Wildlife crossings for the Royal National Park and Heathcote Road – 5 April

If you’ve ever been curious about wildlife corridors, and wondered what all the fuss is about, now is your chance to find out.

Do animals use them?  What about all the koalas killed and injured on our roads?  Seeing a dead koala is devastating. Can wildlife crossings make a difference?  Might they help animals survive catastrophic fires like we had in 1994?

If one of Australia’s best loved National Parks has wildlife corridors will this help stop local extinctions of some species in the park?

Two leading experts on wildlife corridors will share their insights, and respond to questions in this free upcoming webinar.

Associate Professor Ross Goldingay has just completed one of the most detailed surveys of the use of underpasses by Australian wildlife. He has been conducting research into road barriers and their mitigation for over 20 years.  He made the case in a scientific paper 10 years ago for the road and rail barriers between the Royal and Heathcote National Parks to be addressed. 

Josie Stokes was previously the Senior Biodiversity Specialist at TransportNSW, and is a recognised road ecology expert who has prepared over 300 environmental impact assessment reports on wildlife crossing at locations across Australia. 

Millions have been spent on wildlife crossings elsewhere across Australia, and millions more invested at hundreds of locations overseas.  Government agencies take this issue seriously. Meanwhile, the National Parks and Wildlife Service have been flagging the need to reconnect fragmented landscapes and restore habitat between the Royal and other National Parks in various reports for over 50 years.

UPDATE: Josie Stokes who was our second speaker for this webinar has unfortunately been called away, she’s doing microbat field surveys in a remote area in South Australia and only has sketchy wireless access. 

As a second speaker we have the wonderful Jacqui Marlow from the Northern Beaches who’s agreed to step in.  Jacqui’s insights will be valuable – she’s played a significant role in advocating for the new overpasses and underpasses between Ku-ringai and Garigal National Parks along Mona Vale Road for over 15 years.

Jacqui comes from a family of ecologists and has been actively involved in ecological research since she was a small child. Protection of bushland and its connectivity as well as the prevention of roadkill are her passions. Jacqui has travelled internationally researching roadkill mitigation measures. She belongs to multiple scientific research groups such as Ecological Australia and the Royal Zoological Society.  She’s a long-term member of Sydney Wildlife, is the Northern Beaches Raptor co-ordinator, and has been actively involved in organising multiple national conferences for the wildlife rehabilitation sector. She’s been advocating for the new overpasses and underpasses between Ku-ringai and Garigal National Parks along Mona Vale Road for over 15 years

Please join us on zoom on 5 April at 7pm.
The talk is free and all are welcome, but bookings are essential.