11th June 2014 – Project helping to improve habitat connectivity for Squirrel Gliders in Thurgoona/Wirlinga

The Albury Conservation Company has recently been working with Albury City Council and Thurgoona Public School to improve habitat for Squirrel Gliders in Thurgoona/Wirlinga.

$10,000 funding has been used to plant 3,000 indigenous seedlings in areas where Squirrel Gliders occur but are having difficulty moving through the landscape caused by breaks in Eucalyptus tree cover. The project has revegetated 5kms of roadsides over the past 2 years, specifically Thurgoona Drive (east of Kerr’s Rd), Hawksview Rd, and Pipit Lane. These works have been funded by the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust via grants obtained by the Slopes to Summit (S2S) partnership of the Great Eastern Ranges. Fencing, site preparation, and revegetation have been undertaken by Albury City Council staff, including members of the Wagirra Trail crew, part of council’s Aboriginal Employment and Training Program.

Thurgoona Primary School has also participated in the project, with 160 students and teachers planting 400 seedlings on the school grounds during a recent planting and biodiversity awareness day. In addition to participating in the planting exercise, students learned about local threatened species such as the Regent Honeyeater and Squirrel Gliders, which are known to occur on the school grounds. Students also worked with Richard Ahearn (Manager of Albury Environmental Lands) and Albury City Council staff checking the school’s nest boxes and installing new boxes kindly donated by Council for the purpose of providing more homes for gliders. Students also learned about environmental weeds affecting local wildlife habitats.

Revegetation along Thurgoona Drive, east of Kerr’s Rd (Sam Niedra, 2013)

Filling vegetation gaps along Thurgoona Drive to facilitate future Squirrel Glider movement as residential development expands (2014)

Sam Niedra (Albury Conservation Company) and Steve Onley (Albury City Council) lead a planting and biodiversity awareness day at Thurgoona Primary School (2014) 

A planted White Box seedling along Thurgoona Drive in Wirlinga for future Squirrel Glider habitat (2014)

Revegetation along Hawksview Rd to close gaps in canopy for Glider movement (Sam Niedra, 2014)

Turgoona’s Threatened Wildlife_Squirrel Glider_2014

Thurgoona’s Threatened Wildlife_Regent Honeyeater_2014

This project is supported by: