Title: Uni of Qld visit
Location: Hideaway pub, Tiaro
Description: An informal discussion about current and future partnerships with University of Qld with Professor Craig Franklin and PhD candidate Mariana Campbell.
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2010-02-08

A very relaxing and informative evening was spent on Monday evening with Professor Craig Franklin, PhD candidate Mariana A. de M. Campbell and Dr Hamish Campbell from the University of Qld. We greatly appreciated the effort Craig made to travel to Tiaro & fit us into his hectic schedule. It is a great partnership with benefits to both organisations, but most of all, we are learning more about the physiology and habitat requirements for this endangered turtle. An interesting discovery has been the huge temperature range of wild nests.  Temperatures this season were recorded between 42deg C max and 17deg C min.

February is generally our wettest month. Rarely do we have any nests with unhatched eggs at this time of year and consequently don’t have to worry about the likelihood of flood waters inundating nests. However this year we still have a number of unhatched clutches. With a rising river in early Feb I had to make a dash to the river, got caught in a downpour, and rescued 2 clutches. They were relocated to the highest part of the bank. Thankfully this weeks river rise (river peaked at 4.80m at Home Park, our nearest River Gauging Station) was below these clutches which may take another 2 weeks to hatch. Unfortunately on another nesting bank, we were unable to get to 2 clutches. However we are hopeful as the river is dropping quickly.

Usually the nesting season is finished by now,  electric fences are removed and  nest protection gear collected. Not so this season. The first nesting occured mid October following our first spring rain. Next to no rain fell in spring and early summer, consequently no nesting during this period. Fortunately for 6 females who were still carrying eggs, it rained just before Christmas. Feb is our wettest month so we’ll have to keep an eye on the height of the Mary River in case a nest or two needs to be relocated. We estimate at least 180 hatchlings successfully emerged from their nests from the first laying. There could be another 90 still incubating.

Title: Tiaro Landcare Meeting
Location: Tiaro Primary School
Description: First meeting for the year - hear an update on turtle nesting during the 09/10 season.
Start Time: 19:30
Date: 2010-02-17

Our project featured in a great article & photo in Thursdays Courier Mail (distributed throughout Queensland). “First there was the tiny little foot pushing back grains of sand and then a small pointed nose, followed by a glimpse of a shiny shell…..” Was amazing to watch this little fellow in the wild dig his/her way out of the nest.

If you’re interested to find out more about turtle activities undertaken by Tiaro Landcare,  follow this link to the report  mrt-report-2008-09-on-line-version1

Title: DamOff party - Mary Xmas
Location: Kandanga Recreation Ground
Description: Tiaro Landcare will be celebrating a Mary Xmas with the rest of the Mary Valley community
Date: 2009-12-12

Title: Traveston Dam gets Final NO
Description: Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has determined that the impacts of the proposed dam on threatened species would be too great.
Date: 2009-12-02

Quotes from Media Release by Hon Peter Garrett, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts

“I have concluded that the Traveston Crossing Dam cannot go ahead without unacceptable impacts on matters of national environmental significance” Mr Garrett said.  “As I stated when I made my proposed decision on this project, all of my decisions under the national environment law are based primarily on science, and the science is very clear about the adverse impacts this project would have on the nationally protected Australian lungfish, Mary River turtle and Mary River Cod. The independent expert advice and the advice from my department clearly show the Traveston Dam proposal would lead to serious and irreversible consequences for these species and most likely, would lead to their further decline.”

Scientific reports can be viewed at the department’s website: www.environment.gov.au/epbc