Koalas get help from a friend Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au CONSERVATION has always been of interest to Belinda Eden, but never more so than since moving to Balnarring two years ago. “We came here from Melbourne because Balnarring is a beautiful coastal town with a certain charm and character,” Ms Eden said. “It’s a special place and should be protected so that it does not become overdeveloped, or lose the habitat that is home to many species of precious wildlife, including koalas. “I think when we moved here, I felt a real responsibility to get involved and make it a priority to be informed about environmental issues. My passion has obviously leaned towards issues impacting koalas.” Her work has not gone unnoticed. Ms Eden was recently awarded by the first Balnarring and District Community Bank for her work with the environment, particularly the protection of koalas. She says “land fragmentation” is a “real issue for our koalas on the Mornington Peninsula”. “Much of the land is privately owned so there is a real need for landholders to understand the importance of protecting existing koala habitat, as well as ensuring appropriate tree planting occurs on their properties to support the current and future koala populations.” Another big issue is the clearing of land for housing. “Many mature
trees – gums in particular – are being removed causing further interruptions to koala ‘corridors’, access to their food trees, and shelter,” she said. “This is further compounded by fences that aren’t koala friendly and block koalas from vital food trees, or which put them in a vulnerable position when trapped in yards with dogs or forced to access roads more frequently to move from tree to tree, increasing the risk of vehicle strikes.” Ms Eden’s work complements that of her group the Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation Group which is establishing a koala corridor at Somers (“Corridor to lead the way for koalas” The News 3/11/20). While unsure of koala numbers at Balnarring, Ms Eden is sure numbers have declined over the years. “We as a community need to act now by planting trees,” she said. “The more, the better. All these little changes will ultimately make a big difference. “In the short period that I have been providing free trees to the community, over 300 have been planted by locals and it is wonderful to see some grow from tube stock to decent-sized trees. “It takes anywhere from 3-5 years for a tree to be of any interest to a koala so it’s really important for people to get on board and plant trees now. I can’t stress that enough – if you can plant a tree on your property, you should. It’s a special thing to be able to sit in your yard and observe a wild koala going about their day, like we did only last night.” For more information about koalas go to mpkoalas.org.au
Tracking pets THE CSIRO is partnering in the development of a smart collar to keep track of pets. Data61, the digital specialist arm of the national science agency, is working with agtech company Ceres Tag, to develop the collar that uses Bluetooth and satellite communications to keep tabs of an animal’s movements in real-time. Updates are sent to the owner’s phone via an app whenever their pet wanders outside of an established boundary. The other approach to tracking pets now on the market is a GPS-based tracker that requires a mobile plan. These devices are often expensive, rely on cellular coverage which requires frequent, charging. The CSIRO and Ceres Tag Companion Collar requires monthly charging on average, depending on the amount of activity the animal performs. Pets who remain within the virtual boundary set up by their owner will trigger the device’s automatic power saving mode, but those who wander outside will cause it to switch to GPS location and direct satellite reporting.
Recycling right
Take care: Belinda Eden with an example of her role. Picture: Supplied
DURING National Recycling Week 9-15 November members of the community are being asked to recycle correctly to save money and the environment. The seven most commonly misplaced items in household recycling bins are bagged recyclables, household rubbish, food waste, garden waste, soft plastics (such as plastic bags), clothing, and polystyrene. Learn more at mornpen.vic.gov.au/ wasteguide
GRAND LAUNCH
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Mornington News
10 November 2020
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