What's Happening?

Winter 2010

• We moved the the Forest View Woolshed into the reserve! This building is the beginning of a new high quality interpretive style at Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary. Display panels are being designed and a teachers learning kit will be developed soon.
• Rangers continue to target hares and numbers are reducing. Foxes outside the sanctuary are now being baited/trapped and there have been significant bait takes. This work will continue to reduce fox 'pressure' on the fence. Feral cats have also seen to be moving into the new 'cat containment' suburb of Forde. Rangers will begin to trap feral cats adjacent to Forde and if any domestic cats are captured they will be returned through the 'Pound' with warnings to residents to keep their cat contained. Rangers will also inform residents about this work so no one is surprised by our cat trapping activities.
• A kangaroo cull recently took place throughout Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves. There are still many kangaroos in these reserves but the numbers are now more sustainable for other animals and plant biodiversity. Forde residents have been really supportive of our sometimes 'different' park management activities and are becoming used to night shooting, remote cameras in use anywhere and huge woolsheds moving down their suburban streets or appearing like a mushroom within the reserve.
• The Chief Minister has appointed the new Interim Management Board to Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary. The Board has begun to meet and formulate a plan to future manage this wonderful public place.
• After recent rain thoughout the region Mulligans Flat is fully saturated and many water 'seeps' have emerged. Rangers are excited to see many grasses and mosses responding to this rainfall and are waiting for a 'spring floriade of wildflowers'.

Autumn 2010

• The feral animal management control focus towards hares and rabbits continues. Rabbit populations were previously reduced significantly by a baiting program but hares are not easily baited or trapped. With the removal of foxes, the hare population increased and over 140 hares were culled over six nights. During subsequent monthly night patrols, less and less hares are culled and fewer rabbits are seen. Rangers will continue these activities until the hare and rabbit populations crash.
• Work is also continuing on the interpretive signs for the sanctuary and relocating of the Forest View Woolshed from nearby into the reserve.
• Rangers have been working on several Predator Proof Fence maintenance projects including: 

1. Strengthening works at the 'kangaroo kicking' level by wrapping the whole fence line with a 60 cm wide layer of netting. This new layer overlaps a join in the existing netting at the level where the 30 mm base netting joins the 40 mm mid netting, as kangaroos were breaking the netting clips by persistent fighting. The problem is now solved and the fence has not been broken by kangaroos since this work;
2. An extra 1300 m of gravel roading was completed on the 'patrolling track' around the fenceline where there is at times, boggy patches; 
3. A minor creek culvert was installed in a small creekline that flows through the Predator Proof Fence near the suburb of Forde;
4. A new inovative design for flood gates was installed at three locations where there is the possibilty that overland floods may impact upon the Predator Proof Fence. The new design involves pivoting the fence at the top so when the flood impacts the bottom of the fence flips up, lets the debris and backed up water flow through then the fence falls back retaining a barrier to feral animals entering or animals inside escaping.

Summer 2009

• Rangers declare Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary free from dogs, foxes and cats! Hares and rabbits are still present and the focus is now focused on these animals, which are considered the two most difficult to eradicate. Rangers implement the next step in the Pest Animal Management Plan and begin a regular shooting strategy in addition to opportunistic baiting and/or trapping.
• Brown Treecreepers (Climacteris picumnus) continue to be monitored as they move about and learn to live with the natural predators in Mulligans Flat.
• Repairs are constantly being made to the Predator Proof Fence due to kangaroos fighting each other inside and outside. Rangers have fitted a test section of netting over the join in the netting at the 60 cm above ground level to discover if this is the best way to strengthen the fence.
• Capital Works funding has been allocated to two main items -$40,000 towards high quality interpretive signs and $60,000 towards relocating the Forest View Woolshed from the nearby Forde suburb construction site into Mulligans Flat where another Woolshed once stood. The Forest View Woolshed will become a valuable interpretive and learning centre.  

Spring 2009

• Time for the first animal release was fast approaching. Working with the ANU Fenner School and particularly PhD Scholar Victoria Bennett, we have to prepare the sanctuary by installing nest boxes for the imminent release of the locally extinct Brown Treecreeper. 216 nest boxes were installed in various parts of Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve and during November rangers assisted to trap, transport and release 43 Brown Treecreepers - seven family groups were trapped and brought up from woodlands near Wagga Wagga in NSW. These family groups are part of a long term study by CSIRO Scientists Dr's Eric and Veronica Doerr and will continue to be studied at their new home at Mulligan Flat Nature Reserve and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserve.
• Rangers continue to remove rabbits and hares and have not detected a fox or cat inside the sanctuary for some months. However there is some difficulty with kangaroos fighting each other from inside and outside the predator proof fence. They are capable of breaking apart the horizontal joins in the netting and exposing the sanctuary to reinvasion by foxes or cats. These breaks in the fence are quickly found the next day and repaired. The fence is strengthened where kangaroos fight regularly. When 'kangaroo breaks' are controlled successfully we will be able to declare the sanctuary fox and cat free.
• The Steering Committee continues to meet and work closely with the Chief Minister and TAMS CEO to finalise a governance model for the sanctuary.
• The Chief Minister awarded the Sanctuary $100,000 Capital Works funding for high quality interpretation.
• After some intensive fox baiting and monitoring, involving sand pads, spotlighting and cameras, the 'bait takes' from foxes dropped from 23 in August to zero in September. We are not prepared to state that the sanctuary is fox free but we are having great difficulty detecting any remaining foxes!
• After some initial solar panel orientation and battery power issues with the remote telemetry we are now approaching a time when we can come into the office and check if any visitors have entered the sanctuary through the preliminary website. Very soon we will be in a position where gate opening alarms (and the gate may have been left open for sometime) or the electric fence has shut down (maybe a fallen tree over the fence) will be sent via SMS to a mobile phone. Up until that time we have to rely on the self closing gate mechanisms out of working hours.

July to August 2009

• Rangers are working hard on several fronts. Firstly, we have continued to use all means available to eliminate foxes and rabbits from the reserve. Secondly, to observe the visitors to the sanctuary and seek their views about this place. Thirdly, to support the ANU Woodlands Experiment Research where large numbers of Kangaroos have been excluded from the kangaroo exclusion blocks within the sanctuary. 
• The Steering Committee is quite active and is moving the long term governance of the sanctuary to a Management Advisory Board and/or Trust Model. It is expected that a proposal will be adopted by the Chief Minister in the coming months.

April to June 2009

• The bulk of the fence construction was finished by late May. The electric fence was tested and after a few minor changes was working fine and holding 7 kilovolts. Self  closing mechanisms to all the gates were fitted and tested as well as the intricate floppy tops. Rangers worked with a technician from Observant Pty Ltd to install the remainder of the gate telemetry so testing could begin. Rangers also took the opportunity to begin feral animal controls starting with a baiting program for rabbits. The strategy here was to control rabbits with the flow on effects of the resident foxes getting hungry (they like rabbits) and just maybe they would leave the sanctuary for 'rabbit plentiful' pastures elsewhere.
• On 10 June the Jon Stanhope Chief Minister of the ACT opened the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary and said "the new predator proof fence will create a potected woodland sanctuary and help preserve the highly vulnerable Yellow Box - Red Gum Woodland within the reserve."
• Since early this year ANU Phd Scholar Victoria Bennett has been working on the reintroduction of the Brown Treecreeper into the sanctuary. 

January to April 2009

• During this very dry summer we have progressed around the whole of the fenceline with some part of the fence construction. As of 9 April all of the horizontal wires and netting has been clipped into the fence. 19 of the 20 gates are fitted (left open for now) and the main electrical connection is underway.
• The Steering Committee has met and progressed towards a change of management into a form of Trust. The species management panel has also met and are developing a list of animals that may be suitable to release into the sanctuary when complete.
• Sanctuary field staff, Peter Mills and Grant Woodbridge, travelled to Australian Wildlife Conservancy - Scotia Sanctuary (150 kilometres south of Broken Hill NSW) and Arid Recovery - Roxby Downs Sanctuary (near Olympic Dam mine north of Port Augusta SA). The information and experiences gained from staff at these two places was important for us to successfully manage the Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary in the future. Things learned include: juvenile rabbits can squeeze through 25mm gaps under gates, Bilby's bite, we are not alone in this sanctuary management business, the three rules of feral animal elimination are 'persistence monitoring', 'persistence trapping and baiting' and of course 'persistence doing it all again', use only good quality Australian made star pickets, wire and netting and Bettongs, Mala's and Bridled Nail Tail Wallabies are all very cute.
• Rangers have worked on a Pest and Over Abundant Species Management Strategy, which will be the main guide for eliminating foxes, cats, rabbits and hares from within the Sanctuary. Preliminary work is continuing towards feral animal monitoring and control.
• A graphic designer has been appointed to develop interpretive signs for the Sanctuary. The provision of interpretive signage is mainly through funding from the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre.

December 2008

• Fence construction is proceeding well, with 8 gateways and nearly 4.0 kilometres of fence under construction. A small part of the remote telemetry system has been fitted to test the gates 'closed or open' status, the condition of the electric fence (when activated) and remote cameras for wildlife monitoring.
• Rangers have set up a 'Sand Pad' and hidden camera monitoring to measure the abundance of mainly feral animals in the area to be confined by the sanctuary fence. After an initial monitoring period we are now aware of the presence of several foxes and cats in Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo Nature Reserves.

November 2008

• A sample section of the fence is constructed and from this, several changes to the original design have been made. There have also been some innovative ideas put forward by several experienced fencing tradesmen on site. Design changes to the 'floppy top' at the gateways, the fixing of the bottom netting to rocky ground, setting up templates for the gateways to maintain exact tolerances are just a few of the ideas utilised.

October 2008

• The contract has been let to Kooringal Fencing.  The Principle John Farrar, constructed the Koala enclosure at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Several on-site meetings have been held and a 100 metre length of sample fence will be constructed first.  

September 2008

• Tenders are in.

August 2008

• Tender documents released and closed on 21 August. Tree pruning of the fence corridor completed.  

July 2008

• The Development Application is approved and the first materials are ordered to beat steel price rises and ensure timely supply.

May/June 2008

• Expectations are that the Development Application will be approved and tenders can be called as well as tree pruning of fence corridor can begin.

April 2008

• The fence alignment is pegged out.

March 2008

• The Development Application is submitted to the ACT Planning Authority for fence alignment, design drawings, an ecological survey, a cultural heritage survey and visual impact study.
• The second meeting of the Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary Steering Committee is held. Much advice has been given by the committee in relation to construction, feral animal management, public communication and more. The committee is also working towards convening workshops to consider the experiences of other organisations that have built sanctuaries as well as an ongoing Management Plan.

February 2008

• The first meeting of the Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary Steering Committee is held.

January 2008

Jon Stanhope Chief Minister of the ACT, declares that the Mulligans Flat Woodlands Sanctuary “Is a visionary project for the ecological preservation of a unique part of our landscape”.

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