I would like to invite you to be part of a scientific study to gain an understanding of how valuable wildlife refuges area in urban areas. By participating in an anonymous online survey, you will help us understand how much mammalian wildlife in Tasmania has adapted to the threat of introduced predators (cats and dogs) – information which will be vital to secure the long-term survival of many species.
Hobart is a special place – the city is surrounded and intertwined by bushland areas within reserves, parks and backyards. These areas, combined with backyards gardens, are all places which can provide a refuge for wildlife.
Understanding the value of such areas is crucial for conserving our native wildlife. Tasmania is still known to be a stronghold for many species of mammalian wildlife, particularly for species lost on the Australian mainland. Nowhere else in the world has witnessed so many mammal species disappear within the last two centuries than Australia. Even more tragically, the loss of our unique wildlife is far from over – Australia faces a second wave of mammal extinctions, with several species of mammal having declined and considered at risk of extinction in Tasmania as well.
How to be involved: participate in an anonymous online survey which will be launched in September 2014 and the link for it will appear on many organisations’ websites (e.g. DPIPWE, RSPCA, UTas). If you would like to hear more about the project, e-mail anke.frank@utas.edu.au for information on public lectures for this project. The project has been sponsored by the Hobart City Council (Dr Edward Hall Environment Grant (F0022421)) and approved by the UTas Human Research Ethics Committee (H 0014287).
By participating in this study we can learn together about how to provide refuges for mammalian wildlife within and at the fringes of Hobart. This study is being undertaken by Dr Anke Frank (University of Tasmania) in collaboration with Prof Peter Banks (The University of Sydney) and Dr Alex Carthey (Macquarie University).