The end of the year also sees the end of our Matchstick Banksia work. Although it’s been a short project and impacted by COVID-19, we’ve managed to get a lot done.
We have protected two sub-populations with rabbit-proof fencing installed two raptor platforms to deter parrot and rabbits from damaging the Matchstick Banksia, have four landholders onboard conducting continued feral animal control into the future and have published an Enviro Story written by students at Quairading District High School.
We would like to thank everyone that has participated in this project including the private landholders dedicated to protecting the banksia populations on their property, Clackline Fencing for installing the rabbit-proof enclosures, Western Power for mounting the raptor platforms and all the staff and students involved at Quairading District High School.
Although the Matchstick Banksia project supported by the National Landcare Program has been finalised, we hope to continue to raise awareness of the species and support the community to put the Matchstick Banksia on a path to recovery.
Rabbits have the ability to cause considerable damage to Matchstick Banksia these exclosure fencing areas allow us to understand how these individuals respond to the absence of rabbit impact at two key sites
Rabbits are not the only threats the Matchstick Banksia face – parrots also hammer individual plants, so in an effort to deter parrots (and rabbits) we have installed raptor nesting platforms on two sites
The role invertebrates play in Matchstick banksia life cycles are less well understood so we have modified the habitat on-site to provide an insect hotel type set up in an effort to see how the plants respond to invertebrate presence. Ideally, these will aid in pollination of the plants as inbreeding is a known threat due to the declining number of individuals – we’re chasing longer-term viability of these populations
We’ll keep you updated on how the raptor platforms perform and ideally would like to see some residents in the not too distant future.