SURVEYSl

I came to Scotia to help with the pit fall surveys. The plan was to do a 9 day cycle, have 4 days off and then do another 9 day cycle with a different group of volunteers. In a cycle each team erects the pits at three different sites and monitors them over three nights. The sites are physically checked each morning and afternoon and any wildlife in the traps are identified and measured. Then the traps are taken down and put at a different site. This is repeated three times during the cycle.

My monitoring station: home in the desert.

Arriving at Scotia I found the team monitoring the mala at night were short a member so I volunteered to do this job as it wouldn't interfere with the pit fall surveys. The mala monitoring went through the night. Each session of taking telemetry readings on twenty mala would take about 40 minutes. There was a break between each session of at least an hour, but sometimes two or sometimes three hours. This is when sleep happened. The monitoring would last all night.

I have completed the first 9 day survey and thoroughly enjoyed my time here. It was hot, though reasonable. Although at times the work was constant it wasn't in any way excessive or difficult. Although we were monitoring snakes and spiders we were never in any danger and the only problem I had was with a certain spinifex plant. Doing the surveys was a very worthwhile experience. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and dedicated to their work. Many, but not all, of the volunteers were working or studying in an ecology related field so knew the wildlife we were coming across. While I was grasping the difference between a Royal Ctenotus skink and a Jewelled gecko they were all using their latin/scientific names. This wasn't a problem. I came to appreciate the remarkable variety of reptiles that we have in Australia and especially in spinifex country.

A mala with a radio collar

I also learnt about the mala, an animal I had never heard of before. I saw and learnt about a number of other small mammals, reptiles and 'bugs'. Although I didn't get a photograph (yet) of a bilby they were certainly good to see in their natural state; and I still haven't seen a numbat, but I am sure this will happen when I return. I also learnt a lot about AWC, Scotia and conservation work being done in Australia and in particular pit fall surveys. I would recommend doing a 9 day cycle to anyone......it is a valuable experience.

My plans did change. Now I am regrettably not doing the second pit fall survey cycle but instead will be taking a longer break away from Scotia before returning to do a release of numbats into the wild. These numbats are from Perth zoo which have a numbat breeding program operating with Scotia. There is some preparation to do before the animals arrive to ensure sufficient food sources and nesting sites and then, when they are released, monitoring to make sure they are surviving in the wild.

So here ends phase one at Scotia. I will return in a few weeks for phase two: the numbat release. Surely this will bring me closer to 'the wild ferret'.

Gehyra variegata, a small gecko.