The wilderness of Western Australia is a biodiversity hotspot, home to a range of animal species and rare plant forms. Unfortunately there are a number of endangered species native to this location but with a variety of wildlife conservation projects in place, you can help by volunteering to conserve the biodiversity of this area of Australia.
There are, in particular, three marsupial species which you are likely to encounter while on a wildlife volunteering project in Australia. They are the quokka, the quoll and quenda. The quokka is a small wallaby which can only be found in the south west of Western Australia and two near=shore islands. This Australian species has been threatened by animals introduced by humans such as the fox, cats and feral pigs, the loss of their habitat, fires and climate change. Like the quokka, the quoll is also listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, this marsupial is the largest carnivorous marsupial found in Western Australia and its population figures were majorly impacted following the introduction of the fox by the European settlers. The quenda is a small omnivorous marsupial which has a special ‘conservation dependent’ status in Western Australia; majorly affected due to loss of habitat through human activity it is another animal that needs to be taken into consideration.
While taking part in a wildlife conservation project you’ll be carrying out a number of activities to identify where conservation work needs to take place to protect these species. The Southern Forests in Western Australia is where the wildlife volunteering will take place, as this is a suitable habitat area for the quokka, quoll and quenda. The aim of the volunteering wildlife project will be to capture, tag and release the marsupials back into their habitat. These radio tags will allow volunteers to help the project leaders follow the animal’s movements, study their behaviour and how they act in their habitat.
All of this information gathered about the marsupials will help towards creating and improving management plans to ensure the species’ survival in Western Australia. The more the authorities know about population numbers, behaviour, current threats, habitat requirements and interactions between species, the easier it will be to forge useful and effective management plans. Wildlife volunteers are vital to these kinds of projects. They often have small budgets which means that resources are stretched, and any help is generally greatly received, and volunteering on a project of this nature can be greatly rewarding for those taking part.
Paul Smart is writing on behalf of Biosphere Expeditions, a not-for-profit organisation which offer wildlife volunteering projects in Australia. Working on the conservation projects give wildlife volunteers a once in a lifetime opportunity to work closely with a number of a species in their native habitat.
Article Source: Identifying Endangered Species Working on Wildlife Volunteering Projects in Australia
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