Wildlife Corridor Linkage Project
In the context of this project ecological linkages may be defined as a serious of continuous and non-continous patches of remnant vegetation that (by proximity) act as stepping stones of habitat facilitating the movement of fauna and ecological processes.
Meelup Regional Park is recognised as a regional landscape scale ecological linkage connecting to four other ecological linkages. At a local scale the Park provides an important wildlife corridor along the western edge of the Park facilitating fauna movement in and out of the Park. The significance of Meelup Regional Park to fauna in the area is demonstrated by the results of the fauna survey undertaken in 2015 with 17 mammals (including eight bat species), 59 birds, 23 reptiles and 9 frog species recorded.
The Wildlife Corridor Linkage project aimed to enhace this important wildlife corridor through revegetation and provision of fauna habitat. The Friends of Meelup have been involved in tube stock planting, seed collection and direct seedling of the corridor to improve the canopy connectivity in this area. Eight cockatube hollows were installed to provide breeding hollows for Black Cockatoos.
These on-ground works have enhanced this valuable habitat corridor for conservation significant species including the three Black Cockatoo (Carnaby’s, Baudin and Red- tailed), western ringtail possum, quenda and the western false pipistrelle bat.
The project was partly funded by the South West Catchments Council.
Implementation of Dieback Management Measures in the Park
Dieback poses a serious threat to the Park and is a very high management priority. Approximately 25% of the Park is infected with dieback with 40% of the diverse plant life vulnerable to the ‘water mould’.
A number of management units within the Park are dieback free and prevention of infection of these areas is a key management goal.
Through CoastWest Grant funding a number of management measures were implemented in 2017 including:
- Installation of 7 dieback hygiene stations, signs and markers;
- Green Card training for community members by the Dieback Working Group;
- Limestone sheeting of vehicle and walking trails; and
- Phosphite treatment on dieback boundary areas
