Totally Wild crew visit Glossy Black-Cockatoo project site

Totally Wild interview at Fisheries Beach amongst the Sheoaks (Source: Serina Lattanzio, Greening Australia)

Channel Eleven’s Totally Wild crew members including host Leela Verghese, visited our Glossy Black-Cockatoo habitat restoration site on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia in September to report on the project.

Kangaroo Island Glossy Black-Cockatoos were once common on the mainland but due to historical clearing of native habitat and predation, have disappeared from the area.

We are working with the local community to restore habitat for the nationally endangered bird on the mainland in an effort to encourage the surviving population on nearby Kangaroo Island to recolonise the area.

Female Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Source: CC Daniela Parra I Flikr)

“Glossy Black-Cockatoos rely on the seeds of the drooping sheoak for survival. These trees, along with large gums which provide nesting and roosting sites for the species, have been lost from much of the landscape. By re-establishing suitable sheoak woodland we are hoping that we can entice some of the birds back to the mainland from Kangaroo Island,” said Director of Conservation, Stuart Collard.

Greening Australia is working in collaboration with Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, and Natural Resources Kangaroo Island and the District Council of Yankalilla to deliver the project.

“The involvement of the local community is critical to our success. By assisting directly with the project by growing seedlings and participating in planting events, the community will develop a better understanding and appreciation of Glossy Black-Cockatoos and their environment,” said Stuart.

Rapid Bay Primary School kids tree planting whilst being filmed by the Totally Wild crew (source: Serina Lattanzio, Greening Australia).

Students from Rapid Bay Primary School joined the team to help plant trees on the day.

“It was a perfect opportunity for the Totally Wild crew to see the project in action. An enthusiastic group of children working together to help a threatened species in need – that is what a project like this is all about.”

One hundred and sixty thousand trees will be planted across two project sites located on Kangaroo Island and Cape Jervis to create 170 hectares of feeding habitat for the species.

The project is funded through the Australian Government’s 20 Million Trees Programme (part of the National Landcare Programme).

Watch our Glossy Black-Cockatoo project segment on Totally Wild which was run on the 23rd of November, 2016.