Over the summer, a significant amount of box elder woody weeds were removed from one of the small Murray River Islands and now it’s time to get some native seedlings in! Our plantings on Turtle Island will create a much more diverse habitat which will provide extra refuges for native animals as the climate continues to change and urban areas grow. This is part of our four-year ‘Restoring Roosting Refuges’ project that will focus on the restoration of two Murray River islands with the goal of increasing roosting habitat specifically for the vulnerable grey-headed flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus).

If you’d like to help with planting on Turtle Island, please visit the event listing on our website for more information and to register.

Thank you to Damian Michael for his efforts surveying both Turtle Island and Browns Island to provide some insight into who currently lives there. Over three nights 56 bird, mammal, and frog species were counted, with 1,258 animals sighted in total.

Only one platypus has been seen over the past six months in the vicinity of these two islands.  We are keen to hear from any regular paddlers or anglers of any sightings.  A pre-sunrise canoe last weekend revealed many potential platypus burrows but no platypus!

An important feature of platypus habitat are logs and other woody debris in creeks and waterways. These might be a nuisance for snagging your fishing line, but platypus need these logs as they provide habitat for the aquatic invertebrates that platypus eat. They also offer shelter from predators and strong currents. In the past, this woody debris was often removed, but we now know how essential it is to not only platypus but many other aquatic species such as native fish who use this habitat to spawn. Fallen timber in creeks and rivers can also help us by limiting erosion, trapping sediment, and reducing the effects of floods. Therefore, it’s vital we retain woody debris in our waterways as seen here in Wodonga Creek.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust under the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program.