Biodiversity at Witta
Photo © WLFLWildlife Queensland congratulates Wildlife Land Fund Limited (WLFL), a limited guarantee, not for profit public company, founded, fostered and promoted by Wildlife Queensland for entering into agreement with the Queensland Government to have its landholdings in the Maleny area declared nature refuges.
Wildlife Queensland and WLFL appreciates that governments alone cannot protect Queensland’s biodiversity. This action will increase and enhance Queensland’s Protected Area Estate. This is a practical demonstration that Wildlife Queensland through its WLFL does walk the talk and makes practical contributions to the protection of our wildlife and its habitat.
Practical Contribution to Queensland’s biodiversity protection
In 2001 Wildlife Queensland saw the need to take some additional practical steps towards the protection of Queensland’s biodiversity and founded the Wildlife Land Fund Limited (WLFL). WLFL is a not for profit, limited guarantee public company run by volunteers.
Its vision is to contribute to the conservation Queensland’s natural environment by acquiring and managing land for conservation purposes.
Currently WLFL has some 1835 ha of land under management. Recently WLFL entered into agreement with the Queensland Government to have its holdings, the Witta and the Neil Holloway Conservation Reserves near Maleny, SEQ declared nature refuges. In doing so, WLFL has contributed to the Queensland Protected Area Estate assisting the Government achieve its objective - 20 m ha in the Protected Area Estate by 2020.
The Witta Conservation Reserve is 7.3 ha in extent and supports endangered regional ecosystems. Rainforest occurs in the gully with Eucalypt forests on the protected eastern slopes. The western slopes show the ravages of past use and fire and are in need of rehabilitation that has commenced. It is home to a range of wildlife including the Richmond Birdwing butterfly, endangered frogs and the rose skink. Koalas use the area.
The Neil Holloway Conservation Reserve is 15.4ha in extent. It supports various closed forests with Sydney blue gum forests on the ridges. It is home to koalas and a range of other fauna. Endangered frogs inhabit the continuously flowing stream that runs through the reserve. Over 100 plant species have been recorded.
The Queensland Government has welcomed this addition to the Protected Area Estate and commended WLFL for their action and continued environmental improvement being undertaken on the holdings.
You to could become a landholder and contribute to the protection of Queensland’s biodiversity by joining WLFL. There is a once off joining fee of $5 and an annual fee of $20. More information can be obtained by contacting Des Boyland by email or by phone on 3221 0194 or visiting the WLFL web site.
For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email. |
