BIOTROPICA
AUSTRALIA
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Phone:
+61 7 40951116
Fax:
+61 7 40951296
Email
PO Box 866
Malanda
Queensland
Australia, 4885
ABN:
21100960236
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Welcome Daniel Keane, Andrew Lilley and Larry Simpson
Biotropica Australia is pleased to welcome three new staff members to our growing organisation. The company values local knowledge and expertise and we are fortunate that our three latest additions are locals born and bred.
 Dan Keane joined Biotropica in August ’07 and comes to us from a background in managing environment programs in the mining sector.
Dan is a Ravenshoe local who completed his BSc. at James Cook University, and has a wealth of local environmental knowledge.
Dan has already worked on major assignments on Cape York and in the Wet Tropics, and has quickly become familiar with the high standards set by the company. |
The past 12 months has seen a large increase in the amount of work being completed by our field crew. Because of this growth Biotropica is pleased to welcome a new Field Operations Manager (FOM) whose main responsibility is to manage restoration and weed control programs on client properties situated from Tully to Cairns.
Local Malanda resident Andrew Lilley commenced as FOM in September ’07 after a long period of surveying.
Andy’s surveying skills are also being put to good use in Biotropica’s environmental survey work.
Andy will be responsible for managing Biotropica Australia’s Quality Assurance program, having previously managed a QA system during his surveying career. |
Herberton local Larry Simpson joined ‘The Two Andrews” (Lilley and Morta) as part of the Biotropica field crew, in October ’07.
Biotropica staff are looking forward to training Larry in all facets of ecological restoration, as part of the company’s commitment to youth training and development.
Larry has a keen interest in the local environment and is an avid orchid collector and observer. |
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Differential GPS Survey service now available……
Many of our company’s clients require a level of survey accuracy which can only be produced using Differential GPS. In response to this need, Biotropica Australia has now acquired the latest Trimble Differential GPS system, linked to the Globalstar satellite network. This technology, combined with our in-house Arcview GIS can provide clients with sub-meter accuracy at a very competitive price. For clients such as Powerlink Queensland, Stanwell Corporation and the development/resources sectors, Differential GPS provides the level of accuracy required to ensure sensitive environmental features such as State or Federally listed plants are precisely located on Environmental Work Plans – ensuring accurate and reliable information for contractors and managers working in the paddock.
When coupled with Biotropica’s custom designed software, Differential GPS surveys can be used to produce a range of environmental management planning documents, tailored to your requirements. Biotropica uses other Trimble GPS/PDA technologies to meet the needs of different clients. Contact our office to discuss the most appropriate option with any of our experienced staff. |
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Biotropica now Quality Assured
Continual improvement is essential in today’s business environment, and Biotropica is committed to ensuring our products and services are client relevant, absolutely precise and utterly reliable. To maintain this high standard, the company commenced development of an accredited Quality Assurance system in 2006 under the direction of our EMS specialist, John Peeters. Under John’s guidance we have now developed a full QA system which was recently audited by Anglo Japanese American (AJA) Registrars P/L. This initial audit resulted in complete conformance, and our system has now been fully accredited under ISO ISO 9001:2000, which includes the requirements of ISO 14001:2004; and AS/NZS 4801:2001. QA System management will be the responsibility of Andrew Lilley (FOM) and John Peeters will regularly review system performance to ensure the company’s specialist services remain at the highest possible standard. |
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Qld Rainforest Forum
The second Queensland Rainforest Forum was held in Brisbane over three days from June 25th to June 27th. The first WWF sponsored forum was held in 1998, and many speakers who had attended both conferences remarked on the changes which have occurred in rainforest recovery and protection since that time. Over 260 delegates attended the meeting and listened to presentations from a range of keynote and invited speakers. For delegates such as Aila Keto, Bill McDonald and others whose lives have been largely devoted to the cause of rain forest conservation, some positive change and a large turnout were cause for encouragement.
One whose life has been closely linked to rain forest protection was Day One keynote speaker and Douglas Shire Mayor Cr. Mike Berwick. Mayor Berwick’s time as head of the Local Authority encompassing the Daintree - Cape Tribulation area, was marked by a policy change away from road building and logging, which subsequently generated the significant growth in tourism and the local economy. Whilst describing science as a ‘slow, conservative ally’, Mayor Berwick has used sound scientific advice to support controversial forest protection decisions, and he is equally keen to ensure science is part of the next planning phase. Mayor Berwick spoke at length on the need to continue economic re-structuring, citing the likely growth in forest stewardship payments, payment for ecosystem services and private sector investment in carbon trading, as areas where income, biodiversity protection and land-use sustainability are likely to merge.
Biotropica principal Nigel Tucker was invited to present at the conference and delivered a talk on the role of defragmentation in the management of rain forest biota. Nigel spoke about a range of habitat connectivity projects in the Wet Tropics region including the Australian Rainforest Foundation’s Cassowary Habitat Linkage Network, Donaghys Corridor Nature Refuge, the fauna underpasses on the East Evelyn Road, and the Palmerston rope bridges established by Main Roads and the Rainforest CRC. Whilst pointing out the relative successes these projects had achieved, Nigel also drew attention to the construction of overpasses in SE Qld to provide safer crossings for the common koala, noting that there are fewer cassowaries than pandas, and safer road crossings are likely to be crucial in maintaining cassowaries in some north Queensland locations.
Unsurprisingly, dominant themes at this gathering were Cyclone Larry and global warming, and a main forum discussion was held on this topic. Well known invertebrate ecologist Dr. Don Sands, JCU’s tropical climate specialist Dr Steve Turton, and CSIRO’s highly respected modeller Dr. Dave Hilbert all provided sobering detail on potential climate related impacts on a range of rain forest plants and animals. News at the conference suggested that the dry vine forests of central and southern Queensland may already be suffering the effects of global warming.
Always the best part of conferences is catching up with colleagues and friends, and meeting people with a keen interest in rain forest conservation. Rob Kooyman, Nan Nicholson, John Kanowski, Carla Catterall, Peter Rowles and Nigel Weston were amongst the many familiar (mostly southern) faces who made the forum such an interesting gathering.
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Biotropica supports community nature conservation
Biotropica Australia is pleased to provide financial support to one of Australia’s longest established tree-planting groups – TREAT (Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands Inc). Biotropica principal Nigel Tucker has been associated with the group since 1984, and the company and its staff are committed to supporting TREAT financially and as volunteers. The company will provide $4000 which will be used to produce the group’s quarterly newsletter TREAT News for a 12 month period.
Nigel Tucker writes……..
‘It’s remarkable how much of the local landscape has been invigorated by committed volunteers and landholders over the past 25 years. What were once degraded and dysfunctional areas have become biologically rich and functional components of the landscape. These actions are an act of faith in the future – faith in our ability to rejuvenate and restore native vegetation to those parts of the landscape which are most in need. Biotropica is committed to supporting communities who can sustainably manage their natural resources using their own knowledge and organisational skills, and the Tablelands landscape is fitting testimony to TREAT’s collective knowledge, organisational ability and commitment to conservation’.
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Kris attends SE QLD field day
Kris Kupsch recently flew to Brisbane to join an important gathering of experts and guests in the field of sustainable agriculture and farm forestry. This forum was titled ‘Biologically Sustainable Farm Forests and Orchards’ and was based at Bellthorpe, near Maleny in the hinterlands of the Sunshine Coast.
 Kris’s presentation was titled ‘Improving the Ecological Integrity of Degraded Landscapes - Specifically on Private Lands’. Issues which Kris discussed were the importance of landscape connectivity, the unique biodiversity of South-Eastern Queensland, growing Australian bush-food on farms, managing environmental weeds and involving local communities to achieve significant environmental outcomes by rehabilitating degraded land. Overall the one hundred participants were presented with a range of perspectives and valuable information to assist with the management of Australia’s fragile environment, particularly native vegetation on private lands.
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 Other speakers on the day included
 Matt Kilby, forum presenter and enthusiastic biological farm forester, presented many important findings from several years of working in tree plantations throughout SE Qld and NSW. Matt’s passion is soil fertility and the importance of soil preparation prior to planting trees. Over the past several years Matt has transformed the 120 acre property (owned by former timber merchant Daryl Collins) into a diverse outlay of timber trees, wildlife corridors and fruit orchards.
Graeme Sait, owner of Nutritech Solutions P/L in Yandina, provided a well rounded explanation on the importance of biology based agriculture, specializing in soil fertility, plant nutrition and microbial soil biology. Graeme placed emphasis on the importance of enrich our diets by eating food grown in healthy environments.
Hugh Lovel, a leading American agricultural consultant presented an informative presentation on soil chemistry and the associated biological activity resulting from balanced soil management.
Neil Halpin, (ex Qld DPI) provided interesting tree husbandry techniques gleaned from his thirty years of forestry experience.
Gary Zimmerman, also from the United States, provided a much researched presentation on soil fertility and very interestingly soil creation. Gary presented information on integrated pest management using biological additives in the form of organic soil conditions (especially silicates) which result in significantly reduced pest problems within crops. |
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Bye Bye Kerry |
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| Long serving employee Kerry O’Brien has cleared her desk, packed her bag and headed home to Cairns. You’ve got to hand it to Kerry – when she decides to make some changes she does it all!! In a six month period Kerry will (1) get a new job, (2) get a husband and, (3) buy a house!
Whilst Kerry’s busy doing all this – we’ll miss her – and I’m sure all of Biotropica’s clients will echo this sentiment. Kerry did a fantastic job in her three years with Biotropica and the company’s reputation for quality outcomes has been won with a lot of help from KOB. Nigel and all the staff at Biotropica wish Kerry all the very best for the future, and of course we all wish Michael and Kerry all the happiness in the world as they plan for their wedding later in the year. | |
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Biotropica Australia
offers a new service | | | Biotropica
Australia is pleased to offer a Fauna Spotter service for clients throughout north
Queensland, and beyond.  Former
EPA Ranger Claire Cardwell has joined Biotropica especially to fill this important
role, and has already spotted locally for major companies such as Downer Engineering
and Boral.
Claire has lived on the Atherton Tablelands for most of her
life and has a wealth of experience in handling native animals. She has experience
in most forms of wildlife monitoring including live trapping of small mammals,
and is a qualified snake handler, having undergone extensive training during her
employment with the EPA. A qualified tree climber, Claire holds Rope Access
qualifications to assist with spotting tasks. | | |
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Cyclone Larry: North Queensland’s Worst
Ever Natural Disaster | | |
Cyclone Larry (Category 5 cyclone)
swiped across the far north Queensland coast, early Monday morning on the 20th
March, 2006. It left behind a path of destruction with many homes lost in the
Babinda to Mission Beach regions and across the Atherton Tablelands.
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The area of impact extended from Mossman, south to Tully, across
the Atherton Tablelands and westwards, with Innisfail and the Tablelands facing
the brunt of the eye.
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| BIOTROPICA AUSTRALIA
is finally back on board, with power outages across the affected areas, staff
members having to cut themselves through the masses of trees down on their driveways
and power finally restored at the office premises, one week later. Staff
have family members, friends and work colleagues directly affected by the impacts
of Cyclone Larry and have been involved in the clean up process since the cyclone
passed. | | |
| From the outset, Biotropica
Australia has been directly involved in trying to access major transmission lines
of the Kareeya to Tully and Kareeya to Innisfail 132kV lines. Biotropica
Australia scientists and vegetation management staff co-ordinated work crews to
manage the recovery of access tracks in these environmentally sensitive areas.
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| Destructive events
such as these are a natural disturbance process in tropical regions, although
it is unlikely that any non-indigenous person has seen a cyclone of this ferocity
in far north Queensland. Bird behaviour has been significantly affected
with many deep forest species appearing in unlikely locations and there have been
many road kills disorientated by the cyclone. | |
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It is likely in the short to medium term, much of the forest will be clothed in
a blanket of vine and it is quite possible that many of the cyclone scrubs facing
the ocean on the coastal escarpment will take centuries to recover. |
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