Spotted on the web

Below is an email we received recently from a teacher after our Google alert 'found' a presentation posted by one of her students. The power of the web. Thanks Britt & Sarah for spreading the message about threatened species.

Hi FOHH,

I thought you may be interested in a couple of posts following a threatened species project I did with my Year 6/7 Science students at:

http://hawkesdale.globalstudent.org.au/2010/06/08/friends-of-the-helmeted-honeyeater/

http://brittgow.globalteacher.org.au/2010/05/28/our-threatened-species-projects/

http://www.slideshare.net/brittgow/helmeted-honey-eater

Sarah was very grateful to receive the newsletter and postcard from your members - it really is delightful when students get feedback from the 'real' world and when they know that the work they do is relevant and connected to the community.

Thanks Again, Britt G
Hawkesdale P12 College

Bob Anderson OAM

Our very own Bob Anderson (President, Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater) was recently recognised when he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. He was interviewed by Michael Cathcart on Radio National's Bush Telegraph. You can listen to the interview here

Image: Bob plants some orchids in the Friend's nursery display garden
Image: Sue Tardif

28 birds released - it's a record!

Six birds released into Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve on 6 May 2010 added to 22 released into Bunyip State Park two weeks earlier.

DSE’s Senior Field Ornithologist Bruce Quin said: “Before this release, there were only about 40 Helmeted Honeyeater's left at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve, with 40 more at Bunyip. The release site was chosen to give the new birds the best chance of survival,” Bruce said, "with ideal swamp and stream-side vegetation and a permanent water source. A major aim of bolstering the Yellingbo population is to diversify the birds gene pool. With the new releasees mixing with wild birds, the Helmeted Honeyeater population at Yellingbo is critical in maintaining a long-term, healthy outcome for the sub-species as a whole.”

Of the 12 captive-bred birds released last autumn in Yellingbo, we can still account for 7. This is a fantastic result and we are hoping for a similar one this year.

Image: Bruce and Bob release birds. A 'hands free' method of release will occur from 2011
Image: Iain Stych

Microchips vs leg bands - monitoring Helmeted Honeyeaters

We are often asked during our community education talks why we don't use microchips instead of leg bands to monitor the Helmeted Honeyeaters in the wild. It's a good question. So good in fact that Healesville Sanctuary are currently undertaking a trial to determine whether it's a viable option in the future.

Read more here: http://www.zoo.org.au/Conservation/Research/Wildlife_Reintroduction/Microchip_Trial

Thank you - another reveg plot is possible

Our recent fundraiser - Rochford Winery movie night - raised $320. The Friends sincerely thank Rochford Winery for making the night possible, Healesville Sanctuary who advised us of the opportunity and those families who came out on a mild balmy night to enjoy Up with us. The Friends will use the dollars raised to pay a fencing labourer to erect a revegetation plot designed to exclude feral animals, in particular feral deer on the Woori Yallock Creek arm of the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve. Habitat plantings have proven to be 95% successful using this methodology. Thank you.

Movie fundraiser - Up - Rochford 12 March 2010

Outdoor movie night - ‘UP’ on a big screen at Rochford, Yarra Valley

Date: Friday 12 March 2010.
Time: Gates open 7pm. Movie starts at dusk

From the creators of Finding Nemo & Monsters Inc comes this pixar animated movie that draws
together the most unlikely duo on an Uplifting adventure of a lifetime. Carl, a retired balloon
salesman and Russell an enthusiastic Wilderness Explorer meet some wonderful characters on an adventure that helps protect a rare 13 foot tall flightless bird.

Just like Carl and Russell in Up, the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater believe that individuals can make a difference to the plight of our state emblem, the beautiful but endangered Helmeted Honeyeater, along with the myriad of plants and animals that co-exist with it.

Come along & enjoy Up under the stars of the Yarra Valley.

• Cost: $10 adults, children under 12 FREE. Tickets at the gate
• BYO chair or rug, warm clothes, food & drink (no BYO alcohol). Food & drinks, including alcohol, can be purchased at the venue
• Event proceeds rain, hail or shine – come prepared
• 50% of the proceeds of this movie night go to the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater to improve their nursery facilities & ensure a reliable water supply over the critical
summer months.

Venue: Rochford Winery, Corner Maroondah Hwy & Hill Road, Coldstream. Melway 277 D9

Rochford Wines is proud to support the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater through the hosting of this community event

Yarra4Life Woodlands & Biolinks Project - funding available

Expression of Interest for landholders has opened for this project that aims to protect, improve and increase the extent of woodlands and biolinks in the Woori Yallock Creek sub-catchment.

Offering generous incentives to landholders to undertake activities such as fencing for stock exclusion, weed control, woodland and wildlife habitat enhancement and strategic revegetation.

Another complimentary target of the project is to create biolinks between the Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve and the other nearby environmentally significant reserves i.e. Kurth Kiln Regional Park to the south east, the Yarra Ranges National Park and Warramate Nature Conservation Reserve to the north and the Dandenong Ranges National Park to the west. This is to support and protect the threatened populations of wildlife – especially the Helmeted Honeyeater and Leadbeater’s Possum.

Applications are now open for Round 1 (closing 28 February 2010). More details and an application form at http://www.yarra4life.com.au/opportunities/landholders.aspx

Yarra4Life Woodlands & Biolink Project is funded by the Australian Government through Australian Government ‘Caring for our Country’ and the Judith Eardley Save Wildlife
Association.

Image: Map of project boundaries. See the website (above) for more details