Protecting Quolls in Queensland Landscapes

Who’s who on PQQL

To give everyone a better picture of what’s happening, here’s a summary of how WPSQ is coordinating this project, who our project partners are and what they’re up to!

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland

Dr Scott Burnett, project advisor, is providing expert input to the project, advice on quolls and will be the guest presenter at many of our Quoll Discovery Days (QDD’s).

Christine Pfitzner, science education writer, is editing and updating the Quoll Info Kit, as well as producing a poster and quoll-proof poultry pen factsheet.

Rosemary Lancaster, communications officer, is responsible for attracting media attention for the project and has developed a QSN communications plan.

Glenn Kvassay and Luke Jackson from Far North QSN are coordinating the activities in the north such as QDD’s in Mareeba and Cow Bay, and writing to landowners in quoll country. They also publish Quoll Tales  - their local QSN e-news. To be on their mailing list, contact Glenn

Ewa Meyer, projects manager, responsible for overall coordination of project, communication with project partners and QSN members, volunteer and staff management, financial and reporting requirements.

University of the Sunshine Coast – major partner

Dr Scott Burnett is coordinating the fieldwork assisted by USC students. They will be undertaking camera trap surveys for both spotted-tailed quolls and northern quolls. Survey locations will be in the Conondales, Kandanga and Kenilworth Forest Reserves in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie hinterland.

(Just a note: all the above have other work commitments too and are not exclusively working on PQQL. We should be so lucky!)

Partner contributions throughout the State

Cairns Regional Council (CRC)
Through Russell Wild, team leader NRM, CRC is supporting our Far North QSN by funding the printing of the Quolls in North Qld brochure and distributing information about quolls to landowners living adjacent to world heritage areas where quolls are found.

Townsville City Council
Similarly, Andrew Hannay is coordinating the distribution of information about quolls that will go directly to landowners who live within or adjacent to quoll country.

Burdekin Dry Tropics (BDTNRM)
Bob Hoogland, the Acting Project and Technical Support  Manager, is helping to organise and promote the next QDD in Townsville on 4 April.

Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee
Marc Russell is helping us by providing a venue and catering for the QDD in Gympie in May. He is promoting the project through the MRCCC networks.

Gympie Regional Council
Through Amy Gosley, the council will be helping to promote the Gympie QDD in the local community and media.

SEQ catchments—our featured project partner of the month!

Kay Montgomery, Science and Education Coordinator for SEQ Catchments, has been enthusiastically visiting schools in the Border Ranges:

My role is to visit schools in areas where quolls may live or are known to have lived previously. I am currently presenting information and conducting a range of activities relating to quolls and cane toads. ‘Trap that Toad’ is a teaching resource full of interesting and relevant activities covering a wide range of different curriculum areas. Although I am focussing mostly on the middle and upper primary ages, I can adapt activities to include all age groups (particularly for multi-age classes and small schools).

I have used images to make snap cards which describe what a quoll looks like and what it eats. We talk about how people can better ‘share’ the environment with animals like quolls and discuss quoll proof chook pens and habitat. We talk about how the ‘spots’ get on distribution maps through sightings reported by the public and researchers. I am encouraging kids to collect or remove cane toad eggs from the water around their properties rather than killing adult toads.

We would love to hear from you – if you’d like to contribute the next Network News, please contact me before 22 March 2009.