Landcare and Conservation

Above: looking south toward The Crossing (which can be seen nestled in the bushland) over the Bermagui River and Coolagolite Creek. Much of the riparian area has since been reforested by young people.

Landcare

Young people at The Crossing have planted over 22,000 trees for Landcare since 2011. These plantings link the coastal national parks of Gulaga and Biamanga and improve the quality of the Bermagui river for oyster growers downstream.

The Crossing is a member of the Far South Coast Landcare Association. Our Landcare and conservation work is supported by Local Land Services, Bega Valley Shire Council, the Australian Government, and the McColl family who own the “Woodville” property opposite The Crossing.

The founders of the Crossing, Dean and Annette Turner, have received a Far South Coast Landcare Association Award for their Landcare and conservation work with young people. Their Golden Wombat award is ‘in recognition of outstanding leadership and commitment to educating young people and the community‘.

Conservation

Connecting and surveying habitat to protect threatened species are key aims of The Trust. Sustainability and environmental education for young people is a feature of every program at the Crossing.

The Crossing Land is permanently protected by a Voluntary Conservation Agreement with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. The agreement was established in 2006 and applies to over 90 percent of the property. A significant number of the threatened species listed for the South East NSW region have been sighted or heard on the property.

The Crossing has worked alongside the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Koala Action Network on the biggest koala habitat survey in Australia, which started in 2005.

Wilderness Coast koalas (the only known coastal NSW population south of Sydney) have a unique genotype. Protecting and linking their habitat improves the chances of koalas connecting with remaining populations to the north and south.

Dr Alistair Mezler, Uni of Central Queensland, evidence to Senate Inquiry, 2011: “…(these) koalas are probably the most critical population in Australia in the sense that they may represent one of only two reservoirs, very small ones, of what is the native genotype of all of the Victorian and South Australian animals left.”

The Crossing continues to work with NPWS, KAN, and Traditional Owners to ensure our koalas are well cared for now and into the future.

Crossing young people have helped survey more than 250 square kilometres of forest to show where koala territories are, how few remain and what trees species are important to koalas on the Wilderness Coast.

Habitat survey work and our Landcare project has linked and enhanced habitat between the major coastal national parks (Biamanga and Gulaga) on either side of The Crossing. The camp forest supports many endangered and vulnerable species listed on Schedules 1 and 2 of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995.

The Crossing’s trained and experienced staff team invite young people to engage with the natural world through practical conservation. We don’t just talk about conservation – we live it everyday.

Threatened Species Habitat present on our property

Preferred Feed Trees

Woollybutt (E. longifolia), Monkey Gum (E. cypellocarpa), White Stringybark (E. gIoboidea) and Coastal Grey Box (E.bosistoana) are preferred koala browse species in the area. These species are present on the property, though in small numbers. Yertchuck (E. consideniana) is a food source and large numbers of this species are present on the property. Ribbon or Manna Gum (E. viminalis) is also considered a primary koala feed tree; but only when growing on fertile soils. This species along with Blue Gum (E.maidenii) has been recorded on the creek bank soils at The Crossing.

Young Trees

In the forest, the young age of many trees limits the availability of large hollows for the larger possums and gliders, such as the greater glider (Petaurus volans). However, large hollow-dependent animals such as the glossy tailed black cockatoo and gang-gang cockatoos have been seen feeding on the property. A family of yellow-bellied gliders (Petaurus australis) are present as well as the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula).

Hollows

Smaller hollow-using species such as sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) and feather-tailed gliders (Acrobates pygmaeus) have been recorded on the property, and the value of the forest to hollow-dependent species is improving with time. Small hollows in younger trees and fire-damaged trees are valuable for the many insectivorous bats present in the forest. Grey headed flying foxes have also been seen on the property.

The River Flats

On the river flats there are a few large old grey and blue box which appear to have escaped the original clearing of the property, and these may carry hollows of use to larger species of possums and gliders such as the greater glider. Grey kangaroos use the flats and swamp wallabies are seen at the edges of the forest grazing on shrubs near the camp itself.

The River Nocturne

Most of these animals including a range of owls have been seen and heard at night as they are nocturnal.