One hundred and five people participated in the Broken Boosey Conservation Management Network’s (BBCMN) Practical Parrot Action Project Taminick Walk & Squawk – With a touch of Turquoise, on Sunday October 19th.
BBCMN Coordinator Janice Mentiplay-Smith said people from Mt Beauty, Melbourne, Shepparton, Mansfield, Wangaratta, Benalla and Wunghnu all attended the event, demonstrating the amount of interest in the Turquoise Parrot and the project.
“We were very pleased with the number of people who attended the field day.” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said. “It’s good to know that there are so many people out there who care and take an interest in the plight of our beautiful woodland birds.”
Dr Doug Robinson from Trust for Nature, botanist Sally Mann, ecologist Ian Davidson, and Birds, Bush and Beyond’s Chris Tzaros were guest speakers on the day. They took groups on different bushwalks around the Taminick site and in the Warby Ovens National Park after short presentations.
“Our speakers really are experts in their fields, and as a bonus we spotted Turquoise Parrots and a host of other Woodland Birds during the bushwalks.” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
“The field day was catered by the Thoona CWA who made a delicious morning tea, and the Glenrowan-Warby Lions Club who did an excellent job with the Barbeque.”
“The combination of incredibly knowledgeable speakers, great weather, a brilliant site for exploring the bush, and of course fabulous food made for a great field day.” She said.
The 2 year Turquoise Parrot Project, which was launched in May in Glenrowan by the Hon Bill Sykes MP and is funded by the State Government’s Communities for Nature Grants, emphasises the importance of involving and engaging the community in nature conservation.
Ms Mentiplay-Smith said the Warby Ranges and Glenrowan- Chesney Vale region was the last real stronghold of the Turquoise Parrot in Victoria.
“The aim of this project is to help save this beautiful bird from ultimate demise, as is the fate of so many other woodland birds species.” She said. “This is being done by providing more nesting habitat for the birds, and revegetating patches of native vegetation so they link up across the landscape, enabling the birds to move more freely and expand their range.”
“With help from the community we have so far built and installed 100 turquoise parrot nest boxes, completed 25 hectares of indigenous revegetation and installed 2 kilometres of fencing to protect Turquoise Parrot habitat,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said. “We have also established 30 transects to monitor the Turquoise Parrot population, installed 35 signs on landholders properties within the Glenrowan, Warby Ranges and Chesney Vale districts and presented to 12 groups about the aims and outcomes of the project.”
The Turquoise Parrot Project is operated in partnership with Chris Tzaros from Birds, Bush and Beyond, and the Broken Boosey Conservation Management Network.
For more information on the Turquoise Parrot Project ‘Practical Parrot Action’ or on the Broken Boosey Conservation Management Network, please call Janice Mentiplay-Smith on 57647506 or contact janicem@gbcma.vic.gov.au or visit www.brokenbooseycmn.com