Strategic Objective 2
Create a positive change to ecosystems by building awareness of risks and encouraging participation in sustainable responses to managing those risks (e.g. adaptive management, sustainable urban development) – through education, knowledge building, advocacy, forums, communications and events.
The NRCL owns a property at Cranbourne West. The Board has resolved to develop a blueprint for the site that includes a range of habitat restoration strategies including the incorporation of corridors or biolinks and waterway and wetland rehabilitation and establishment. Extensive research on the most effective strategies to create habitat for a range of species will be carried out at the site utilizing adaptive management techniques. Initially, a number of trials and field monitoring will be conducted to determine the design and implementation of the planned works.
Work to date has included a comprehensive faunal monitoring project in 2017 on the NRCL property and surrounding area. The NRCL received a grant from the Threatened Species Initiative- Community Volunteer Action Program through the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to undertake the project. The findings provide important information that will assist with site planning and design. Read more about this exciting project and the important findings in relation to the nationally endangered species, the southern brown bandicoot.
The NRCL will continue monitoring and research at the site in 2018 and advance its plans to develop biolinks with a number of trials to be conducted. Field days at the property are also being planned to provide a forum to enable the latest perspectives on habitat restoration in peri-urban areas to be shared.