to
comment.
The
invitation
for
comments
is now
extended
to June
30. For
further
information,
please
contact
Dr Steve
Goosem
on 4052
0563. |
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Cassowary Summit proceedings
The Authority and the Cassowary Recovery Team held a Cassowary Summit in September 2009 at the Tanks in Cairns. The summit provided an opportunity to share information and discuss cassowary issues to help protect this endangered species. The proceedings from the Cassowary Summit are now available on the Wet Tropics website.
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Spott’s Snake Safety
colouring in competition
WTMA has launched a
colouring-in competition
to encourage the
community to appreciate
and act safely around
native wildlife,
inspired by the
Authority’s own pet
python called Spott. The
competition was launched
with
The Rainforest Habitat
Wildlife Sanctuary
to celebrate their
21st Birthday during
the Port Douglas
Carnival. Entry forms
and further details are
available from
Rainforest Habitat or on
the
Wet Tropics website.
You can also visit the
WTMA stand at the Cairns
Show to enter. The
winner will receive a
family pass to
Breakfast with the Birds. |
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North Queensland
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Tourism Alliance
An Indigenous Tourism
Alliance has been
established to help
place north Queensland
on the map as a
destination for cultural
tourism. The Alliance is
currently working with
the Authority,
Townsville Enterprise,
Tourism Queensland,
Tourism Tropical North
Queensland, and the
Commonwealth Department
of Resources, Energy and
Tourism. The Alliance
was formed by
participants at
Indigenous tourism
workshops held by the
Wet Tropics Management
Authority in October
2009. To find your local
Alliance member please
contact
Katrina Beattie on
4052 0555. |
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Nominations
for
Cassowary
Awards 2010
The
twelfth
annual
Cassowary
Awards will
be held in
November.
Each year
the Wet
Tropics
Management
Authority
recognises
individuals
and groups
who have
made
outstanding
contributions
to the
conservation
and
presentation
of the Wet
Tropics
World
Heritage
Area. See
our website
for further
information
or to make
nominations
for the
Cassowary
Awards
or
Young
Cassowary
Awards.
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National
landscapes
The Wet
Tropics has
recently
been invited
to express
an interest
in being
considered
for
Tourism
Australia’s
National
Landscapes
program. |
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The
proposal,
coordinated by WTMA,is
being
developed in
consultation
with the
tourism
industry,
conservation
sector and
local
councils.
Australia's
National
Landscapes
are
world-class
landscapes
distinctive
to
Australia.
Each
destination
is rich with
diverse,
unique and
immersive
experiences. |
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Keep
it
Wild
poster
competition
WTMA
has
launched
the
Reef
&
Rainforest,
Keep
it
Wild,
poster
competition
with
the
Great
Barrier
Reef
Marine
Park
Authority.
This
year’s
competition
celebrates
the
Queensland
school
system’s
Year
of
Environmental
Sustainability
and
the
International
Year
of
Biodiversity,
declared
by
the
United
Nations.
To
enter
the
competition,
or
for
more
details,
please
visit
the
Wet
Tropics
website. |
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Australia’s
Tropical
Land
and
Seas
WTMA
has
provided
mapping
of
the
Wet
Tropics
World
Heritage
Area
to
the
e-ATLAS,
including
information
on
boundaries,
zoning
and
the
topography
of
the
Area.Users
can
view
a
map
of
north
Queensland.
and
choose
to
overlay
World
Heritage
boundaries,
species
distributions
and
biodiversity. |
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Information
will
continue
to
be
added
to
the
Wet
Tropics
World
Heritage
Area
by
researchers.
The
e-ATLAS
is a
partnership
between
many
research
providers,
including
the
Reef
and
Rainforest
Research
Centre
and
the
Australian
Institute
of
Marine
Science,
to
present
information
about
Australia’s
tropical
terrestrial
and
marine
environments. |
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Education |
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Earthwatch
Institute
Teach
Live,
an
education
volunteer
program
supported
by the
Victorian
Department
of
Education
and
Early
Childhood
Development,
sponsored
a team
of
teachers
to
participate
in an
Earthwatch
expedition
to learn
about
rainforest
climate
change
research.
The
volunteers
spent
two
weeks
with
Professor
Steve
Williams
and his
team
from the
Centre
for
Tropical
Biology
and
Climate
Change
in the
mountains
of the
Wet
Tropics.
The
volunteers
then
returned
to their
schools
to build
educational
resources
for
teachers
with
assistance
from
WTMA
about
the
wildlife
of the
Wet
Tropics.
The
teacher
resources
produced
are now
available
on the
Earthwatch
Teach
Live
website. |
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School visits
WTMA staff
visited local
schools to teach
students about
the values of
the Wet Tropics
World Heritage
Area as part of
the School Year
of
Sustainability.
The Authority’s
pet python,
Spott,
accompanied
staff to visit
Woree State
School at the
Holloway’s Beach
Environmental
Education Centre
to teach the
students about
biodiversity in
the Wet Tropics.
WTMA staff also
recently
participated in
Sustainability
week at
Whitfield State
School to teach
students about
the importance
of rainforest,
with activities
based around the
schools own
patch of
rainforest that
was planted 21
years ago. |
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Savannah Guides
WTMA staff
attended the
Savannah Guides
school held at
Undara
Experience
in March,
alongside QPWS
staff. The
Authority
attended the
school to
research an
eco-accreditation
system currently
under
development for
the Wet Tropics.
During the
school, the
Memorandum of
Understanding
between Savannah
Guides Ltd and
Queensland’s
Department of
Environment and
Resource
Management /
Queensland Parks
and Wildlife
Service was
officially
launched. Anne Greentree,
Director of
Tourism and
Visitor Services
QPWS, and Andy
Ralph, President
Savannah Guides,
announced the
milestone on the
school’s first
night. The MOU
formalises the
good
relationship
between the two
organisations
over the past
five years.
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Wildlife |
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Lemuroid
ringtail
possums
under
threat
from
climate
change
WTMA is continuing
to
fund
the
research
and
monitoring
of
Lemuroid
ringtail
possums.
They
have
already
been
identified
as
particularly
sensitive
to
rising
temperatures
and
may
face
extinction
due
to
climate
change.
The
possums
are
found
in
two
distinct
populations
in
the
Carbine
and
Atherton
Tablelands.
Research
has
been
carried
out
on
the
northern
population
by
Professor
Steve
Williams,
Director
of
the
Centre
for
Tropical
Biodiversity
and
Climate
Change
at
James
Cook
University.
A
refugial
area
has
been
discovered
with
at
least
a
few
individuals.
This
population
has
undergone
a
dramatic
decline
in
size
and
range
and
is
now
extremely
vulnerable.
Prof.
Williams
and
his
team
will
continue
to
intensively
monitor
the
possum
population,
with
assistance
from
WTMA
and QPWS. |
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Quoll rescue
Wildlife Habitat, formally named The Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, run a wildlife care centre which rescues and rehabilitates injured and orphaned native wildlife bought in by members of the public. A recent patient, a northern quoll, was successfully released back to the wild during May. The quoll was rescued from inside a car by staff members who responded to a call from a member of the public. The quoll was then hand reared until it was mature and inspected by vets before it was returned to the wild. |
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Who to
contact for
injured wildlife
The Queensland
Parks and
Wildlife Service
visitor centre
formally
located on the
ground floor at
5b Sheridan
Street,
McCormack Place,
Cairns, has now
been relocated
to the DERM
Business Centre
on the 3rd
floor. There are
no facilities or
capacity to
manage wildlife
in the DERM
Business Centre
so, for injured
or orphaned
native wildlife,
a member of the
QPWS wildlife
team or
Far North
Queensland
Wildlife Rescue
should be
contacted for
advice and
assistance. |
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Fungus
mystery solved
The Authority
receives many
enquiries about
unusual fungi
like this recent
one photographed
near Daintree
Village. WTMA
staff, teamed
together with
international
researchers and
a New Zealand
scientist,
identified it as
a tree pathogen,
Phellinus noxius.
The Wet Tropics
is full of
amazing fungi,
which are an
important food
source for
bettongs,
cassowaries and
other animals.
For more
information
please see the
Australian
Tropical
Herbarium or
Australasian
Mycological
Society
websites. |
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UNESCO |
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World
Heritage in
Young Hands
UNESCO has
produced a
World Heritage
in Young Hands
education kit
for schools to
share knowledge
about heritage
conservation
with young
people in the
form of a
journey through
the world's
magnificent
cultural and
natural heritage
areas. This is
ideal to use
alongside WTMAs
Rainforest
Explorer
education kit
about the Wet
Tropics World
Heritage Area,
and UNESCO will
be soon be
adding
information
about Rainforest
Explorer to
their website.
Australia's
World Heritage
Education
Program
website has also
gone live. Visit
the website for
more information
and a poster,
and to
participate. |
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Our Place
World Heritage
UNESCO’s
Our Place World
Heritage
website has
recently added
new photos to
the Wet Tropics
World Heritage
Area page. The
website features
stunning images
from a variety
of World
Heritage Areas
and the Wet
Tropics is one
of the latest to
be added to the
collection. |
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International
Year of
Biodiversity
As part of
the United
Nations
International
Year of
Biodiversity,
Lemuroid
ringtail possums
have been
featured by the
International
Union for
Conservation of
Nature,
Oceania. The
IUCN will be
highlighting a
different theme
each month.
March was
Conserving the
Diversity of
Life, which drew
attention to the
rate that animal
and plant
species are
becoming
extinct. |
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Governance and Government |
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Wet
Tropics
Activity
Report
Queensland
Parks
and
Wildlife
Service
has
produced
their
Wet
Tropics
Region
Activity
Report
for
March
2010 to
April
2010. It
covers a
range of
land
management
and
visitor
services
in the
Wet
Tropics
World
Heritage
Area.
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Mossman
Gorge
elevated
boardwalk
Federal
Environment
and
Heritage
Minister,
Peter
Garrett,
visited
Mossman
Gorge in
the Wet
Tropics
World
Heritage
Area
with
Member
for
Leichhardt,
Jim Turnour,
on
Tuesday
18 May,
to see
how work
was
progressing
on the
construction
of a
disabled
access
for an
elevated
boardwalk
through
Mossman
Gorge,
being
carried
out by
the
Queensland
Parks
and
Wildlife
Service.
The
project
is being
funded
under
the
Australian
Government's
Jobs
Fund. QPWS
will
work
closely
with
tourism
operators,
Cairns
Regional
Council
and the
community
to
maintain
levels
of
access. QPWS
will
advertise
closure
and
disruption
details
prior to
works
commencing.
Should
you have
any
queries,
please
contact
Senior
Ranger
Tina
Alderson
on
4098
2188. |
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The
Australian
Heritage
Information
website
The
Heritage
Chairs
and
Officials
of
Australia
and New
Zealand
have now
launched
the
Australian
Heritage
Information
website.
This
site is
a
Commonwealth
led
project
under
the
Cooperative
National
Heritage
Agenda.
It has
been
developed
to
provide
a
central
point of
access
to the
wealth
of
useful
heritage
tools,
guidelines,
heritage
registers,
other
resources
and
publications.
The site
also
incorporates
the
existing
Australian
Heritage
Places
Inventory
search
tool
and the
contact
information
and
websites
for
other
heritage
organisations. |
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Wet Tropics community |
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Rainforest
Habitat’s
21st
Birthday
WTMA
would
like
to
congratulate
The
Rainforest
Habitat
Wildlife
Sanctuary
who
celebrated
their
21st
Birthday
on
Sunday
23
May, during
the
Port
Douglas Carnivale.
Rainforest
Habitat
has
been
a
great
supporter
over
the
years
as
one
of
the
Authority’s
Wet
Tropics
Visitor
Centres,
helping
to
educate
visitors
and
locals
in
the
region
about
the
values
of
the
World
Heritage
Area.
The
highlights
of
the
birthday
celebration
included
the
announcement
by
Charles
Woodward
of
the
new
name
Wildlife
Habitat,
to
reflect
the
diversity
of
wildlife
that
visitors
experience.
The
Fallon
family
were
also
announced
as
the
winners
of
the
Lumholtz’s
tree
kangaroo
naming
competition
who
named
the
latest
male
Joey Burnu,
an
Aboriginal
name
meaning
tree. |
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2009
Serventy
Medallist
WTMA
congratulates
Dr
Carla
Catterall
for
being
awarded
the
D L
Serventy
Medal
for
2009,
for
her
outstanding
contribution
to
the
ornithological
scientific
literature.
The
D.L.
Serventy
Medal
may
be
awarded
annually
for
outstanding
published
work
on
birds
in
the
Australasian
region.
It
has
been
awarded
for
the
last
15
years
and
is
the
highest
award
offered
to
professional
ornithologists
by
Birds
Australia.
Dr
Carla
Catterall
is
an
Associate
Professor
of
Ecology
at
Griffith
University
and
is a
member
of
the
Authority’s
Scientific
Advisory
Committee.
Her
career
spans
over
30
years
of
research
and
teaching
in
environmental
science. |
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NAIDOC
Week
4–11
July
NAIDOC
Week
is
an
annual
celebration
of
Aboriginal
and
Torres
Strait
Islander
culture.
This
year
it’s
being
held
from
4–11
July.
The
Department
of
Environment
and
Resource
Management
will
participate
in a
range
of
activities
throughout
the
week.
For
more
information
on
the
events,
such
as
the
poster
competition
or
awards,
visit
the
National
NAIDOC
website. |
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Celebrate
World
Environment Day
with Treeforce
Treeforce
have organised a
tree planting
afternoon on
Saturday June 5
to help
celebrate World
Environment Day.
If you would
like to
participate in
the tree
planting from
3pm to 5pm, phone
0435 016 906 for
more
information. |
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