PROVIDING SUPPORT TO SAVE SPECIES AND HABITATS On The Brink 01 Issue 2024 Western Quoll populations thriving. Top Story
From the CEO Western Quolls, Red Handfish, frogs, Numbats, skinks and an array of beautiful orchids marvellously fill the pages of this edition of On the Brink. But what do they all have common? Each one, without human intervention, face the real possibility of extinction. Some are still on the brink and only just ‘hanging in there’ whilst others, like the Western Quolls, have benefited from our help with robust populations that boast 5-6 generations throughout north-eastern South Australia. For over 30 years, FAME has committed to saving small populations of species at risk of extinction by focussing on increasing population sizes and genetic diversity. These creatures contribute to pollination, seed dispersal and pest control and play an important role in its respective ecosystem. To lose just one of these species to extinction disrupts the balance of their ecosystems. On page 7 we delve into the importance of why small species are so important. By providing funds and expertise to support projects and programs around Australia, we aim to protect or re-establish threatened Australian native species and habitats and, by doing so, downgrade at-risk classifications on both the EPBC and IUCN. One of our more recent projects, with the South Australian Botanic Gardens, looks to boost the populations of seven endangered flora species. These species, like those in our Raising Rarity project, are complex and require a myriad of critical success factors to achieve positive outcomes. You can read more about them on page 6. I often talk about building a community and I am heartened in this edition to spotlight two fabulous initiatives that are driven by our younger generation. Penleigh Essendon Grammar School has embraced our Raising Rarity project, not only by raising funds for the project but working with the team at Cranbourne Botanic Gardens to assist with the recovery of the Swamp Everlasting (Xerochrysum palistre) whilst Kelly, a 10-year-old from Queensland is making Heart Pot Buddies to help save the Western Quoll. Read how he makes them and the money raised for FAME on the back cover. Lastly I wanted to thank many of you for your feedback of the last edition, particularly in relation to our continual support of PhD students. Like you, we believe these young scientists will be the future saviours of our precious natural environment and we aim to provide them the opportunity to strengthen the depth of their research by providing monetary assistance. As always, thank you for your ongoing support of all our work. Tracy McNamara Chief Executive Officer From The Chairman On behalf of the Board and FAME staff, I was delighted once again to present our stakeholders at the 2023 Annual General Meeting with very pleasing results – both financially and in terms of our environmental impact in a wide range of native wildlife conservation projects. FAME’s conservation reach is now well and truly national – from Far North Queensland to Tasmania and from Lord Howe Island to Western Australia, our Foundation’s supporters can point to conservation achievements among Australia’s most endangered species. As our members, donors and partners know, 2023 was the 30th anniversary of our Foundation and we worked hard to make it a noteworthy year. Our major cornerstone project currently is to help prevent the extinction of the Tasmanian Red Handfish – when there are just 100 of these tiny ‘walking’ fish remaining in the wild. Our Board and staff simply could not let another native species quietly become extinct. We had not budgeted for Red Handfish funding in the 2022-23 financial year and that commitment late in the 12 months under review more than contributed to the small reported loss. The Board considered the loss manageable in the short term by accessing funds from the investment portfolio. This is in keeping with the Board’s view that FAME should not hold funds in its investment portfolio if, by doing so, another native species is likely to go extinct. The Investment Fund has been built through untied bequests, and our aim is to build and retain sufficient funds to cover operational costs and funding for committed projects plus a small amount for investment in emergency conservation projects approved by the Board. Our balance sheet is strong, providing confidence in the Company’s ability to underpin its long-term commitment to native plant and fauna conservation, as well as continue to fund operations and any future adversities as we head past our 30th year. As we continue expanding our financial support to projects and programs focussed on endangered species and habitat restoration, we also look to scale up the commercial diversification pillar of our Strategic Plan, by supporting commercial endeavours in conservation through the investment portfolio. In total, FAME allocated $911,749 to support eleven (11) significant conservation projects in the year under review. I believe our supporters will consider this a wonderful outcome. All the projects supported by FAME in 2022-23 are listed in our Annual Report. It is also very pleasing to report that FAME continues to be the beneficiary of bequests – it is an important element of our fundraising and will continue to be a significant focus. Costs, overall, are up but expenditure is tightly managed to ensure that project support is maximised at all times. The reality of our existence – and the existence of other not-for-profits – is that future funding is always uncertain. The state of the national and state economies, the rate of inflation, investment returns, more lately the consequences of the pandemic and changed circumstances affecting individual people all combine to affect donation flow. I believe the level of support that FAME enjoys has its basis in our demonstrated effectiveness in supporting approximately 70 conservation projects over 30 years. Sadly, FAME’s conservation work will never be done and, with your help, FAME will never give up. I thank our Directors for their unflagging support and our staff, in particular our CEO, for their unstinting efforts. If FAME punches above its environmental weight, it is because of the energy, devotion and passion of our people. Christopher Chapman Chairman - FAME Board Highlights $130k on Community Engagement and Education 183% Increase in Investment Income 110% Increase in Investments 36% Increase in Program Expenditure Follow us on social media The FAME Newsletter is published by the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species Ltd. Unit 2, 47 Tynte Street North Adelaide 5006, SA +61 8 8374 1744 ABN 79 154 823 579 Printed using vegetable inks on paper sourced from sustainable forests. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of content within this newsletter. We apologise for any omissions or errors that may have occurred. FAME acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their spiritual and cultural connections to Australia’s land, water, plants and animals. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future and seek to collaborate with traditional custodians in the conservation of Australian habitat, flora and fauna. Welcome, Rebecca Many of you may have already met, or spoken with, our new Head of Philanthropy, Rebecca Miller. If not, I would like to introduce Rebecca who - joined the FAME team last year and brings 25 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector. During this time, she has worked for a variety of both large and small, state and national organisations across Australia and is currently a National Board Director for the Fundraising Institute Australia. Rebecca has always been a lover of native wildlife in all its forms and is passionate about conservation. She firmly believes that change begins with each person and that, collectively, we can change the world to make it a better place. “FAME is an organisation that I have supported at a personal level for the past eight years. To now be able to work for an organisation I am so personally invested in, and have so much passion for, is an absolute privilege.” Rebecca brings a wealth of experience in every facet of fundraising and relationship management and is looking forward to working with our community of dedicated FAME donors to make a positive difference to Australian native wildlife. For over 30 years, FAME has committed to saving small populations of species at risk of extinction by focussing on increasing population sizes and genetic diversity.” 2 3
In addition, the Echidna’s diggings provide dimples and pockmarks in hard soil surfaces, and thus allow greater penetration of rain and greater soilwater moisture. While celebrating the accomplishments of the Western Quoll reintroduction into the IFR and the VGRNP, FAME remains committed to the ongoing conservation management of the species. Continual monitoring of the population allows any changes in the population to be observed in a timely manner, whether they be welcome or of concern. Feral-species management is also an ongoing and necessary part of the project, as feral carnivores are a risk to breeding and juvenile animals; feral grazing animals also have impacts on the lives of small carnivores due to the loss of habitat and the reduction in small food species. The Future of the Western Quoll Project The next phase of the project will trial reintroducing other native species into the Gawler Ranges prior to expanding the Western Quoll population southwest to the northern Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. This will expand the range and help safeguard the genetic diversity of the species in the face of climate change impacts. Monitoring by the on-ground team will play a pivotal role in defining conservation strategies and addressing emerging challenges. Not only has this ambitious project reintroduced a species that was extinct in South Australia but has also rekindled hope for the restoration of fragile ecosystems. As the project moves into 2024 and beyond, it serves as an inspiring model for the conservation community, showcasing the positive outcomes that can be achieved through dedication, scientific expertise, and community involvement. In the heart of South Australia, a remarkable conservation effort is underway, and its successes are a product of the ongoing partnership between the South Australian Department of Environment and Water (DEW) and FAME. The focus of the Western Quoll reintroduction project was to restore this charismatic marsupial to its former homelands, which it once roamed in abundance. In the early years of the project, it seemed a very ambitious mission, with the aim to not only revive a species on the brink of extinction, but also to restore ecological balance to the fragile ecosystems in South Australia. Working with Bounceback and South Australian Arid Landscape Board (SAAL), as well as underpinned by the philanthropic support of our community, the project had every possible means for success. The Western Quoll, also known as the Chuditch and more locally as Idnya, had experienced a drastic decline in its population largely due to habitat loss and predation. In the IkaraFlinders Ranges National Park (IFR), it had been locally extinct for over 100 years. In collaboration with DEW, funding the project began in financial year 2012-13, after a planning period of five years. The project aimed to re-establish a viable population of Western Quolls in carefully-selected habitats, ensuring the survival and future flourishing of this iconic species. Now 11 years into the project, we are pleased to celebrate significant successes. The project has successfully reintroduced a thriving Western Quoll population into IFR despite harsh periods of drought and, therefore, depleted food supply. This success provided the source since 2022 for establishing a new population 150km further north in Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park (VGRNP). Regular monitoring shows encouraging signs of continued successful breeding, with new juvenile individuals found, pointing towards a self-sustaining population. Camera-trapping evidence has shown that these populations have greatly extended their ranges and with the collaboration of landholders between the two populations will likely connect, an incredible conservation outcome. A key conservation outcome of the project is the positive impact on the local ecosystem. The Western Quoll, as a meso-predator, plays a vital role in structuring a diversity of small mammals and insect populations. Its reintroduction has contributed to restoring ecosystem balance, fostering a healthier and more resilient environment. Noticeable within IFR has been the increase in the population of Echidnas, nature’s ecological engineers that are vital facilitators for the germination of spores and seeds as they turn over soil in their search for insects. The Echidna population in IFR has increased. Road fatalities are an ongoing threat to the reintroduced population. Two healthy Western Quolls trapped in the IFR. Radio tracking Western Quolls fitted with collars helps to monitor their behaviour. Photo credits for this story: Tali Moyle. What we have been able to achieve in just over 10 years stands as a testament to the power of collaborative conservation efforts.” EPBC: Vulnerable IUCN: Near Threatened Project Location: Vulkathunha-Gammon and Gawler Ranges, South Australia Threats: The Western Quoll Reintroduction in SA 4 5
Project Location: Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, South Australia Safeguarding South Australia’s most endangered flora species New Project If you would like to register your interest to attend a project trip to the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia to assist the project team with important survey work to help protect the remaining populations of these flora species, email [email protected]. Threats: FAME’s newest project initiative, ‘Safeguarding South Australia’s Most Endangered Flora Species’, represents a critical step forward in our ongoing commitment to preserving and restoring the unique biodiversity of Australia. The seven endangered target species identified are: 1. Spiny Daisy (Acanthocladium dockeri) Listed under the EPBC Act as Critically Endangered. 2. Bayonet Spider-Orchid (Caladenia gladiolata) Listed under the EPBC Act as Endangered. 3. Tall Yellow-top (Lordhowea pilosicrista) EPBC Act provisional nomination – under assessment. 4. Lowly Greenhood Orchid (Pterostylis despectans) Listed under the EPBC Act as Vulnerable. 5. Goldsack’s Leek-Orchid (Prasophyllum goldsackii) Listed under the EPBC Act as Endangered. 6. Superb Groundsel (Senecio megaglossus) Listed under the EPBC Act as Vulnerable. 7. Large-club Spider-orchid (Caladenia macroclavia) Listed under the EPBC Act as Endangered. These species historically have small distributions, occur in fragmented landscapes and an ongoing decline in population numbers. Project overview South Australia is home to a remarkable array of flora, but many species are teetering on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss, climate change and other pressures. Working with landholders, volunteer and regional partners, the project will undertake searches for new populations, ensure that each species has genetically diverse seed collections in long-term storage and undertake complex germination for future translocations to increase population numbers whilst maintaining genetic diversity. The delicate process of orchid pollination One remarkable feature of orchids is their often-specialised relationships with pollinators, such as insects. The elaborate structures of orchid flowers serve as landing platforms and their vibrant colours and alluring scents, if they have them, entice pollinators to visit. Some orchids mimic the appearance and scent of female insects, thus tricking males into attempting to mate with the flower and inadvertently transferring pollen in the process. The success of orchid pollination depends on the delicate balance between attracting pollinators and ensuring effective pollen transfer. Any disruption to this intricate relationship can have profound consequences for orchid populations. Another reason why orchids are so complex is the relationship they have with soil fungus that allows them to grow. Without the fungus, orchids cannot germinate and grow. This project has isolated the fungus needed for each species and is growing them in a laboratory to enable germination and growth. Long-term, the orchid plants will be translocated back into native vegetation areas to increase natural population sizes. To find out more about this important project or to make a donation, visit the project page of the website. The Importance of Small Species in Ecosystems Ecosystems are intricate webs of life where every species, regardless of size, plays a vital role in maintaining the delicate balance of nature. While charismatic fauna mostly overwhelm the spotlight, it is the small, often overlooked species, that really are the unsung heroes of biodiversity. At FAME, we recognise the importance of these small species and their contributions to the health and stability of ecosystems across Australia. From insects and microorganisms to small invertebrates – and everything in between – these species bring immense diversity, both in terms of numbers and functions and are responsible for various ecological roles within their ecosystems. Pollination One of the most critical roles played by small species is pollination. Insects, particularly bees and butterflies, are essential for the reproduction of many plants. A rich diversity of flowering plants in Australia relies on these small species to transfer pollen from one flower to another. Without them, plant populations would decline through inbreeding or no breeding and this would, in turn, have a cascading effect on animals that depend on these plants for food and shelter. Nutrient cycling and decomposition Small species also play a crucial role in nutrient cycling and decomposition. Small decomposers, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organic matter that accumulates over time into simpler compounds, cycling essential nutrients back into the environment. Seed dispersal Small vertebrates such as birds and rodents are key when it comes to seed dispersal. They consume fruits, nuts and seeds and then scatter them across the landscape through their droppings. This aids the natural regeneration of floral species. Without these small species, some plants would struggle to reproduce, leading to a decline in their populations and potentially disruption to the ecosystem. The Butterfly Effect The ‘butterfly effect’ is a concept that highlights the interconnectedness of all species within an ecosystem. It suggests that even a small change in one part of the system can have far-reaching consequences. This is particularly true when it comes to small species. Disruptions in their populations can lead to chain reactions that affect an entire ecosystem. For example, the decline of a small insect species can lead to a decline in the birds that depend on them for food. Small species are the backbone of their ecosystem and their importance cannot be overstated. By safeguarding these small species, we are not only conserving biodiversity but also ensuring the overall wellbeing of nature. Caroline Newman Community Engagement Officer Raising Rarity’s newest team of support Penleigh Essendon Grammar School’s (PEGS) Environmental Club is helping Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria to save a nationally endangered species through Raising Rarity. Raising Rarity involves caring for wild populations and with the involvement of the students at PEGS, increase cultivated living collections to support positive conservation outcomes. Swamp Everlasting (Xerochrysum palustre) is a nationally vulnerable species that the Raising Rarity team are currently researching and raising awareness of its decline in the wild. The more we understand the Swamp Everlasting through observation and recording growth of cultivated plants the better informed we can be to assist survival of this species into the future. Student members of the Environmental Club visited Cranbourne Botanic Gardens for a workshop on how to identify, propagate and monitor the Swamp Everlasting. The students planted their tube stock back on school grounds and are now custodians of their own Swamp Everlasting collection. With support from the Raising Rarity team, the students continue to monitor the growth, flowering time, and collect seed, which will build up an important reserve in the Victorian Conservation Seedbank for this endangered species. This program has now been extended to the PEGS Junior Boys and Junior Girls Environmental teams who have begun planting out their own Xerochrysum palustre collection. Armoured Mistfrog Red Handfish Nangur Spiny Skink Spiny Daisy Students planted out their Swamp Everlastings they had propagated. Credit: RBGV Bayonet Spider-Orchid (Caladenia gladiolata) Photo credit: Jerry Smith 6 7
Red Handfish There seems to barely be time to come up for air for the dedicated team working to save the Red Handfish in Tasmania. At the end of 2023, we proudly shared the success of the captive-breeding program, with viable Red Handfish eggs hatching and developing. To date, captive management and breeding has 121 Red Handfish in its population, made up of 14 juveniles hatched in November 2022, 21 Red Handfish babies hatched in November 2023, 82 sub-adults that will mature during 2024 and 4 adults. The ‘classroom’ (aquarium) set up for Handfish School is now complete, as the team look to how to develop and implement the Handfish curriculum! A busy time continues in the field, with the finalising and installing of signage to help make the community aware of the plight of the Red Handfish and its habitat areas. In addition, surveying the small population persevering in the wild continues. Looking ahead this year, key activities will include controlling Sea Urchin populations to improve Red Handfish habitat and the release of captive-bred fish into suitable areas. Armoured Mistfrog In the Wet Tropics in northern Queensland, the project establishing a new population of critically endangered Armoured Mistfrog is underway. Fifty Armoured Mistfrogs (Litoria lorica) were successfully collected from the main subpopulation and translocated to a new site within a National Park. This wildto-wild translocation aims to establish a third semi-independent subpopulation of the critically endangered species. The translocation involved the capture and release of 25 male and 25 female frogs. Frogs were released individually in a dark cave area at the release site to provide them with a safe place to recover from any capture and transport stress. The release site was chosen based on its specific environmental attributes and the habitat being very similar to the habitat of the main subpopulation. The open, rocky environment offers ideal foraging habitat, and complex rock cascades and waterfalls offer refuge and breeding areas. Post-release monitoring will be undertaken at all three sites to help determine the success of the translocation. Preliminary findings suggest that a large portion of the frogs are still present at the release site. Nangur Spiny Skink The recovery program to help build populations of the Nangur Spiny Skink (Nangura spinosa) in partnership with Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science (DES) has seen 14 individuals released into the wild at the end of 2023. The skinks have been bred in a DES facility to improve population numbers, thanks to a collaborative effort between ecologists, conservation officers and park rangers. The skinks that have been released will continue to be monitored to study their behaviour and survival. A 3,600 square metre release site has been fitted out with artificial burrows, cameras and barriers to protect the skinks from potential predators. The site is located in an extensive area of remaining Spiny Skink habitat and has been strategically selected to have reduced fire risk. With less than 1,000 Nangur Spiny Skinks remaining in the wild, the recovery program is playing a crucial role in ensuring the survival of this species, which is only found in a small and relatively rare habitat in Queensland. EPBC: Critically Endangered IUCN: Critically Endangered EPBC: Endangered IUCN: Endangered EPBC: Critically Endangered IUCN: Critically Endangered EPBC: Critically Endangered IUCN: Endangered For further information on any of our current project commitments, visit the project page of the website or telephone the Foundation on 08 8374 1744. Red Handfish female guards her eggs. Photo Credit: Andrea Williamson Numbat In November 2023, the annual Numbat Survey was conducted within a predetermined range in the Dryandra Woodlands National Park. As the Numbat is a diurnal species, the survey was carried out during daylight hours. The survey has now been conducted annually for five years. For each Numbat sighting, comprehensive data are recorded, including GPS location, date and time, vegetation, and sex and age of the numbat if they can be determined. The total number of sightings for the survey is used as a basic population metric. During the survey, 28 Numbats were sighted, and from that number the population within the survey area was estimated at 450 animals in the Dryandra Woodlands National Park. In addition to finding a healthy and consistent Numbat population, surveys have noted increases in other native mammals in the area, including Mardos, Woylies and Western Quolls over the last 4-5 years. Importantly, data collected from swabs of predated numbats and camera traps have continued to show a decline in cat detections and a dramatic drop in feral cats as a predator of numbats. Project Location: Wet Tropics, Queensland Project Location: Dryandra Woodlands National Park, Western Australia Project Location: Hobart, Tasmania Project Location: Queensland Threats: Threats: Scanning a microchipped Nangur Spiny Skink prior to release. Photo credit: DES Searching for the Armoured Mistfrog. Photo credit: DES Threats: Threats: Red Handfish viable eggs developing. Photo Credit: Andrea Williamson A healthy Numbat in Dryandra Woodland National Park. Photo credit: John Lawson An Armoured Mistfrog individual collected. Photo Credit: DES An adult Nangur Spiny Skink pre-release. Photo credit: DES Mardo or Yellow-footed Antechinus. Photo credit: Geoff Park 8 9
Nature Notes My house is an old timber farmhouse, situated on deep cracking clay soils. Deep clay soils are subject to a great amount of movement between rainy weather and dry periods, as the soils have high waterholding capacity. In wet weather, the soil swells; and in dry, the soil contracts. If you have been lucky enough to experience this type of dwelling, you will immediately know what I mean. Cracks appear between floorboards; windows and doors don’t shut tightly (or at all). Timber dwellings can absorb a great deal of movement without suffering the permanent and unsightly damage that, say, a brick or stone house would. So why am I pleased? Well, we have Cunningham’s Skinks (Egernia cunninghami) which breed under the house and come into the house through the various cracks to cuddle together under the chest freezer at the motor-end where the motor heats the atmosphere. Cunninghams are rather more like mammals, to me, than reptiles. A medium-sized lizard (about 250mm in length), they are live bearers (normally in January), they stay together as a family for, apparently, 1-3 years and they cuddle and bundle together. (Yesterday, I saw one of the parents with a new baby tucked under her/his jaw, dozing in the sun.) As they are omnivorous and diurnal, they can be great fun to watch as they spend the day sunning themselves, eating grass and other veg, plus any insects they can catch. As they eat termites, they also could be doing us a great favour as well. (We don’t use insecticides, but keep a good watch for incursions.) We also have Robust Velvet Geckoes (Oedura robusta) (RVG) and these really are the subject of my story. These are ~100 mm pinky-purply-grey geckoes with regularly-splotched backs and amazing feet which lend suctioncup assurance on vertical walls. They are nocturnal creatures, and they appear in the darkened kitchen or in the low-light conditions at the other end of the lounge room at night to begin their foraging for insect life. I came across a baby RVG the other day and that got me thinking. This baby was very small – only about a quarter the size of an adult and all by itself, fending for itself. This species is an egg-layer, and I was wondering where the female lays her eggs in a timber house. (The species in nature is a rock lizard, so my RVGs obviously lay in cracks which abound in my house.) This led me to search the literature for some RVG reproduction information, and was astounded to learn that geckoes are another group of animals threatened by climate change. The paper I found really interesting was Dayananda et al. (2016), which dealt with the climate-change risks for communally-nesting lizards, and used Lesueur’ s Velvet Gecko (Oedura lesueurii) as the species of choice. Once the decision is made where to deposit the eggs and the eggs laid, the maternal duties of the females are complete. This being the case puts great significance on the initial decision as to which crevice. Incubation takes place through the use of ambient warmth. Thus, the selected crevice must remain within a given range of temperatures for incubation to succeed. Being too cold or too hot will cause the embryos to die. The only methods the females have to combat gis to choose coolestart laying eggs spring. However, return to their owlay their eggs, anno longer be a saThe researchers fmortality in hotterhatchlings tendedwith higher mortathe nests. Communal nestinrisk to a local popthe hatchlings of Females of this species lay their eggs in communal ‘nests’ in rock crevices.” Robust Velvet Gecko. Photo Credit: Greg Tasney. Reference: Dayanandra, B, Gray, S, Pike, D and Webb, J K (2016), of higher incubation temperatures for a nocturnal lizard, Global Ch10
global heating er nest sites or earlier in the some females wn ‘hatchplace’ to nd this spot may afe nesting site. found hatchling r nests was high; d to be smaller ality once leaving ng magnifies the pulation, as all several females may die. Whether females are able to change their nesting behaviour in the relatively short time available to them is doubtful, and the future of many species of gecko, especially communal nesters, is bleak, especially if they fill a risky niche. Dr Diana Beal Board Director 05 *All donations over $2 are tax-deductible and we will send you a tax receipt. Donation Form Payment Method Cheque/money order enclosed and made payable to ‘FAME Ltd’. Credit Card Please debit my Mastercard Visa Card Number Expiry Date Name Signature CCV $30 $50 $150 or $ / I prefer that this donation remains anonymous. Please send me a FAME bookmark. Please send me information about how to help FAME’s endangered species work through my Will. To make a donation, or give to an individual project, visit fame.org.au, or complete this form and return back to us in the supplied envelope. T 08 8374 1744 E [email protected] PO Box 14 North Adelaide 5006, SA ABN 79 154 823 579 fame.org.au Title Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Dr / Other First Name Street Address Suburb State Postcode Last Name $500 Online at www.fame.org.au/donate to choose your particular project of choice. or Direct deposit: Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered Species Ltd BSB: 065-144 Account Number: 10254247 Please email details of your deposit with the date, amount and reference to: [email protected] Preferred Telephone Number Email Birthday / D D M M or Thank you for your support! Cunningham’s Skink Communal nesting under climate change: fitness consequences hange Biology, 22. 7. March. 11 OTB1, 2024
Welbourn O’Brien is proudly associated with FAME, as we work together toward sustainable biological diversity. About FAME FAME is a national charitable organisation, a company limited by guarantee, and an independent not-for-profit deductible gift recipient (DGR). The Company remains operationally agile to ensure our precious resources are directly channelled into key projects. Completely donor funded, our work is only possible because of the generosity of our community who support us. For this we are grateful. Thank you for your support! Monthly Giving FAME’s work is never done and never will be. Indeed, despite our successes to date, the list of endangered native species in Australia continues to lengthen. FAME’s projects are carefully chosen so that your donations are put to work in the most effective way possible. We do not gamble with the financial support of our members and donors because we know when we choose wisely we can have the greatest impact on endangered native Australian flora and fauna. When you give monthly, you become an important part of FAME’s ongoing commitment to stop any further extinction and allow the Foundation to allocate income to support worthwhile projects that will save endangered wildlife from extinction. Most of all, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your support will help increase FAME’s ability to seek out and support projects that will save endangered flora and fauna from extinction. To become a monthly donor to FAME, complete the below form and return in the reply-paid envelope provided or complete, scan and email to FAME at [email protected] or visit our website. *Please note that we will contact you prior to the expiry date on your card in order to update this information. *All donations over $2 are tax deductible. *A summary of your donations will be sent at the end of each financial year for your records. Automatic Monthly Donation Request Form Credit Card Authority Please debit monthly my Mastercard Visa Card Number Expiry Date Name Signature CCV $30p/m $50p/m $75p/m or $ / Please complete and return to FAME in the envelope provided. Title Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms / Dr / Other First Name Street Address Suburb State Postcode Last Name Preferred Telephone Number Email Birthday / D D M M T 08 8374 1744 E [email protected] PO Box 14 North Adelaide 5006, SA ABN 79 154 823 579 fame.org.au Front Cover: Western Quoll. Photo Credit: Michael J Barritt Donor Snippets Hi, my name is Kelly, I am 10 years old and I live in Bargara, Queensland. I started making the Heart Pot Buddies to help save the Western Quoll. Australian animals are unique and they need our help to survive. When they become extinct, they are gone forever. I make Heart Pot Buddies from concrete and recycled knitting needles and for larger Heart Pot Buddies, I use recycled copper pipe. I chose to donate to FAME because it has lots of success stories and because it has a project supporting the Western Quoll. So far, I have raised $200 towards FAME and my goal is to raise over $2000 to help save the Western Quoll. Thank you Kelly! Kelly and his Heart Pot Buddies.