by Louise Denver | Jun 7, 2025 | Beats of Change
Help us help our local heroes DONATE BUTTON and support our scientists in their work to build the evidence to legislate for nature.
“It’s all about measurement, what we can do, what we need to do and how to implement new innovative ideas to assist that,” Dr Michelle Ward conservation scientist at the Griffith University, Queensland, explains.
By identifying the habitat remaining for narrow-range species, the Biological Conservation paper Dr Ward led provides the baseline data essential for policy development and conservation action for some of Australia’s most imperilled species, whether through formal protection, collaboration with land managers or other site-based activities.
With data we can use evidence for policy makers to protect our biodiversity, endangered and threatened species.
Loss of Habitat - why it matters
Dr Ward says: “Loss of habitat is the most important destroyer of wildlife.” She has worked in various parts of the world including Turkey, Qatar and South Africa promoting sustainable development, recycling, waste management, green energy, and conservation of the environment and our natural resources. See her LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-ward-6ba79045/.
In this Biological Conservation work, Dr Ward and her multiple co-authors examine how much habitat is left for 305 of Australia’s Critically Endangered, small-ranged species. They found that less than six patches of habitat remain.
So, there’s lots of work we can do to look after our endangered and threatened wildlife.
by Vinod Ralh | Aug 6, 2023 | Beats of Change
Nesting Boxes a Winner for thebeats.org
Extracts from ABC Sunshine Coast article by Olivia Mason, May 2023
Timber boxes with infrared detectors and radio communications are creating hope for some of the country’s most vulnerable species in an Australian-first pilot program.
Key points:
- The Sunshine Coast Council has installed 77 nesting boxes at Mapleton
- Radio monitoring infrared detectors are being used in a nation first
- Each box is crafted from recycled timber from local developments and fitted with monitoring devices
- Animals moved in almost instantly!
- Thebeats.org are working with Jack Spittle and acquiring boxes as a result of campaigns
- Crafted from recycled hardwood, the nesting boxes provide breeding sites for native animals including owls and possums.
The infrared and radio technology fitted inside allows researchers to monitor animal activity, temperature and humidity.
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Council recently installed 77 nesting boxes with the specialised monitoring devices at an environmental reserve at Mapleton.
The council said it was the first time the technology had been used alongside hardwood nesting boxes in Australia.
The hope is the project will create a blueprint for similar initiatives in other regions.
Steven Milner says it can take 150 to 200 years for trees to form natural hollows. (Supplied)
Natural areas council officer Steven Milner said within 24 hours, the first residents had moved into their new homes.
“We know if we put the habitat out there, the fauna will find it and we’ve proven that,” he said.
On the Sunshine Coast, Mr Milner said the nesting boxes would help provide a boost to vulnerable populations while providing better conditions for breeding.
“We can’t make them stay there until the surrounding trees grow long enough to provide the natural hollows, but it is long enough to go through 40 years of breeding cycles to build those populations,” he said.
Melbourne-based Jack Spittle designed the technology using radio communications, rather than cellular networks, to track the nesting boxes’ inhabitants and send real-time data back to a base station.
“I’ve been working on this technology after the 2019-2020 bushfires which came quite close to my family property in Gippsland, Victoria,” he said.
He said many monitoring devices and programs presented challenges including affordability.
“Typically, programs like this require cost with either specialists, essentially, climbing up into trees, checking if nest boxes are active which is super expensive,” Mr Spittle said.
“Or, you install typical wildlife cameras which are quite expensive because they use 4G cellular networks like your phone does, and you’ve still got to climb up every few weeks to change the battery, or pull out a SIM card and filter through all the photos that you’re seeing.”
He hopes this technology will be a game changer as an affordable, easy-to-use and low-human intervention option which uses minimal power and has a long life span.
Jack Spittle specially designed the passive infrared detectors which record and transmit animal data. (Supplied)
“Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world, which is a pretty tragic, terrible track record for a country known for its iconic and amazing wildlife,” Mr Spittle said.
I think it’s critical that we stop that pretty terrible trajectory.”
While the design mimics natural hollows, Mr Spittle said it was almost impossible to get artificial hollows to function at the same level of efficiency as natural hollows.
He said the nesting boxes would provide the next best option for hollow-dependent species.
“The challenge is that natural hollows take over 100 years to develop, so it’s not as simple as planting a few trees,” he said.
Mr Spittle encouraged people to consider adding artificial hollows to their own backyards where possible.
“That’s a fantastic way of inviting some pretty awesome wildlife into your home,” he said.
Better quality boxes
Biodiverse Environmental helped design, build and install the boxes and said the recycled hardwoods were specifically chosen to last for at least 40 years.
“The beauty of this project is that it’s like a circular economy — we’re actually using recycled hardwood from development sites that would have been chipped and providing homes for the animals,” general manager Cerran Fawns said.
“It’s just a great project all around,” she said.
It’s hoped the hollows will house creatures including the powerful owl. (Supplied)
On the Sunshine Coast, Mr Milner said the nesting boxes would help provide a boost to vulnerable populations while providing better conditions for breeding.
“We can’t make them stay there until the surrounding trees grow long enough to provide the natural hollows, but it is long enough to go through 40 years of breeding cycles to build those populations,” he said.
by Vinod Ralh | Aug 6, 2023 | Beats of Change
Thebeats.org sampled the attitudes of a group of about 50 people, mostly professionals, to find out their willingness to helping the environment. The outcomes were fascinating, in some respects very encouraging and in others, point to a lot more work being required by organisations like thebeats.org to provide awareness and encouragement to reach a tipping point overall.
Our first set of questions tested the willingness of the group to support the environment, giving options ranging from ‘whatever it takes’ to ‘I have no time’.
The results were as follows:
The pleasing thing about these results is that all we have to do is make a third of folk aware of an action and we potentially can have them put time and effort into helping the environment for our flora and fauna. We have some work to do to ensure the ask or action is as simple as possible and if it is convenient the percentage shoots way past the tipping point to 98%!
The challenge for thebeats.org is that not all actions required of us are convenient. So what is required to move people from willing to help ‘if convenient’ to willing to help ‘even if inconvenient’? The answer requires more research, but we know that there is a carrot and a stick.
The carrot is the actions we take can make positive change and many examples are around us. For example, we don’t see those plastic straws as much on our beaches as we did before awareness of their dangers were exposed. In addition, more and more retail and convenience outlets are being pressured to not supply plastic straws. This directly helps our sea life. Less of those terrible pictures of turtles with straws up their noses can be attributed to Australia.
The stick is seeing, hearing and experiencing the effects of not taking action. Hotter days, pollution, illness, droughts, fires, floods, the list of threatened and endangered species growing longer and our way of life being threatened.
So where do you stand? At what point will you take action, even if it is inconvenient?
In the next newsletter we will explore the most popular actions people are taking and some of the reasons why.
by Louise Denver | Jul 3, 2022 | Beats of Change
bio-
ba?.??-/ prefix
bio …The combining form bio– is used as a prefix meaning ‘life’.
1. The form bio– comes from Greek bíos, meaning ‘life’. It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology
diversity
d???v??s?ti,d??v??s?ti/ noun
1. the state of being diverse; variety
biodiversity
b???(?)d???v??s?ti/ noun
1. the number and types of plants and animals that exist in a particular area or in the world generally
2. a high level of biodiversity is usually considered important and desirable.
the biosphere
?ba?.??.sf??r/ noun
1. the part of the earth’s environment where life exists
We can survive as a species only if we live by the rules of the biosphere. Biodiversity is one of those rules.
Our biodiversity provides the life supporting systems that enable all organisms, including humans, to survive. Our wetlands purify water and help prevent flooding and drought. Indigenous forests provide carbon sinks and purify the air we breathe as well as providing recreation and amenity values.
Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we rely on to provide us with the air we breathe and the food we eat. And people also value nature of itself.
There are lots of ways that humans depend upon biodiversity. It is vital for us to conserve it. Pollinators such as birds, bees and other insects are estimated to be responsible for a third of the world’s crop production. Without pollinators we would not have apples, cherries, blueberries, almonds and many other foods we eat. Agriculture also relies on invertebrates – they help to maintain the health of the soil crops grow in. Soil is teeming with microbes that are vital for liberating nutrients that plants need to grow, which are then also passed to us when we eat them. Life from the oceans provides the main source of animal protein for many people.
by Louise Denver | Mar 2, 2022 | Beats of Change
https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-insights/perspectives/biodiversity-crisis-nature-underpins-human-existence/
Biodiversity underpins the health of our planet and informs everything down to the taste of a grain, the strand of a cloth and a sip of water. All things we as humnans rely on to support our most basic needs. Yet, nature and wildlife are declining around the world at an unprecedented rate.
Together we can stop it. But only if we join together and chose the most important thing to each of us to protect.
What is the most important element – animal, bird, plant or place – that would you protect if you could?
Share your wishlist on the comments below.
