Name That Bird – Malleefowl Mascot Naming Competition

NACC NRM has a new Malleefowl mascot – however it’s still missing a name and we’re needing YOUR help to pick one!

As an avid reader of NACC Notes, you would be aware that our Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitators (RALF) recently travelled east to attend the Annual RALF Conference in Canberra.

Because our staff are so passionate and love their jobs, they never stop working! So while one of our RALFs was on a days’ leave, on her way home from the conference, she visited Taronga Zoo and spotted this threatened bird from our very own Northern Agricultural Region and the subject of a major NACC project – Gnow or Never: Supporting Communities to Save Malleefowl.

The NACC Team has since adopted this fluffy representative, as our own, but there’s just one problem…… it doesn’t have a name. We need your help.

We want something catchy and attention grabbing, something that represents the region and the work we do.

For those not familiar with this cryptic megapod Malleefowl are large ground-dwelling birds famous for their ability to build enormous mounds.

Malleefowl pairs build their nests on the ground out of leaf litter and soil raked together from the ground. The female bird lays her eggs in the mound then covers them to be kept warm by the decomposing leaf mass.

The male bird keeps a watchful beak on the nest using it to test the temperature regularly, removing or adding additional leaf litter as required. While the male continues to patch-up the nest during the incubation, the parents take no part in chick rearing, with chicks emerging from the mound completely self-sufficient.

Sadly, much of the best habitat for Malleefowl has already been cleared or has been modified by grazing by sheep, cattle, rabbits and goats and these unique birds are listed as Vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999.

The species has been shown to be highly sensitive to grazing by sheep, and is probably similarly sensitive to grazing by other introduced herbivores. Predation by the introduced fox is also thought to be limiting the abundance of Malleefowl and in many areas may be a major cause of decline

Our new mascot is being kept safe and sound in our office with the NACC Team, but it will be travelling around the region and being used in promotional projects to help our community learn, love and respect our local environment.

So put your thinking caps on and send us your best Malleefowl names. There will be a prize for the name we pick.

How to enter

Submit your favourite name and tell us why you think it’s right for this cryptic megapod.  You can enter via Facebook simply post a Facebook comment on the relevant post, or as a reply to the relevant Tweet on Twitter. We will announce the winner in our next edition of NACC Notes at the end of May.

 

Warm wishes

Katherine Allen,

General Manager, NACC NRM

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CEO’s Report

In 2020-21 I talked about ‘raising the bar’. In 2021-22 we worked on setting the bar on fire. Over the last 12 months, the team at NACC NRM has not stopped.

The Sustainable Agriculture team has extended the program’s reach through collaborations with grower groups in the regions. Specifically, the Beyond Reasonable Drought project and Grower Group Alliance – South West WA Drought Innovation Hub – Geraldton Node project. The Beyond Reasonable Drought partnership with grower groups supported farmers across the region to improve the environmental sustainability of their agricultural production and drought resilience. The outcomes of this project have been consolidated through our successful Expression of Interest to the South West WA Drought Innovation Hub, with support from grower groups across the region, to host the Geraldton Node of the Hub. The program continues to focus on working with agricultural networks to share technical expertise and provide opportunities that will improve land management practices in agriculture across the region.

The conservation outcomes of ranger teams have expanded through work on several land tenures. Maintaining Heritage sites such as Willi Gulli, Racecourse Paddock and Buller River has long been a priority. During 2021-22, the teams have increasingly focused on threatened species and ecosystems.

To this end, Western Mulga rangers have improved management across 19,000 ha for the conservation of Malleefowl through firebreak and access management. They completed the maintenance of water holes and supported the monitoring of over 90 Malleefowl mounds.

Similarly, the Kwelena Mambakort Aboriginal Corporate ranger team have contributed positively to Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations by installing artificial hollows and habitat restoration.

All ranger teams have collected native seed, propagated native plants for restoration, and planted native vegetation in key locations across the NAR. Seed collection provides valuable industry experience and has facilitated the planting of over 100,000 seedlings during the year.   

In September 2021, the NACC NRM team delivered the WA Threatened Species Forum, held in tandem with the National Malleefowl Forum. Given the impact of COVID and the timing of this event, having more than 100 delegates from all over Australia was a significant achievement. The two Forums brought together 12 events over five days and featured 14 local artists, 25 businesses and 36 youth participants.

Following the successful relaunch of our updated NARvis, NACC NRM was invited to help lead a significant piece of strategic planning work for the region with Mid West Development Commission and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. With funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the consortia delivered a Regional Drought Resilience Plan covering the shires of Northampton and Chapman Valley and the City of Greater Geraldton, along with significant technical analysis of drought vulnerability for the South West land division. The development of this plan also included extensive community consultation to ensure that local knowledge and technical advice guided the development of priorities for action.

This planning work links to existing NACC NRM on-ground projects, including Beyond Reasonable Drought and the Chapman Catchment Collaborative regeneration project.

It was a busy year for events with face-to-face events becoming commonplace again. During 2021-22 we hosted events in Gingin, Moora, Dalwallinu, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Walkaway, Nabawa, Perenjori, Kalannie and Morawa. We supported events in Karakin, Thundellara, Perenjori, Paynes Find, Wubin, Cataby, Warradarge, Northampton, Yuna, Dalwallinu and Dandaragan.

We also supported on-ground works throughout the region, including at the following locations Yuna, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Merkanooka, Goodlands, Kalannie, Bunjil, Yardarino, Canna, Kondut, Latham, Kadathinni, Nabawa, Red Gully, Sandy Gully, Waddy Forrest, Devils Creek, Perenjori, Bowgada, Ellendale, Wandana, Namban, Hill River, Warradarge, Gillingarra, Regans Ford and Moonyanooka.

Our region is vast – slightly larger than Tasmania, which for comparison, is serviced by three separate NRM organisations. Covering the NAR region and its many environmental threats is challenging. We continue to focus on partnerships and collaboration to address this challenge. We know that by working with our community through passionate delivery of collaborative on-ground projects and education, the community will value and actively protect our region’s natural capital.

This year we have launched a new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP Working Group consulted widely and developed an Innovate RAP which Reconciliation Australia approved in March 2022. The activities to fulfil these commitments are now in full swing.

Sadly, at the end of 2021, we farewelled former NACC NRM CEO Shelley Spriggs, who lost a long battle with cancer. Shelley was an inaugural inductee to the NRM Leadership Honour Roll. I will always be grateful for her guidance and no-nonsense approach, not to mention her passion for life.

While we have said farewell to some, we have welcomed many new faces across all programs, including our Administration team. We have also hosted a school-based trainee from Nagle Catholic College who has been working towards a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This trial position has been very successful, and we look forward to making this opportunity available again in 2023.

During 2022 we have taken on new projects that align with our organisational and program objectives, and we have successfully completed some great initiatives that support continued conservation and sustainability outcomes. I want to thank the whole team who continue to go above and beyond for the organisation and each other proving their ongoing commitment to our purpose and our values.