Mikac, Katarina Dr

<p>Australia has experienced the fastest rate of terrestrial mammal extinctions in the world and only 12% of the country’s land area is protected via the National Reserve System. Identifying the presence of threatened species on private land and educating landholders on appropriate conservation practice is essential.</p><p> But how can we get landholders to conduct scientific surveys for threatened plants and animals, and all the while employ best scientific and conservation practice? Finding a solution to this question lead Dr Katarina Mikac and her student researchers to form Team Quoll in 2014. Team Quoll is a group of scientists, students and citizen scientists to engage in conservation science and education on threatened species in the Illawarra, South Coast and Southern Highlands Regions of NSW.  </p><p>Team Quoll is currently leading a citizen science campaign that encourages landholders to participate in a remote camera survey for Australia’s largest native mainland marsupial carnivore: the spotted-tailed quoll on their privately owned and managed lands. Through the previous work of Team Quoll it has become clear that addressing the conservation conundrums of many of our native plants and animals is and can be best placed in the hands of local landholders themselves; many of whom have properties that surround Australia’s National Parks.</p><p> </p><p>Spotted tailed quolls are an iconic Australian species and the last mainland marsupial predator. It’s estimated that up to 90% of its range has been lost since settlement, and spotted tailed quoll are now Nationally listed as threatened with extinction. What was once a common creature is now often a rare sight in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands Regions.</p><p>Recently Team Quoll conducted camera trapping surveys on private land ranging from the Blue Mountains to the South Coast. Thus far the results are stark and easily summarised: quolls = 0 sightings, feral animals= 68 sightings. High numbers of feral cats and foxes were found in areas that were once home to quolls. These invasive species have replaced Australia’s native quolls and continue to endanger native wildlife populations due to their high densities and potential to spread disease.  </p><p>From here Katarina and Team Quoll will continue to search on hundreds of private properties over the next few years, in the quest to find Australia’s iconic spotted tailed quolls. Engaging landholders with thousands of images of all the wildlife that exist on their properties, is an important medium for encouraging feral pest and weed control and educating communities about threatened species. Through social media our images of native wildlife and feral pests, have reached out to tens of thousands of people to inform and educate people of our local conservation concerns and how we Team Quoll are working to turn this trend around with positive conservation impact in our local Regions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>

<p>Australia has experienced the fastest rate of terrestrial mammal extinctions in the world and only 12% of the country’s land area is protected via the National Reserve System. Identifying the presence of threatened species on private land and educating landholders on appropriate conservation practice is essential.</p><p> But how can we get landholders to conduct scientific surveys for threatened plants and animals, and all the while employ best scientific and conservation practice? Finding a solution to this question lead Dr Katarina Mikac and her student researchers to form Team Quoll in 2014. Team Quoll is a group of scientists, students and citizen scientists to engage in conservation science and education on threatened species in the Illawarra, South Coast and Southern Highlands Regions of NSW.  </p><p>Team Quoll is currently leading a citizen science campaign that encourages landholders to participate in a remote camera survey for Australia’s largest native mainland marsupial carnivore: the spotted-tailed quoll on their privately owned and managed lands. Through the previous work of Team Quoll it has become clear that addressing the conservation conundrums of many of our native plants and animals is and can be best placed in the hands of local landholders themselves; many of whom have properties that surround Australia’s National Parks.</p><p> </p><p>Spotted tailed quolls are an iconic Australian species and the last mainland marsupial predator. It’s estimated that up to 90% of its range has been lost since settlement, and spotted tailed quoll are now Nationally listed as threatened with extinction. What was once a common creature is now often a rare sight in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands Regions.</p><p>Recently Team Quoll conducted camera trapping surveys on private land ranging from the Blue Mountains to the South Coast. Thus far the results are stark and easily summarised: quolls = 0 sightings, feral animals= 68 sightings. High numbers of feral cats and foxes were found in areas that were once home to quolls. These invasive species have replaced Australia’s native quolls and continue to endanger native wildlife populations due to their high densities and potential to spread disease.  </p><p>From here Katarina and Team Quoll will continue to search on hundreds of private properties over the next few years, in the quest to find Australia’s iconic spotted tailed quolls. Engaging landholders with thousands of images of all the wildlife that exist on their properties, is an important medium for encouraging feral pest and weed control and educating communities about threatened species. Through social media our images of native wildlife and feral pests, have reached out to tens of thousands of people to inform and educate people of our local conservation concerns and how we Team Quoll are working to turn this trend around with positive conservation impact in our local Regions.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>