Celebrating sightings of the rare Spot-tailed Quoll
Two Victorian Government grants, Nature Fund and Icon Species Funding Program, with co-investment from the Rendere Environmental Trust and support from Biodiversity Legacy, form the basis for a multi-partnership approach to the recovery of two nationally endangered species: the Spot-tailed Quoll and the Southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby (EPBC & FFG listed).
Found in the remote East Gippsland wilderness in the rugged Snowy River catchment, the secretive quoll and the rare rock-wallaby are best surveyed using remote cameras. Wildlife Unlimited, a major partner, is leading recovery efforts alongside the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and Parks Victoria.
It is worthy of celebration when a Spot-tailed Quoll is captured on camera!!! This is a rare event due to low population numbers and large home range sizes (can be up to 2,000 ha for males), combined with the difficulty of deploying cameras in their refuge habitat of complex cliffs and rugged and steep terrain.
Cameras deployed to monitor a population of Southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby in Little River Gorge in the Snowy River National Park have captured this curious quoll investigating hay nets of lucerne set up to lure rock-wallabies to the cameras. This is a fantastic start to survey efforts now underway as part of Wildlife Unlimited’s Spot-tailed Quoll Recovery Program.
The secretive quoll investigating the hay nets used for luring the rare Rock-wallaby. Images with thanks to the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Change.
The nationally threatened Glossy Black-cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami) feeds almost exclusively on the seed cones of Allocasuarina species. In eastern Victoria, Black Sheoaks (Allocasuarina littoralis) are the predominant feed tree species.
From a group of Sheoaks, Glossy Black-cockatoos will choose only specific individual female trees to feed on. It is not known if genetic, social or environmental factors (or a combination of all three) lead to an individual becoming a preferred feed tree for a group of Glossies. Glossies will revisit select feed trees year after year to feed on seed cones.
If genetic factors play a part, collecting and growing seed from feed trees may help increase the number of favoured Sheoaks in the landscape. Misty Anderson from the Moogji Aboriginal Council Nursery, an important project partner, has collected seed from the Sheoaks that the Glossies have been observed feeding at.
Misty Anderson, Moogji Aboriginal Council Nursery and Esther Gatnau, Project Officer, Wildlife Unlimited, with Sheoaks grown from seed collected from Glossie feed trees.
Misty has propagated them with great care in the Moogji Nursery, ready for planting through this project. Hopefully, by planting seeds from known feed trees, we may gain more insight into genetic factors that will improve revegetation efforts for the future.
Sheoaks may take up to 10 years to produce cones and even longer to have branches thick enough to support the weight of Glossies feeding on them. This project is a powerful investment into the future of the Glossy Black-cockatoo population in eastern Victoria.
This project continues the recovery of valuable Sheoaks, building on the Landcare, Birdlife and Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Sheoak recovery works that were undertaken as part of the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires response. Project sites range from Lakes Entrance and Marlo through to Wangarabell and Genoa in the east.
Banner photo: Glossy Black-cockatoo feeding on a Sheoak, with thanks to Peter Murrell.
A biodiversity legacy for Victoria’s southeast coast
The Nature Recovery Foundation (NRF) is a bold initiative committed to reversing biodiversity decline on Victoria’s Bass Coast and protecting the natural environment for future generations. The NRF is a partnership between Bass Coast Shire and Biodiversity Legacy, with each organisation having two directors on the board.
The Foundation’s initial focus is on tracts of land within the Bass Coast Shire, where the aim is to protect and enhance existing habitats while accelerating large-scale landscape restoration. As the Foundation grows, there may be opportunities to expand our impact beyond this region, most likely into South Gippsland.
The NRF is currently working towards Deductible Gift Recipient status, which will strengthen the Foundation’s legitimacy and open opportunities for tax-deductible donations, further supporting our long-term goals.
The Foundation’s Mission
To achieve lasting environmental restoration, the NRF will:
Protect priority areas of remnant biodiversity.
Secure and restore land with high ecological potential.
Create viable habitat refuges connected through biolinks.
Leverage partnerships and green investment for long-term sustainability.
Build a lasting legacy for future generations.
Next steps
This is an exciting step for Biodiversity Legacy, as several members of the team live in the adjacent shire of South Gippsland and, as a group, we have deep links to other environmental non-profits via our connection to the Ecolands Collective.
Stay tuned for more updates on the NRF in the coming months (as at March 2025).
