The Arid Recovery Reserve is buzzing with the launch of a new bettong behavioural study- and you can be involved! There is a scientist within us all and we would like to give all our volunteers, members, tourists and school children a chance to be involved in the science we undertake.
Anyone lucky enough to have been out to the reserve and had the chance to see our threatened Burrowing Bettong will know they are quite social creatures. We at Arid Recovery want to find out more about the interactions between Burrowing Bettongs and what it all means and this is where you come in.
As part of the project a number of individuals will be marked with coloured ear tags so that tourists and others visiting the reserve in the late evening will be able to identify individuals and how they interact with one another. Burrowing Bettongs will also be radio collared, offering educational groups to the reserve the unique opportunity to radio track a real animal, finding out where they hide during the day and who they are living with.
“This project is going to provide everyone, particularly the local community, with a fantastic opportunity to be involved in science. Hopefully it might get people asking a few more questions about the world around them and increase their involvement,” quotes Hannah Spronk, Volunteer and Community Coordinator.
The project has been kick started with some generous funding through the Optus Regional Community Grants. “Thanks to the Optus Regional Community Grants we will be able to start this project off on the right foot,” agrees Hannah.
For more information on the Burrowing Bettong Behavioural Project or to find out how you can be involved contact the office on (08) 8671 8282 or email volunteer@aridrecovery.org.au
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