by Vinod Ralh | Aug 6, 2023 | Newsletter - August
The programs we ran last year are having a real impact! Thebeats were informed a couple of weeks back that the first Koala in a decade has been spotted on Tullymorgan in the Clarence Valley. Barbera Linley purchased the property six years ago and has had an absolute focus on regenerating bushland for both Koalas and Emus, The latest sighting demonstrates that it is paying off. Most of the 1000 trees planted have survived given the favourable weather conditions and the funds you helped raise goes towards ensuring they are cared for. Jane Beatie has been regularly visiting the property to weed and ensure strong stakes are giving the trees their best chance of survival.
To raise funds for the trees we ran a series of events. We had over 200 participants attend the Paint and Sip and Amazing Race events. We raised over $500 as a result of your submissions through the Good Empire app.
For the those who didn’t attend, the paint and sip turned out to be a series of hilarious sessions around the country, allowing people the freedom to paint threatened and endangered species. For those not so talented, we provided outlines to assist them. Wine, laughter and the occasional singing supported a spirit of purpose and enlightenment.
The Amazing Race was held in botanical gardens of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for those who were more energetically minded or just love the outdoors. Teams searched out the threatened and endangered species being preserved in the gardens, They enthusiastically performed tasks such as trees hugging and fun was had by all. The Brisbane event took it to the next level with lunch and ice-creams thrown in by the Deloitte Cyber leader – thanks Henry!!
Watch out for the next event near you!!
The Amazing Race was held in botanical gardens of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane for those who were more energetically minded or just love the outdoors. Teams searched out the threatened and endangered species being preserved in the gardens, They enthusiastically performed tasks such as trees hugging and fun was had by all. The Brisbane event took it to the next level with lunch and ice-creams thrown in by the Deloitte Cyber leader – thanks Henry!!
Watch out for the next event near you!!
by Vinod Ralh | Aug 6, 2023 | Uncategorized
Nesting Boxes a Winner for thebeats.org
Extracts from ABC Sunshine Coast article by Olivia Mason, May 2023
Timber boxes with infrared detectors and radio communications are creating hope for some of the country’s most vulnerable species in an Australian-first pilot program.
Key points:
- The Sunshine Coast Council has installed 77 nesting boxes at Mapleton
- Radio monitoring infrared detectors are being used in a nation first
- Each box is crafted from recycled timber from local developments and fitted with monitoring devices
- Animals moved in almost instantly!
- Thebeats.org are working with Jack Spittle and acquiring boxes as a result of campaigns
- Crafted from recycled hardwood, the nesting boxes provide breeding sites for native animals including owls and possums.
The infrared and radio technology fitted inside allows researchers to monitor animal activity, temperature and humidity.
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Council recently installed 77 nesting boxes with the specialised monitoring devices at an environmental reserve at Mapleton.
The council said it was the first time the technology had been used alongside hardwood nesting boxes in Australia.
The hope is the project will create a blueprint for similar initiatives in other regions.
Steven Milner says it can take 150 to 200 years for trees to form natural hollows. (Supplied)
Natural areas council officer Steven Milner said within 24 hours, the first residents had moved into their new homes.
“We know if we put the habitat out there, the fauna will find it and we’ve proven that,” he said.
On the Sunshine Coast, Mr Milner said the nesting boxes would help provide a boost to vulnerable populations while providing better conditions for breeding.
“We can’t make them stay there until the surrounding trees grow long enough to provide the natural hollows, but it is long enough to go through 40 years of breeding cycles to build those populations,” he said.
Melbourne-based Jack Spittle designed the technology using radio communications, rather than cellular networks, to track the nesting boxes’ inhabitants and send real-time data back to a base station.
“I’ve been working on this technology after the 2019-2020 bushfires which came quite close to my family property in Gippsland, Victoria,” he said.
He said many monitoring devices and programs presented challenges including affordability.
“Typically, programs like this require cost with either specialists, essentially, climbing up into trees, checking if nest boxes are active which is super expensive,” Mr Spittle said.
“Or, you install typical wildlife cameras which are quite expensive because they use 4G cellular networks like your phone does, and you’ve still got to climb up every few weeks to change the battery, or pull out a SIM card and filter through all the photos that you’re seeing.”
He hopes this technology will be a game changer as an affordable, easy-to-use and low-human intervention option which uses minimal power and has a long life span.
Jack Spittle specially designed the passive infrared detectors which record and transmit animal data. (Supplied)
“Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world, which is a pretty tragic, terrible track record for a country known for its iconic and amazing wildlife,” Mr Spittle said.
I think it’s critical that we stop that pretty terrible trajectory.”
While the design mimics natural hollows, Mr Spittle said it was almost impossible to get artificial hollows to function at the same level of efficiency as natural hollows.
He said the nesting boxes would provide the next best option for hollow-dependent species.
“The challenge is that natural hollows take over 100 years to develop, so it’s not as simple as planting a few trees,” he said.
Mr Spittle encouraged people to consider adding artificial hollows to their own backyards where possible.
“That’s a fantastic way of inviting some pretty awesome wildlife into your home,” he said.
Better quality boxes
Biodiverse Environmental helped design, build and install the boxes and said the recycled hardwoods were specifically chosen to last for at least 40 years.
“The beauty of this project is that it’s like a circular economy — we’re actually using recycled hardwood from development sites that would have been chipped and providing homes for the animals,” general manager Cerran Fawns said.
“It’s just a great project all around,” she said.
It’s hoped the hollows will house creatures including the powerful owl. (Supplied)
On the Sunshine Coast, Mr Milner said the nesting boxes would help provide a boost to vulnerable populations while providing better conditions for breeding.
“We can’t make them stay there until the surrounding trees grow long enough to provide the natural hollows, but it is long enough to go through 40 years of breeding cycles to build those populations,” he said.
by Vinod Ralh | Aug 6, 2023 | Newsletter - August
Thebeats.org sampled the attitudes of a group of about 50 people, mostly professionals, to find out their willingness to helping the environment. The outcomes were fascinating, in some respects very encouraging and in others, point to a lot more work being required by organisations like thebeats.org to provide awareness and encouragement to reach a tipping point overall.
Our first set of questions tested the willingness of the group to support the environment, giving options ranging from ‘whatever it takes’ to ‘I have no time’.
The results were as follows:
The pleasing thing about these results is that all we have to do is make a third of folk aware of an action and we potentially can have them put time and effort into helping the environment for our flora and fauna. We have some work to do to ensure the ask or action is as simple as possible and if it is convenient the percentage shoots way past the tipping point to 98%!
The challenge for thebeats.org is that not all actions required of us are convenient. So what is required to move people from willing to help ‘if convenient’ to willing to help ‘even if inconvenient’? The answer requires more research, but we know that there is a carrot and a stick.
The carrot is the actions we take can make positive change and many examples are around us. For example, we don’t see those plastic straws as much on our beaches as we did before awareness of their dangers were exposed. In addition, more and more retail and convenience outlets are being pressured to not supply plastic straws. This directly helps our sea life. Less of those terrible pictures of turtles with straws up their noses can be attributed to Australia.
The stick is seeing, hearing and experiencing the effects of not taking action. Hotter days, pollution, illness, droughts, fires, floods, the list of threatened and endangered species growing longer and our way of life being threatened.
So where do you stand? At what point will you take action, even if it is inconvenient?
In the next newsletter we will explore the most popular actions people are taking and some of the reasons why.
