ESA 2024 Field Trips

Planning is in full swing for ESA 2024. If you would like to propose a Field Trip for the final day of the program, Friday 13 December 2024, please download the below form and return it to esa@kaig.com.au.

Wilsons Promontory National Park (4-day pre-conference Field Trip)

PLEASE NOTE: Accommodation will be shared rooms in a group lodge, with communal shared facilities.

CANCELLATION NOTE: Because accommodation has been arranged for this field trip, any name changes or cancellations must be sent to the Conference Secretariat by Wednesday 30 October.

This Field Trip will explore sites across the promontory that showcase the fire ecology of the park, it’s diverse ecosystems and the different challenges to management they pose. Hear briefings from researchers and managers working in the park. There will be free time to explore the wonders of this stunning landscape.

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Birrarung Trial Floating Wetlands

A trial to support the health of the Yarra River Birrarung and its wildlife, the City of Melbourne has installed floating wetlands as part of a project to reintroduce the lush biodiversity that once lived in around the Yarra. The project includes 5 floating wetlands that have been located in three locales along the river: the Turning Basin, Enterprize Park, Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands and on the river near Webb Bridge. As well as being visually attractive, these installations are a practical part of a commitment to restore and preserve Melbourne’s natural habitats.

Made from a series of interlocking modules, each floating wetland is planted with local indigenous species. The final plant choices were made with input from Wurundjeri’s Narrap team. The plants used differ across the three locations as decisions were made so that each floating wetland was populated with species that reflected the conditions in each area. The plants aim to replicate the ecologies that would have historically existed in the lower reach of the river. These include a variety of sedges, grasses, low shrubs and ground covers.

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Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary, La Trobe University – Breakfast with the Birds

The Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary is 30 hectare area of River Red Gum Grassy Woodland, dedicated to the conservation and restoration of native Australian flora and fauna. The Sanctuary was set up in 1967 and has been regenerated from a degraded farming landscape into a river red gum grassy woodland reminiscent of what this area was like when the traditional custodians of this land, the Wurundjeri, still resided in this place. Over time the Sanctuary has transformed into a leading educational facility with over 140 species of bird have been recorded at the Sanctuary.

This field trip will include a light breakfast at Yellowbox Hut in the Sanctuary.

Join us after breakfast for a special behind the scenes tour of the Nangak Tamboree Wildlife Sanctuary indigenous plant nursery. We will walk you through the various zones of the nursery and teach you about the important work the Sanctuary team and their volunteers undertake propagating local plant species.

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Wild Otways Initiative: Conserving threatened species in the Otways through landscape-scale integrated threat management practices (Phytophthora cinnamomi and vertebrate pests)

This field trip will showcase work done through the Australian Government’s Wild Otways Initiative, which allowed Corangamite Catchment Management Authority to implement cross-tenure, landscape-scale threatened species research and land management actions from 2020 to 2023. The Initiative partnered with research and land management organisations to deliver conservation outcomes for native plants and animals across the Greater Otways region of Victoria, including threatened species listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC, 1999).To support evidence-based action, the Initiative was divided into projects addressing the current extent of small native mammals, the quality of their habitat and the prevalence of multiple threatening processes: cats and foxes, pigs and deer and a deadly plant pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi.

ESA delegates attending the field trip will receive on-site talks and demonstrations on threatened fauna monitoring and conservation, including through integrated management practices for key threatening processes impacting these species. In-field presentations will include content from Parks Victoria on the use of Phosphite to manage the impact of Phytophthora cinnamomi – an invasive pathogen which casues habitat decline in a number of environments across Australia. The Wild Otways Initative drove a major step-change in Phytophthora management in Victoria, through securing the first off-label APVMA permit for the use of Phosphite in natural ecosystems. Background on the pathogen will be presented during travel time by globally renowned expert Professor Giles Hardy of Murdoch University. Integrated management for vertebrate pests such as pigs, cats, foxes and deer will also be explored through presentations by local stakeholders and researchers. Joint management with Traditional Owners in the Otways will also be explored as a topic of interest for best-practice landscape-scale conservation and land management.

This field trip will provide ESA delegates a practical overview of how applied research, innovative technologies, and stakeholder engagement can deliver outstanding outcomes for habitat preservation and threatened species conservation in Australia.

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The Werribee Western Treatment Plant processes 50% of Melbourne’s waste each day, but is also one of the best places in Australia for birdwatching. The site is an approximate 1 hour drive from Melbourne, enjoying views along the way of the Great Ocean Road and the Dandenong Ranges.

The Treatment Plant is made up of a number of lagoon systems, which typically contain 10 large ponds. These ponds are a safe-haven for birds throughout the year.

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Starvation Creek (Forest Global Earth Observatory Network Site)

The forest area at Starvation Creek near Warburton has provided the biggest and most detailed study of its kind, and will help scientists understand how climate change and fire affect trees. The survey – which took 15 months to complete – identified, measured, mapped, tagged and painted a stripe on every tree with a diameter larger than the width of a finger within 16 hectares.

Although the first in Australia, this plot is one of many around the World in the Forest Global Earth Observatory (ForestGEO).

We will stop in Warbuton for lunch (own expense).

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Koorie Heritage Trust Scar Tree Walk

The Scar Tree Walk is a unique cultural experience that blends traditional and contemporary aspects of Aboriginal cultures and histories of the Kulin Peoples. Accompanied by knowledgeable Cultural Experiences Guides, the tour starts at the Koorie Heritage Trust and leads you through the Birrarung Wilam (River Camp) Aboriginal art installations. These installations provide a backdrop to the walk and offer a glimpse into what you will experience on the journey.

As you cross the William Barak Bridge, which spans Batman Avenue, you will gain insight into the historical significance of these two prominent figures who have played a vital role in shaping the history of Narrm (Melbourne) for both the local Aboriginal peoples and settlers. Once you cross the bridge, you will enter a traditional Kulin Nation meeting place, which has become a significant contemporary gathering spot for not just Melbournians and Victorians today, but also internationally as a home for sports and events.

Here, you will learn about the ongoing local Aboriginal culture in the setting of major sporting events at the MCG, before culminating at the Scar Trees, a protected cultural heritage site. This site offers a glimpse into a 60,000+ year-old history and culture within a contemporary, modern setting.