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Ranger Roundup 2023
In May, over 40 members of the Tasmanian Rangers Association (TRA) gathered for their biannual a two-day forum- The Ranger Round up. PWS Staff came from across the state to attend and a variety of topics were presented relating to reserve management- from Biosecurity Tasmania’s Cat Management Program, Deer Management, Ranger Resilience, Search and Rescue and Tussock Grass. This event was a unique opportunity for PWS staff to network and gather from across the state to learn about what is happening in the PWS reserve estate. Thank you to everyone who presented and shared their work from across the Department.
Ranger Roundup 2023: Text
Ranger Roundup 2023: Image
“The 2023 Ranger roundup was fantastic. Presentations and workshops were diverse, insightful, and relevant to the field of work. Great way to meet staff from other field centres and departments to share learnings, provide useful resources and new contacts. Will be sharing the things I have learnt with the rest of the team at Tasman Field Centre. Thanks for all involving with coordinating and funding the event. Really makes you feel part of a team.”
Gemma Rushton, Ranger Tasman
Ranger Roundup 2023: Text
The presentations were not only relevant and engaging, but of a very high calibre. It was opened by Tananger Peet, a Working on Country Ranger who connected us with the land that we all manage. It was also the only opportunity to be in much contact with the land, as the weather was somewhat inclement and the rest of the Roundup was conducted inside the Scout Hall at Carnacoo.
Ranger Roundup 2023: Text
Ranger Roundup 2023: Pro Gallery
First up was Dave Frelek, a returnee from the previous Roundup, picking up his Deerscan tracking project (please submit sightings!) and expanding his discussion of feral deer in Tasmania with greater detail and some historical context. The conclusion is that deer numbers have rapidly and markedly increased in recent years: at an estimated 6.2% per annum since 1985, the impact of the deer is becoming more pervasive. As such, a new strategy divides the state into three management zones: sustainable hunting, mixed management/buffer, and no deer/manage down existing numbers. Dave memorably pushed the message of the threat, noting that "we are facing a tsunami of deer" who can each eat "5 DSE: dry sheep equivalent."
This was fittingly followed up that very evening by Jason Neasey, who had just come down out of the Walls of Jerusalem, where Tasmania's first aerial cull had concluded. The initial estimates for deer in the world heritage and surrounding areas had been quickly overtaken by the number of deer shot, demonstrating the threat posed by the invasive species. Attending vets had been satisfied by the humane process, in which no deer was injured, no deer escaped, and no deer that were sighted had got away, a testament to the skills and efforts of the pilots and shooters. Rather than bring in mainland shooters, the department had invested in training our own staff, which are now an asset to the organisation.
Ranger Roundup 2023: Text
Ranger Roundup 2023: Pro Gallery
Invasive species present an ongoing risk to our natural and cultural values and so are a major part of the work of our members, with a number of presentations focusing on the issue. Matt Pauza spoke eloquently about the work of the Biosecurity Tasmania in addressing the presence of feral cats in National Parks. He was also eminently pragmatic, reminding us that the removal of cats at a landscape level in the state is impossible, and that no single solution exists even for their suppression. His case study of a survey of cats on North Bruny Island was revealing, as with a density of 47-51 cats per kilometre at the short-tailed shearwater colony at the Neck (compared with the Australian average of 0.7 per square kilometre), they were even causing high rates of toxoplasmosis in the local quolls. Matt did inspire us with modern management tools, including the cat-specific poison Curiosity (an eagle would have to eat 8 entire carcases within 24 hours of cats killed by it to be affected!), and the Felixer machine, which shoots 1080 at cats (identified with more than 95% accuracy by the AI) who walk past, who then lick the poison off. When asked whether these could be combined through the Felixer shooting Curiosity, Matt explained that the problem was one of fluid dynamics: "the glob, which is the technical term for it, needs to fly through the air onto the cat," and that Curiosity doesn't have that yet!
Similarly, invasive grasses are a big threat, not only to Parks and reserves but to agriculture and even our urban recreational areas, with savage grass seeds impacting native wildlife, livestock and pets alike. The talk by Invasive Grasses Project Officer Adam Muyt identified major threats, offering identifying features and which native species they were most likely to be confused with. There was also a minor celebration of Jane and her work on Flinders Island, where she and Dan single handedly got on top of the spreading African Lovegrass situation: they were heralded as a new departmental resource for their expertise on the weed. Adam also discussed the use of trained sniffer dogs on Tom Gibson Reserve and the threat posed to places like Calvert Hills Nature Reserve. Read more.
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Ranger Roundup 2023: Pro Gallery
Land management for conservation values is not only the domain of the Parks and Wildlife Service, and it was great to have Elise Jeffery from the Tasmanian Land Conservancy. Established in 2001, they are a not-for-profit operating in Tasmania to protect nature in private land, through their own land management and through consultation with other land owners. Many of their properties (19/26 of their permanent reserves) border Parks land, some of them on all sides, and a good relationship between the organisations would be beneficial: indeed, it was news to perhaps all of us that the track to Lake Rhona that we manage and promote crosses TWC land! They actively monitor their properties, noting that "monitoring is something that tends to drop off" in most conservation, and would like to work further with Parks in protecting shared values.
Working alongside Parks was also the discussion by returnee presenter Josh Peach from the Police Search and Rescue. He covered the basics, including the Rotor Lift contract and the helicopters used, discussing the use of winching and the equipment required. A LISTmap layer of rescues performed on reserve estate is available for PWS staff to access. There was ambiguity around cost: the helicopter never charges, but whether Ambulance Tasmania sends out a bill depends on the state/country of the individual and the reciprocity of their state arrangements with Tasmania.
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Ranger Roundup 2023: Pro Gallery
The Council of Oceania Rangers Associations (CORA) had held its first conference in Rotorua New Zealand in 2022, and both Parks and the TRA had assisted in sending over attendees to what turned out to be a brilliant event. Jason Neasey and Darren Emmett had both been supported, and they managed to pull together an excellent summary of the event, in spite of using a PowerPoint put together by Shelley Graham. Shelley and Rhys Wilson, another TRA member, were both missing the Roundup due to a deployment to the Canadian wildfires, and Darren tied this into the theme of the conference: in New Zealand the Maori concept of whanau encapsulates not just family but extended networks of relationships, and the ranger family assisting each other across the world spoke to the strength of those relationships. The attendees had also been impressed by the permeation of the Maori language and management into not only the Department of Conservation but New Zealand culture more broadly.
Support for each other was a part of the emotional health workshop run by Pete Cleary, Therese Hutchins and Melinda Maddock of the Global Leadership Foundation. We worked through the Emotional Health and Leadership booklet provided by the Foundation, including conceptualising the Line of Choice, below which are automatic reactions and above which are actions resulting from the taking of personal responsibility. It was a mix of talks and breakout groups, with much discussion about the emotional cost of enforcement, emergency response and wildlife conflict. As pointed out, Parks staff are often first responders to a huge variety of potentially distressing situations.
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This material was perfectly balanced out after dinner (as with the last Roundup, by the wonderful team at Peppermint Ridge catering!) by Darroch Donald. He had put up a nothofagus gunnii wishing tree at Mt Field, and children were invited to write a wish on a leaf and contribute it. What a wonderful series of notes we had been gifted with! There was considerable comedy, some delightful whimsy, some touching insights, some absurdist nonsense. Some examples include: I wish there were wombats everywhere. I wish that sausage dogs were called limousine dogs. I wish for Tasmania to be warmer.
There was discussion around World Ranger Day and the initiative by the TRA to light the Tasman Bridge green for three nights to highlight the work that Rangers do across the world (watch this space!). And of course there was the next project idea of our ever-inventive leader, Brendan. But that can wait for a separate post!
A huge thank you to everyone involved: Elise Snell did a lot of organising in the leadup to the event, and MCed it along with Gemma Rushton; Matt Broadfield was on catering and merchandise (you can buy some from him at Cradle Mountain), and Kate Burton assisted him along with collecting the expired first aid donations; Jane Hutchinson was timekeeper, cowbell and all; Jess and Nicko Hewenn took photos and Nick Clark from Bruny Island was toiling away behind the scenes and introduced us to the great feral cat management on the Island.
Annie Leschen furiously collated all our attendees and new members and wasn’t even able to attend the Roundup. And our ever-enthusiastic leader Brendan Moodie spearheaded the whole thing!
TRA would like to thank the Department for their assistance in sponsoring this event and providing continued support for the Tasmanian Rangers Association.
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Ranger Roundup 2023: Pro Gallery
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