Green Adelaide’s Pelzer Prize Winner 2023

Green Adelaide’s Pelzer Prize Winner 2023

James Smith founder and director of fauNature has been awarded the SA Environments Pelzer Prize sponsored by Green Adelaide at the 2023 SA Environment Awards held on 5 June 2023.

Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Dr Susan Close with the 2023 Pelzer Prize winner James Smith**

  Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, Dr Susan Close with the 2023 Pelzer Prize winner James Smith

 

“I feel privileged to have received the prestigious Green Adelaide Pelzer Prize presented by the Honourable Minister Dr Susan Close. It is an honour to have my work recognised, and I am humbled to be included with the impressive list of finalists at the 2023 SA Environmental Awards, who are all striving to improve environmental outcomes in SA.”

James Smith

Founder, fauNature

Green Adelaide has championed the Pelzer Prize, which is an award for South Australia’s green heroes, conservation leaders and champions of the environment, named in honour of Adelaide’s first city gardener – August Wilhelm Pelzer. Pelzer (1862-1934) transformed the Adelaide city landscape during his 33 years as head gardener, arresting the loss of trees in our parklands and planting thousands more.*

For nearly two decades, James Smith has been a dedicated advocate for wildlife across the State while primarily focusing on urban and peri-urban environments. Through the delivery of presentations, workshops, publications and media appearances, James has contributed significantly to an appreciation of urban wildlife in South Australia. More broadly, James has driven greater understanding around hollow-dependent species and the resources they need and has enhanced our knowledge through research initiatives and co-pioneered a nationally recognised carved hollows workshop. For many years, James has contributed to educating the community about South Australia’s urban wildlife and habitat to drive a cooler, greener and wilder metropolitan Adelaide.

The award criteria

A conservation leader or champion of the environment who has gone above and beyond to restore landscapes, create habitat for wildlife, connect people to nature, or clean up our parks, beaches and waterways within a South Australian urban environment. The Pelzer Prize honours the significant environmental efforts made by individuals that drive a cooler, greener and wilder metropolitan Adelaide. Green Adelaide Board Presiding Member Professor Chris Daniels said that it’s an honour to celebrate our local environmental.   Read more details here on the Green Adelaide website.

 

*Award criteria provided by 2023 SA environment awards
**Image credit Green Adelaide

Contact fauNature today

Intro to Hollows eBook

“James Smith deserves the 2023 Pelzer Prize for his tireless advocacy for wildlife and their habitat, and his role educating and connecting the community with nature over several decades, it is truly admirable.”

Chris Daniels

“His passion for nature perfectly reflects the essence of the Pelzer Prize.”

What is Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Development?

What is Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Development?

Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Development (BSUD) is an approach to urban planning and design that considers the need to conserve and enhance biodiversity in urban areas. The concept recognises that urbanisation has significant impacts on the natural environment, and the species that live there, and seeks to mitigate these impacts through the incorporation of biodiversity considerations into urban planning and design.

BSUD involves a range of strategies and practices, including the protection and restoration of natural areas, the creation of green infrastructure such as development of structured vegetive layers and the use of native plants in landscaping, along with the incorporation of features that support wildlife such as bird boxes and possum boxes.

The goal of BSUD is to create more livable and sustainable cities by preserving and enhancing the natural environment and the many benefits it provides, such as improved air and water quality, climate regulation, and recreational opportunities. By adopting this approach, urban planners and designers can help to create cities that are not only more resilient to environmental challenges, but also healthier and more enjoyable for their inhabitants.

 

 

Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Development (BSUD) and Animals

 

One critical aspect of BSUD is the protection and enhancement of animal habitats in cities. Animal habitats are essential for the survival of many species, as they provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds. Urbanisation has had a significant impact on these habitats, as natural areas are destroyed or fragmented to make way for buildings and infrastructure. This can lead to the displacement or loss of many animal species, as well as a decline in the overall biodiversity of the area. It can also lead to the loss of critical resources, such as food and shelter that animals need to survive. In some cases, urbanisation can also create new habitats that are attractive to certain animals leading to an influx of invasive species that can displace native wildlife.

BSUD seeks to address these issues by incorporating features that support animal habitats into urban planning and design. This can include the protection and restoration of natural areas, the creation of green infrastructure such as parks, the use of native plants in landscaping, increased connectivity and provision of nesting sites – all these features provide vital habitats for a wide range of our native birds and animals.

One of the key strategies of BSUD is the creation of green corridors or wildlife corridors, which are strips of natural vegetation that connect fragmented habitats. These corridors provide important habitat in and of themselves.  They also allow animals to move between habitats, which can help to maintain genetic diversity and prevent the isolation of animal populations.

Overall, BSUD is an important approach to urban planning and design that recognises the importance of animal habitats in maintaining biodiversity and supporting the natural environment. By incorporating features that support animal habitats into urban areas, we can create healthier, more vibrant, attractive sustainable cities.

Contact fauNature today to discuss how we can help you and your wildlife project.

Intro to Hollows eBook

Habitat Plants

Habitat Plants

Indigenous plants or plants that are historically native to your area, whose seeds can be sourced locally, are ideal. They are likely to be the backbone of any wildlife garden and are well suited to your local conditions.                                       plants habitat

Specialist nurseries can help in this regard, as can organisations such as Local Councils, Bush Care groups or Trees for Life. An environment rich in nectar and seed, available at all times of the year, is likely to attract the greatest number of birds, mammals, butterflies and other species.

Many exotic cultivars are also highly attractive to native fauna (e.g. fruit trees, ground covers and climbers) and may be worth considering. However, certain species (such as Olives, Arum lilies, Cape Broom, Sweet Pittosporum or Mexican Feathergrass) are likely to become invasive weeds and need to be avoided at all costs. Also, just because a plant is being sold as a “native” doesn’t necessarily make it ideal for your garden!! Some of the most noxious weeds to be found are “Australian” species from other parts of the country, which have been inappropriately planted.

Does it make sense to enhance your garden for wildlife, at the risk of endangering other local habitats? If you are going to plant a species introduced from elsewhere, please MAKE SURE IT STAYS WHERE IT IS PLANTED!

Contact your local council or Department for the Environment in your state for a list of plants likely to be an issue in your area, particularly those species classed as weeds which councils prefer are not planted.

Contact fauNature today

Wildlife hollows

Wildlife hollows

Loss of habitat has had a dramatic impact on many native animals. Old growth trees containing natural hollows are now rare in urban and many rural environments. Natural hollows are better than nesting boxes for native species to shelter and/or nest in for several reasons: native fauna and natural hollows have evolved together.

wildlife hollows

A natural hollow, because of the influence of the living tree, moderates the internal temperature compared to the external environment – making the hollow cooler in hot weather and warmer in cold weather. Natural hollows also provide a more appropriate humidity for species that utilise such resources. Mature hollow bearing trees need to be retained wherever possible!

A wildlife or nesting box is not a true replacement for natural hollows, in impoverished habitats and urban environments. However, supplementing the available resources by building your own or purchasing a commercially available wildlife box can help provide much-needed nesting and roosting habitat.

Skilled arborists can also create chainsaw-carved hollows in your yard, if you have a suitable large eucalypt on your property. Such hollows can however only be installed in dead trucks or limbs, for safety reasons.

You can discover which local wildlife species (e.g. parrots, possums, bats) depend on hollows or wildlife boxes in your area, through your local museum, natural history organisation/society or Department for Environment. Further information is available on the range of wildlife boxes currently available from fauNature – Nesting Boxes.

 

wildlife hollows

fauNature can also construct nesting boxes to your design or specification if the box is not one, we usually carry.

Please contact us >

Water for wildlife

Water for wildlife

While some animals can extract enough water from the food they eat, many species require standing water for survival. If you provide a regular supply of clean water, particularly during dry periods, you will be well rewarded.

water for wildlife

Depending on the available space your water supply may be as small as a bird bath, which can attract significant numbers of birds, up to the size of a dam. A small pond can provide habitat for a range of fauna including frogs, dragonflies and perhaps even native fish (sourced from reputable suppliers, NOT from the wild). In general, the larger the resource, the greater the number of species you are likely to attract.

If you are starting small, with a bird bath you are either buying or making yourself – please ensure it has the following features:

• A rough surface so the birds do not slip (avoid glazed bird baths), together with a graded slope into the water. If glazed, ensure suitable rocks are included to enable access for smaller species.
• Depth of 40-75mm, as birds will both drink and bathe.
• Position in the shade to help the water stay fresh, with perching opportunities by and/or into the bath, for small species.
• Can be positioned on the ground, but if cats have access to the site ~900mm above ground with dense cover available close by.
• Dense spikey plants located close to the bath, will enable small species to escape to safety when threatened.

water for wildlife

Please remember it may take the birds a little time to find your water offering, so be patient.

Habitat Structure

Habitat Structure

habitat structureNative bushland provides places for many different species to live, so if we are to enhance urban spaces or perhaps even replicate such natural environments; several elements need to be considered. Typically, there are five structural layers in native bushland:

  • Canopy: large trees (e.g. gums) which due to their size provide resources to a vast array of animals. They also provide shade and/or dappled light and very importantly natural hollows.
  • Large shrubs: (e.g. Acacias or Banksias) provide shelter as well as rich sources of nectar and insects.
  • Small shrubs: (e.g. Saltbush or Correas) as for large shrubs, but typically with increased plant diversity.
  • Ground cover: the greatest natural plant diversity is typically seen in this layer, which contributes to a rich insect fauna and in turn the diversity of many vertebrate species.  Unfortunately, it is also one of the layers that can disappear in a manicured or overly tidy garden.
  • Leaf-litter: is a layer that reduces the loss of moisture and harbours decomposers such as bacteria and fungi which return vital nutrients to the soil.  A wide range of invertebrate species live in this zone and many birds, mammals, lizards and frogs forage here because of its rich offerings.

The more layers you have in your wildlife garden – the higher the number of potential habitats, or places for native species to live.

If you only have a small space for planting, think about the other resources wildlife may have available to them: a local park, a creek, bushland or consider combining your area with that of an adjoining neighbour(s) to increase the effective size of the resource, its value to wildlife and potentially your enjoyment!

habitat structure

Another essential component of ground cover includes the physical assets within your garden. Rocks, hollow logs or wood piles all provide additional habitat for insects, lizards and possibly frogs, as well as bacteria and fungi, which in turn contribute to the health of your garden.

How to Improve Biodiversity in Cities

How to Improve Biodiversity in Cities

Read a great example of how a partnership works with fauNature in this recent article from The City of Charles Sturt ‘ Kaleidoscope’ Dec 2022 online magazine –  Enhancing Biodiversity in Our City.

Biodiversity is necessary to support the processes of all life on Earth. As the extensive range of animals, plants and microorganisms slowly disappear, in the future, we will not be able to enjoy the healthy ecosystems that give us the air we breathe and the food we eat.

When The City of Charles Sturt launched ‘Tree BnBs’ program to install a large number of wildlife boxes across the City to assist and cultivate biodiversity, fauNature provided those wildlife boxes and continues to manage them.

fauNature Wildlife Box Services ensure the attachment system is secure and people and wildlife are safe:

We provide expert advice and guidance on hollow creation and we build bird and wildlife boxes designed specifically for each animal taking into account their natural behaviour, breeding needs and local predators.

A sample of a Report produced by James Smith, fauNature ®
TreeBNB-Monitoring-Report-2021

Contact us if you are interested in setting up a nesting or wildlife box in your backyard or parkland. Large installation projects are best to be left to the experts like the team at fauNature who can give the best support and advice needed.

Intro to Hollows eBook

Attracting Native Wildlife – Other Information

Attracting Native Wildlife – Other Information

Many different elements contribute to a successful wildlife garden. While the major aspects have been covered in earlier blogs, additional information is provided here which will further enhance the environment you provide.

Benefits of Diversity
Every animal requires food. The benefits of complexity in nature and in your garden quickly becomes evident when we look at a simplified food web (Fig. 1). Plants form the basis of the food webs you are looking to establish. The greater the number and type of plant species you nurture, the higher the diversity of animals you are likely to see. The more complex your garden, fewer pest species will have an impact and the more stable will be the environment. Stability and resources result in a healthy, attractive wildlife garden. Therefore, the more birds and animals, both in type and number, you are likely to attract.

Attracting Native Wildlife - Other Information

Fig 1.  A simplified food web to demonstrate just how complex species interactions can be.

Avoid Chemicals
Reduce or eliminate the uses of herbicides and pesticides. Using chemicals in the garden on either plants or animals (e.g. snails or insects) not only affects the species you want to remove, but can also impact other, non-target species. Therefore, by using chemicals, both plant and animal species may be eliminated – reducing the available food or potentially accumulating in the food chain to poison the very wildlife species you are looking to attract.

Household Pets
Pets, particularly cats, can have a profound impact on wildlife, from beetles to butterflies and bluetongue lizards to gliders. The cat owner may be distressed by an occasional or even regular supply of “presents”. Cats are also renowned for unwanted intrusions into neighbouring properties, fouling yards, digging up the gardens as well as preying on wildlife.

It is preferable if cats are permanently kept inside with access to the garden facilitated via a cat run. Where cats are allowed to roam it is recommended that cats remain inside at night, from dusk till dawn – this period is when native species are most vulnerable and cats most destructive.

Additionally, the owners of roaming cats are encouraged to attach an elasticised collar with bells on it (often one bell will not do the trick and two or three will be required to prevent the cat from silent stalking).

Surveys have shown that the average domestic cat will make over 50 kills a year, with some particularly effective individuals achieving over ten times this number. In addition to pet cats, many feral animals exist which have a devastating impact on local wildlife. If you are a gardening/wildlife enthusiast looking to avoid unwanted intrusions or a cat owner who would like your cat to avoid certain areas in your own yard (e.g. a bird bath) – ultrasonic deterrents (e.g. CATWatch) may offer a solution. For information on CATWatch refer to our on-line shop.

Dogs generally have far less impact on native wildlife. However, lizards, particularly large slow-moving species such as bluetongues, can be very susceptible to dog attacks. Rock piles, hollow logs (or partially buried pipes) and dense, spiky ground plants, provide beneficial cover and shelter. Training your dog to listen and act on your commands is paramount so they leave wildlife alone. Whether your dog is a home body or loves long walks, appropriate training could reduce your stress and save the life(s) of your resident bluetongues, possums, ground-nesting birds at the beach (e.g., Hooded Plovers) as well as kangaroos if you live in or visit more rural locations.

There is a limited amount of literature available on attracting wildlife to backyards. Fortunately, the quality and quantity are on the increase, making it easier for each of us to make informed decisions about enhancing our Wildlife Gardens.

Contact fauNature today

Feeding of wildlife

Feeding of wildlife

There are widely varying opinions on whether to feed or not to feed. The practice is undertaken extensively overseas, where it is being used increasingly as a conservation tool. It is, however, typically discouraged in Australia for a range of reasons.

Feeding of wildlife

The fact remains that supplementing available food may increase the number of animals, though not necessarily species, you attract. A variety of birds or mammals may take advantage of a free meal!

This can facilitate seeing species in much closer proximity than you would otherwise and allow you to enjoy the antics rarely seen by the casual observer.

If you are feeding it is recommended:

  • Don’t allow the wildlife to become dependent on you.
  • Feed small amounts, which can be eaten in a relatively short space of time and don’t feed every day. Uneaten food may attract vermin (e.g. mice, rats, foxes)
  • Ensure high-quality food such as proprietary wild bird seed mixes or nectar solutions are used. Some sources including bread are poor in nutritional value, while discarded cage bird seed represents a potential health risk to native species.
  • Ensure the feeding containers and surrounding areas are kept clean to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

It is worth reviewing your actions on a regular basis, to consider whether you are having a positive or negative impact on native wildlife.

Contact fauNature today

Operation-Possum

Operation-Possum

operation possum

Operation Possum was a large-scale community-based study of possums in South Australia. This Citizen Science study was conducted by the Barbara Hardy Centre (UniSA) in conjunction with 891 ABC Adelaide radio between the 20th of August and the 20th of November, 2008.

fauNature’s James Smith assisted the Barbara Hardy Centre researchers and 891 ABC staff in formulating and delivering this exciting program.

All South Australians were invited to participate in this research via an online survey. People also participated by sending in stories, pictures and photos. A broad range of educational materials were developed by UniSA and fauNature for Operation Possum, and participating schools wrote reports on their observations.

The data collected during Operation Possum, from over 2,300 surveys, was analysed, with results and stories published in a fantastic book – Possum-tail Tree.

Contact fauNature today

Bring us your Bugs

Bring us your Bugs

bring us your bugs

Bring Us Your BUGS, a public event organised by the University of South Australia and the SA Museum was a phenomenal success! fauNature’s James Smith worked on this project from its inception and shared a sense of tremendous satisfaction, with all those involved in the way the public embraced the concept.

The organisers were hoping the public would bring a few hundred specimens into the museum lawns. In the end it turned out to be over 1600!

One of James’ contributions to the success of the event was collecting a cryptic sun moth, from his own backyard. The moth caused quite a stir as it is very rare, the adult only lives for three to ten days, and few specimens have ever been found in Adelaide.

Events like Bring Us Your BUGS allow our local community to have fun and learn while contributing to serious research. The event was organised and specimens photographed to be included in an upcoming the book: The Wildlife of Greater Adelaide (2016).

Contact fauNature today

Bring us your Bugs II

Bring us your Bugs II

bring us your bugs

Following on from the huge success of Bring Us Your BUGS, a second event to capture spring “Bugs” was organised by the University of South Australia, the SA Museum and fauNature. This time a “Most Wanted” list was created, but the researchers were after virtually any invertebrates (animals without backbones) from the ‘wilds’ of Adelaide – whether they fly, crawl, slither, slide, swim or burrow! The aim was to find out what invertebrates we have living around us!

On the day probably 2000 people participated in the event. Some 700 children arrived with a bottle, jar or vial in hand ready to make their contribution. Thousands of invertebrates were collected, and many were excellent specimens!

A range of displays were set up by the Barbara Hardy Centre, SA Museum, Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board, Department for Environment and Heritage, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Beekeepers Society of South Australia and Urban Forest Biodiversity Program.

fauNature’s James Smith again helped deliver the project and was involved from its inception. On the day James was involved with a range of activities from classifying specimens and co-ordinating experts through to organising the four photographers who digitally recorded the stars of the event. The specimens were photographed for a local identification guide book: The Wildlife of Greater Adelaide (2016).

Elephant Weevil image by John Hodgson, courtesy of the Barbara Hardy Centre.

Contact fauNature today

Now is the time for Nesting Box Maintenance

Now is the time for Nesting Box Maintenance

It would be nice to think that once a nesting box is installed, that is it!  The wildlife would breed and all would live happily ever after!  Unfortunately, wildlife/nesting boxes need periodical monitoring and maintenance the same as any home!

You can either maintain the box(s) yourself or have the box(s) professionally maintainedfauNature® offers a maintenance service when required, or for those outside our local area, a range of other businesses such as pest controllers, gardening companies or arborists may also be able to provide this service.

February to April is a great time to maintain/service your nesting box(s), in preparation for the following spring.  A little later in June-July is probably better for bats, as they are least active at this time of the year.  Possums may be in residence at any time so it can be pot luck, however, it is best to avoid the wetter months.

If you have a fauNature® or indeed any type of nesting box you are looking to maintain personally, the following article is likely to prove useful.  Alternatively, if you are looking to engage someone else to service your nesting box(s), ensure they know what they are doing by having them read this article…

Maintaining a Nesting Box

Professional Services

Good luck with your maintenance process and be sure the nest box is safe and presentable in good time for the first inspection of the season. Please contact fauNature should you have any questions.

Saving City Wildlife – with democracy

Saving City Wildlife – with democracy

Australian citizens can become more involved in planning their cities with wildlife in mind thanks to a new tool developed by researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED).

“When it comes to urban planning, protecting wildlife is often overlooked – but the loss of natural ecosystems in cities poses risks to public health and the quality of life of urban citizens,” says Dr Sarah Bekessy, of CEED and RMIT University. “Over half of Australia’s threatened species and ecosystems occur within the urban fringe and accelerating urbanisation is now a key threat to their survival.”

“Our team has developed a way to rank sites for development according to various priorities such as biodiversity loss, flood risk and transport planning.

“Decision-makers can use this tool to balance different objectives and explore the impact of trade-offs between competing priorities.

“You can then have a democratic process in which citizens are involved in helping to decide the right weight to give to the various planning priorities.

“The public can – and should – be drawn into the process of ranking development priorities so that important decisions such as protecting wildlife are made by citizens rather than planners,” she says.

“We believe that incorporating the public’s view on the protection of wildlife within an urban development plan will lead to a greater sense of ownership of native urban wildlife by Australians, which is highly desirable when you consider that almost 90 per cent of us live in metropolitan areas.”

Further important research by CEED also indicates that cities can be planned in a way that both encourages and protects native wildlife.

Jessica Sushinsky, Professor Hugh Possingham and Dr Richard Fuller of CEED and the University of Queensland recently published a study which found that birds were much more plentiful in cities that mixed areas of intensive development with open green spaces.

“Urban development usually reduces the number of birds in a city, but building more compact cities and avoiding urban sprawl can slow these reductions significantly,” says lead author Jessica Sushinsky.

“In a city like Brisbane where there are large green parks with a mix of vegetation we still find a relatively healthy diversity of birds such as Lewin’s honeyeater, grey shrike-thrush, the red-backed fairy-wren and the striated pardalote, which rely on more complex habitats than are usually found in private, manicured backyards.

“Where compact housing development leaves these important green spaces intact we see fewer local extinctions, even in Brisbane which has undergone substantial growth in recent years.

“Urban sprawl on the other hand not only results in the disappearance of many urban-sensitive birds but also leads to an increase in feral birds such as the common myna or the spotted turtle dove, both invasive species in Australia.

“While our findings suggest that future cities should be built ‘up’ rather than ‘out’, any reduction in the size of private backyards would also mean it is important to retain large public green spaces leading to cities that provide a better quality of life for both people and wildlife.”

“CEED’s research is about how we make decisions to protect the environment,” says Prof Hugh Possingham, Centre Director at CEED. “These two studies are an excellent example of the co-ordinated research being undertaken through the Centre.

“Understanding how different types of urban development impact on birds means that the tool developed by Dr Bekessy and her colleagues can be used to balance the need for urban growth with important conservation priorities. Some priorities may even be decided by popular vote.”

The first paper “Transparent planning for biodiversity and development in the urban fringe” by Sarah Bekessy, Matt White, Ascelin Gordon, Atte Moilanen, Michael McCarthy and Brendan Wintle appears in the journal Landscape and Urban Planning.

The second paper “How should we grow cities to minimize their biodiversity impacts?” by Jessica Sushinsky, Jonathan Rhodes, Hugh Possingham, Tony Gill and Richard Fuller appears in Global Change Biology.

CEED is the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions.

Contact fauNature today.

Wildlife of Greater Adelaide

Wildlife of Greater Adelaide

Whether digging in the garden, walking the dog, or jogging through one of our local parks, we constantly encounter animals. From the minute and bizarre creatures hidden in the leaf litter, to big, colourful, active mammals and birds, we are

surrounded by wildlife. Adelaide and the surrounding Mount Lofty Ranges support a spectacular diversity of fauna, some of which are found nowhere else on earth. However, there is limited benefit in simply encountering this wildlife. If we were able to identify the species, understand their biology and explain their habits to our kids and our visitors alike, how much more rewarding would the experience be?

The Wildlife of Greater Adelaide, our region’s first comprehensive wildlife guidebook, a culmination of years in the making is now available. As a photographic guide it provides easy to read descriptions, natural histories and additional information about both native and introduced species. Most importantly, the book equips the reader with the identification skills to explore, understand and appreciate the wildlife of our region so enabling us all to become backyard David Attenboroughs!

Written by Adelaide zoologist and passionate wildlife advocate James Smith, and with a foreword by Professor Chris Daniels, the Wildlife of Greater Adelaide is a must-have addition for anyone interested in our local wildlife. Whether you are simply looking to identify the wild neighbours with which you share your own backyard or you are a seasoned naturalist looking to further expand your knowledge, this book is the perfect companion.

Mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs, fishes, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails and worms are amongst the diverse array of wildlife described and displayed within these pages. Emphasis has been placed on the most common, well-known or potentially dangerous species recorded across the region.

The Wildlife of Greater Adelaide is the result of an incredible collaborative effort between the University of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board and a number of Adelaide nature and wildlife organisations and not-for-profits. This magnificent book is a testament to those organisations and their people who recognised the importance of Adelaide having its own wildlife guidebook as way to encourage more of us, especially the younger generations, to engage with the nature that surrounds us. Afterall, we can only expect people to care for nature if they understand and appreciate it.

The book was officially launched at the South Australian Museum on Thursday, 6 October, and is on sale now here or available at good local book stores.

Contact fauNature today.

Wildlife of Greater Adelaide wins a 2017 Whitley Award!

Wildlife of Greater Adelaide wins a 2017 Whitley Award!

The Whitley Awards, presented annually by the Royal Zoological Society of NSW, recognise the best publications that profile the unique wildlife of the Australasian region.

The Wildlife of Greater Adelaide was one of 11 zoological publications recognised at this years Whitley Awards.

A diverse range of wildlife including birds, sharks, red kangaroos and even beetles have been placed in the spotlight as the Royal Zoological Society of NSW announces their prestigious Awards for zoological literature.
In addition to an overall Whitley Medal winner, Certificate of Commendations are awarded to a range of categories including children’s books, public interest, magazines, local guides and technical works for professional biologists.

In 2017 the Whitley Medal has been awarded to ‘The Australian Bird Guide’ published by CSIRO Publishing and authored by Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke, Jeff Davies, Peter Marsack and Kim Franklin.

This beautiful book represents the most comprehensive overview to date of the bird life found across the Australian continent. It includes exquisite illustrations of over 900 bird species alongside detailed information on identification, distribution and status.

According to Dr Noel Tait, Chairman of the Awards Committee, The Australian Bird Guide has raised the bar for zoology field guides.

Certificates of Commendation have been awarded to ten more publications, exploring such diverse topics as a child’s view of bird migration, a historical account of the red kangaroo in central Australia and a local guide to the wildlife of Adelaide (see below for award winners).

“We were overjoyed with the applications we received for this year’s Awards,” says Dr Tait.

“We feel they accurately represent the diversity of Australian fauna, the passion of our local naturalists, and the genuine interest that all Australians have for our magnificent native species.”

“On behalf of the RZS NSW I would like to thank all applicants and encourage anyone with an interest in zoology to explore some of the amazing literature that is available.”

 

Contact fauNature today