Wild Habitats Inc.
We again engaged Cumberland Plain Regeneration to help us work out the fauna at Provest Creek after completing some bush regeneration. In summary 13 species of mammals, 4 reptile species, 11 frog species and over 50 species of birds were detected during the monitoring period. Not bad for a site very close to an urban area. We are very fortunate to have our national parks which preserve habitat for the diverse fauna found in this vegetation community, the Peppermint-Angophora Forest.
As part of our grant we wanted to measure the fauna active at Provest Creek. We engaged the services of Cumberland Plain Regeneration to help us. They placed camera traps, took samples of leaf litter and also did a spotlight survey and multiple bird surveys. They revealed a rich ecosystem active on the edge of the Berowra Valley National Park.
Possums are an iconic Australian native animal. They are adorable, that is, until one moves into your roof.
There are two main types of possums we encounter, the ringtail possum and the brushtail possum (pictured above). The ringtail possum is smaller, quieter and is easily identified by a white tail. Normally, they make a nest from sticks, called a drey, so they are rarely a problem. The brushtail possum however can grow to the size of a cat, and is easily identified by a blackish furry tail. In the wild they live in tree hollows. In the absence of hollows, they move into manmade structures, and sound like a small horse in your roof.
Did you know that in the last 200 years western Sydney has lost 20% of its native animal species? In the same period it has lost only two of its native plant species representing only 0.1% of its diversity. Fauna ecosystem services are vital to bushland health but our native wildlife is struggling.