Draft:Nature Conservation Society of South Australia

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The Nature Conservation Society of South Australia

Abbreviation	NCSSA, The Society
Formation	8th June 1962
Founders	Herbert Andrewartha (President) Warren Bonython (Vice-president) Anne Reeves (Secretary) Ken Preiss (Assistant Secretary) Peter Reeves (Treasurer)
Type	Non-governmental organisation
Focus	Environmental conservation and advocacy
Location	Adelaide
Region	South Australia
Key people	Hugh Possingham (President – 1994-1998) Helen Vonow (President/Vice President – 2002-2013) Michael Stead (President – current)
Website	http://ncssa.asn.au/

The Nature Conservation Society of South Australia (NCSSA) is a non-profit environmental organisation dedicated to the conservation of South Australia's wildlife and habitats. Established in 1962, NCSSA has been a strong advocate for the protection of the State's native vegetation and biodiversity since its foundation, with a particular focus on nationally and state-listed threatened flora, fauna and ecological communities, as well as the management of protected areas.

NCSSA employs an objective, evidence-based approach to research and provides resources and environmental data for land owners, organisations and other primary stakeholders. The Society has conducted over 50 biological field studies across South Australia since its foundation and has contributed important knowledge of the factors impacting the biodiversity and conservation of areas that were previously under-surveyed. The organisation is active in informing policy-making for the state's natural resources, as well as raising awareness of ecological issues among the general public through a variety of means including hands-on workshops, guest speakers, nature walks, newsletters and open-access meetings.

NCSSA has been hosting the Threatened Plant Action Group (TPAG) since 1993. The Society has no political affiliation and is financed primarily through tax-deductible donations from the local community, sales of its publications, membership subscriptions and state and federal government grants.

History

Early History (1962 - 2000s)

The establishment of the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia was first proposed at a symposium held by the South Australian Ornithological Association in March 1962, in response to the turbulent and declining state of conservation in South Australia. The organisation was officially founded on 8^th June of the same year by a membership of around 30 ecologists, with a main steering committee comprised of Herbert Andrewartha, Warren Bonython, Ken Preiss, Anne and Peter Reeves, Colin James, Derek Pomeroy, Ken Slater, Norman Tindale and Richard Millington.

One year later, NCSSA published its first edition of Xanthopus, a quarterly newsletter aimed at delivering updates and relevant ecological information to the Society's membership. The organisation also helped to run the 1963 Nature Conservation Convention, an event organised by the Flora and Fauna Advisory Committee at the request of the Minister of Agriculture. The convention was attended by over 400 people, with many of the resolutions later incorporated into the South Australian Fauna Conservation Act 1964.

The first of NCSSA's biological survey projects was undertaken at the Hambidge Wilderness Protection Area in 1966. The Hambidge survey was conducted by a group of more than 20 professional naturalists, with the aim of collecting data to use in informing future management of the area. The study proved fruitful and contributed greatly towards securing the reserve as a protected area for conservation. The organisation's second survey was conducted at the nearby Hundred of Blesing (now Bascombe Well Conservation Park) the following year and highlighted the land's inherent value against a proposal to substitute the site for development previously intended for Hambidge. A third survey was conducted at the Hincks Conservation Park in 1968, aimed at opposing the resumption of any portion of the land there or at Hambidge.

A major concern in these early days was the growing need for an extensive parks system to ensure the preservation of South Australia's native flora and fauna. NCSSA became an active force in seeking the addition of nature reserves throughout the state, as well as opposing the resumption of existing ones for farming and development. Alongside a range of environmental protection advocates, the organisation also played a strong role in the establishment and amendment of a number of pieces of legislation relating to conservation, such as the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, The Planning Act 1982, the Native Vegetation Management Act 1985 and the Native Vegetation Management Act 1990.

In 1975, NCSSA became a member of the newly-established National Parks Australia Council (NPAC), a national body made to coordinate and represent the views of a range of Australian State and Territory non-government organisations relating to the protection of the natural environment, including the expansion of the reserve system and the effective management of existing reserves.

NCSSA partnered with the University of Queensland in 1999 to commence the Mount Lofty Ranges Woodland Bird Monitoring Program, an ongoing long-term annual survey aimed at assessing evidence for the decline in woodland birds in over 150 sites throughout the Mount Lofty Ranges region.

Current Time (2000s - present)

A diminishing need for annual surveys (which had persisted as a core activity of NCSSA until this time) led the Society to launch and participate in a number of new conservation projects throughout the turn of the century. Advocacy for the conservation of South Australia's nature became increasingly more important to the Society's objectives, and thus remained at the forefront of its activities during this time.

In 2002, NCSSA received funding from the Murray Darling Basin and Adelaide & Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Boards to conduct the Eastern Flanks Grassy Ecosystems Project, which aimed to promote the recognition, protection and management of grassy ecosystems in the Eastern Flanks region of the Mount Lofty Ranges.

An online website for NCSSA was launched in 2003. In the same year, the Conservation Biology Grant initiative was introduced, aimed at offering financial support to honours and post-graduate students to support future research into various aspects of conservation biology.

NCSSA joined the Grassy Woodland Network in 2005, a collaborative effort that lasted until 2011. The idea for the Network resulted from a desire to connect the numerous groups working to manage and conserve Grey box and Peppermint box woodlands who were wholly unaware that there were others nearby working on the same issues.

The organisation's online presence was expanded further in 2011 with the addition of a Facebook page operated by a handful of NCSSA's core staff and volunteers.

On the 26^th October 2012, NCSSA celebrated its 50^th anniversary by hosting a public celebration at the Adelaide Zoo with support from the Department for Environment and Water. The function was attended by many past and present members of the organisation, including a few of its original founding members.

In 2016, the organisation joined up with Natural Resources Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges and BirdLife Australia to initiate the Yellowish Sedge-skipper Butterfly Reintroduction Feasibility Project, an ongoing study with the goal of facilitating the reintroduction of the Yellowish Sedge-skipper (Hesperilla flavescens flavia) to the northern Adelaide coastal plains, where it had previously been regionally-extinct.

Later that year, NCSSA donated $16,500 towards the Nature Glenelg Trust fundraiser to help complete the purchase of the Mount Burr Swamp. This contribution was made on behalf of a bequest from Madeleine Boyce, a local South Australian artist whom had worked for the South Australian Museum. Another donation has since been made from the bequest in 2019, with a further $10,000 put towards land acquisition.

Approach

NCSSA's primary objective is to "foster the conservation of the State's wildlife and natural habitats through effective scientific research and education". The organisation has taken a scientific approach to conservation since its foundation in 1962, and aims to put its case objectively at all times by using evidence-backed research and methodologies.

The organisation's core objectives are the following:

• Protecting and managing habitats, particularly for our native vegetation
• Working to ensure adequate park dedication, management and legislation throughout the state
• Researching threatened species and habitats to get a better understanding of the factors that impact them
• Educating the community and all tiers of government on current and past environmental issues
• Cooperating with other conservation groups and land managers for the betterment of our local flora and fauna

The range of capabilities within the organisation extend to a broad range of areas including data analysis, wildlife monitoring, threatened species assessments, bush regeneration planning and guidance, survey and monitoring program design, GIS mapping, environmental consultation, legislative knowledge and policy development.

Advocacy for nature conservation has remained a central aspect of NCSSA's activities since its foundation, with the Society providing a range of educational workshops, resources and tools to inform both stakeholders and the general public about topical issues in conservation biology. In more recent years the organisation's focus has been on raising awareness of the impact of fire on natural areas, protected area identification and management, recovery of threatened species and ecological communities, and the management of invasive and overabundant species.

NCSSA works with all levels of society including the general public, businesses, government and non-government agencies, educational institutions and other not-for-profit organisations with a focus on conservation. Some of the Society's most notable collaborators have been the Government of South Australia, the Department for Environment and Water, Flinders University and the University of Adelaide.

Bushland Condition Monitoring

Bushland Condition Monitoring (BCM) is a scientifically designed, repeatable methodology developed by NCSSA that enables land managers to measure their progress in conserving native vegetation and evaluate their management efforts. BCM can be used to monitor both remnant native vegetation and revegetation projects. Field observations are made on a number of condition indicators such as plant species diversity, recruitment, weed threats, tree health and signs of feral animal impact. NCSSA has established approximately 1,500 BCM sites across the agricultural areas in South Australia that provide data to inform a range of environmental programs, including the SA State of the Environment Reports that are published by the Environmental Protection Authority every 5 years.

Bushland Condition Monitoring Manuals have been published for a number of different regions within South Australia since the methodology's development, each containing three volumes of readily-accessible BCM assessment tools and methods for use by volunteers and land managers.

While no longer in operation, NCSSA previously held short field-based training courses to instruct participants in the use of BCM methodology within remnant scrubland. These courses did not require previous experience or knowledge to take part in and were comprised of two 7-hour sessions: an initial theory-based class to introduce the major concepts of the BCM methodology and an "on-ground" practice class where participants developed their technical and observation skills out in the field.

Notable projects and programs

Ongoing

Mount Lofty Ranges Woodland Bird Monitoring Program

Funded by a Discovery grant from the Australian Research Council in 1999, the Mount Lofty Ranges Woodland Bird Monitoring Program (often shortened to MLR Woodland Birds) was initiated as a combined effort between the University of Queensland and the University of Adelaide to monitor woodland birds in the Mount Lofty Ranges. The region has been identified as one of 15 biodiversity hotspots across Australia due to the unique flora and fauna within its woodland systems and concern over the imminent losses of these species.

The program is a "long-term stratified annual survey" aimed at detecting trends in woodlands birds throughout the Mount Lofty Ranges region in regards to factors such as climate change and the restoration and rehabilitation of local habitats. As birds are particularly sensitive to (and affected by) changes in the ecosystem, they are widely recognised as important indicators of the health and condition of native vegetation in both protected areas and across the broader landscape. The program is conducted across 166 active sites throughout the Mount Lofty Ranges region as of 2019, and is one of the few systematically-designed regional surveys of bird-species biodiversity in Australia.

Since 2005, the program has been directed by the University of Queensland's spatial ecology lab in conjunction with NCSSA.

WildEyre

In 2007, NCSSA partnered with the Department for Environment and Water, the Eyre Peninsula Natural Resources Management Board, The Wilderness Society and Greening Australia to initiate a large-scale conservation program named WildEyre, aimed at restoring and conserving the unique ecosystems of the western Eyre Peninsula. The program was established out of the need for a collaborative approach to conservation and effective delivery of activities to protect South Australia's ecosystems on the landscape level. The fundamental aim of the WildEyre project is the recovery and conservation of the large habitat areas of the western Eyre Peninsula.

WildEyre utilises a systematic planning process called "Conservation Action Planning" (CAP) that was developed by the Nature Conservancy in the United States, as well as a holistic, "tenure-blind" approach that allows it to operate across public and private land boundaries. The CAP process involves determining the assets in need of conservation, the processes that currently exist to threaten them, and the actions needed to successfully manage and protect them.

NCSSA staff and volunteers have conducted bird and vegetation surveys in the WildEyre project area with a focus on vegetation communities identified as ecological assets through the CAP process.

Amongst It

NCSSA partnered with The Nature of SA in 2019 to deliver Amongst It, an experimental project inspired by recent developments towards a new nature conservation strategy for South Australia, which focused on testing a wide range of approaches to the challenges associated with conservation in the current social climate. The project was initiated in July 2017 with the aim of "connecting individuals to everyday nature and celebrating how important nature is to the identity of South Australia" in order to help reinvigorate public opinion towards the conservation and protection of the natural environment around them.

In 2019 Amongst It ran a grant program offering between $500 to $5000 to sponsor activities or initiatives that provide opportunities for people to recognise, re-establish and celebrate their connection with nature by sharing their favourite natural spaces with each other, drawing attention to details and objects of interest that others may overlook, or communicating their appreciation towards their local environment. A particular focus was given to activities that engage with people and contexts that may not have the chance to interact regularly with nature (for example, international students, migrants, or those with chronic illnesses; or using virtual or augmented reality to create an immersive natural environment in an airport).

A number of projects were trialled following the first grant round in 2018 and included experiences such as "forest bathing" (derived from the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku (森林浴)) for cancer patients and survivors, Ngarrindjeri storytelling and corroboree at the Murray Mouth with a Ngarrindjeri elder and twelve local leaders and parliamentarians, and the chance to "Text a Tree" at the Adelaide Fringe and receive a variety of automated responses in reply. Further projects are expected to be trialed in late 2019.

Concluded

Hambidge Wildlife Reserve Survey

NCSSA's inaugural survey was conducted at the Hambidge Wilderness Protection Area in October 1966. The area had been under threat from parts of the local farming community in the nearby township of Lock who had proposed that the reserve's substantial amount of mallee be cleared for agricultural purposes. The Society had noted that there was not enough knowledge of the area to sustain a case against the proposal and thus decided to conduct a thorough survey to collect data for use in informing its future management, as well as prevent further subdivision and development.

The study involved a group of 20 professional naturalists and was instigated in part by Margaret Hambidge (later Margaret Saddler), the daughter of the original Surveyor General of the region, Clive Hambidge.

The survey was an "outstanding success" and was instrumental in securing the status of the reserve as a protected area for conservation. It demonstrated the importance of reference areas in measuring the effects of land use on soil and vegetation and assisted in compiling a comprehensive list of the plant and animal species in the area, including 150 previously unrecorded species such as the Starred knob-tailed gecko (Nephrurus stellatus).

The Hundred of Blesing Survey

NCSSA conducted a similar survey in 1967 to that of its inaugural study, this time at the Hundred of Blesing (later dedicated as Bascombe Well Conservation Park). Following on from the previous year's survey, there had been attempts made by a local committee group to have the land at Blesing exchanged for that of the Hambidge reserve so that the latter could be retained for agricultural development. The survey was carried out at the request of the National Parks Commission which sought to obtain a report on the land's suitability for national park purposes, not only to gauge the difference between the two areas, but also to judge whether the Blesing contained as many (and as valuable) attributes to be worth the proposed exchange.

The study was conducted with a group of 20 naturalists (many of whom had also participated in the Hambidge survey) with additional help from a number of sources, such as the Department for Environment and Water, the State Herbarium of South Australia, the South Australian Museum and the CSIRO. It was held over nine days total, from the 30^th September – 9^th October.

Survey results indicated that while the two lands were similar in many aspects, they were also markedly different in others, enough so that the Hundred of Blesing could be considered a distinctly new reserve in its own right. NCSSA concluded that the land should not be considered as an appropriate substitute for the Hambidge reserve as both were shown to hold a similar level of scientific and recreational value, and proposed that both areas be dedicated as national parks instead.

Walks With Nature

One of NCSSA's most successful activities was its Walks With Nature program, which began in 1975. The program consisted of free guided nature walks throughout a variety of national parks and wildlife reserves around the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges regions.

The Walks With Nature program was designed to be a fun and interactive way to educate people of all ages about the wildlife and habitats found throughout South Australia and underline the importance of their conservation. A lesser aim of the program was to bring people's focus back towards helping to conserve the native flora and fauna found "closer to home" (as opposed to more popular or exotic animals under threat, such as the Red panda).

Walks were held on a seasonal basis and announced ahead of time in the Sunday Mail newspaper, which has been publicising the program since its inception. Attendees were divided into groups of 10-30 people and guided by a team of volunteer field naturalists, who provided information about the biodiversity, ecology, conservation and history of the area and help to identify the different plants and animals encountered along the walk. At the height of its popularity, the program attracted more than 750 attendees in 1986 as its largest group thus far.

A book was published in 1995 based on the program, titled Walks with Nature: 20 nature walks in the Mt Lofty Ranges. As of 2002, the book has sold over 7,500 copies and has become one of the organisation's most popular publications.

Threatened Plant Action Group (TPAG)

Formed in 1993 and currently hosted by NCSSA, the Threatened Plant Action Group (TPAG) has been working to recover, protect and conserve threatened plant species and ecological communities in South Australia. TPAG focuses primarily on undertaking in-situ conservation measures to protect threatened plant populations and habitats in the wild, and works with landholders, government organisations and other community groups to implement on-ground recovery actions, including:

• Environmental weed management
• Fencing and feral herbivore control
• Restoration of degraded habitats
• Site protection and action planning
• Liaising with and advising landholders
• Population surveys and monitoring

TPAG has contributed to improving policies and management practices through its on-ground recovery actions and participation in recovery teams. TPAG has contributed valuable information on some of South Australia's most threatened plant species, aiding greatly in having them listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. TPAG also holds regular working bees and field days which typically involve various forms of threat abatement, especially strategic control of environmental weed invasion from threatened plant habitats that contain populations under threat from encroachment.

Funding for program coordination is received through the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board, with ongoing projects at many sites throughout this region, the Fleurieu Peninsula and other parts of South Australia.

Conservation Biology Grant

NCSSA launched its Conservation Biology Grant initiative in early 2003. The program aims to offer financial support of up to $3,300 to honours and post-graduate students and allow them a foothold to pursue research into various aspects of conservation biology, with a focus on topics pertaining to South Australia's ecological landscape, including:

• Improving our understanding of the conservation status of species or ecological communities
• Providing recommendations for the improvement of some aspect of biodiversity conservation
• Understanding the ecology of species or communities
• Understanding threats to biodiversity and the management of those threats

As of September 2019, the Conservation Biology Grant has been awarded to more than 45 students from various institutes around Australia.

Publications

NCSSA has published many books and reports since its foundation in 1962. These publications are made publicly available through sale and distribution to libraries and government institutions, and are produced with the aim of educating, encouraging and informing interested parties about the conservation of South Australian wildlife.

The Society's most notable work is the Bushland Condition Monitoring Manual (BCM) series of publications, based on the methodology of the same name developed by NCSSA. These manuals contain a range of assessment tools to assist land managers in monitoring changes in the condition of remnant bushland and evaluating their progress towards its conservation. BCM manuals currently exist for the Eyre Peninsula, Northern & Yorke Peninsula, Southern Mount Lofty Ranges and Murray Darling Basin regions of South Australia.

NCSSA also publishes a bi-annual newsletter called Xanthopus (ISSN 0812-4825) for its membership. Produced by editor Helen Vonow, Xanthopus contains information and updates regarding the Society's current projects and activities. The newsletter's current name was adopted in 1983 to reflect the organisation's logo animal, the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus).

A bi-annual magazine called South Australian Parks and Conservation was also published by NCSSA in 1978, and ran until its cessation in 1982.

Awards

In 1991, NCSSA was awarded the Commonwealth Bank South Australian Recreation Award for its Walks With Nature educational program.

NCSSA has also been awarded the 2007 Premier's Natural Resources Management Award for its Bushland Condition Monitoring Manual series of publications.

See also

• Conservation Council of South Australia
• Department for Environment and Water (South Australia)
• Protected areas of South Australia

External links

• Nature Conservation Society of South Australia website

This article "The Nature Conservation Society of South Australia" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:The Nature Conservation Society of South Australia. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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