Preserving the environment while looking up

BY MATHIEU ISIDRO (SKAO)

While the SKA sites in Australia and South Africa are primarily used for astronomical research, they are providing a unique opportunity to study the environment, protect endangered species, and regenerate the land after years of farming.

In South Africa’s Karoo, in order to protect the area from unwanted interference near the telescopes, the land was declared a conservation area, now known as the Meerkat National Park. The park is now South Africa’s eighth largest national park. The area, now free of livestock, is managed in cooperation with national environmental authorities like the South African National Parks agency SANParks, and is home to one of the world’s largest and healthiest Quiver tree forests, a very important conservation element as quiver trees are considered a vulnerable species. To help manage the site and remove alien invasive species, SANParks is training additional rangers from the local communities, providing further employment opportunities in the area.

In Australia, the SKA site is located within Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, a 4,300 km2 destocked pastoral station on Wajarri Yamaji Country that now hosts radio telescopes. CSIRO, in conjunction with the Western Australian Government, is collating and analysing data on flora and fauna to provide advice to a multitude of agencies and working groups on the impact of grazing activities and climate change in the broader region. The region is also home to a vulnerable species of lizard: the Western spiny-tailed skink. A skink survey programme took place prior to the first land clearing works to ensure construction operations don’t impact this native creature, and a number of SKA-Low staff trained as fauna specialists to lead future surveys.

So, while astronomy happens on these sites, it also enables the protection of ecosystems and endangered species, and broadens the positive contribution of the project to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The Quiver Tree forest in the Meerkat National Park. One of the only places where new trees are growing. Credit: SKAO/Max Alexander.