When nature and culture meet
Posted on 16 September, 2015 by Connecting Country
Lauren Cogo in action fencing with the Connecting Country Works Crew
Working out in the field everyday gives Connecting Country’s Works Crew a unique opportunity to experience Mount Alexander Region’s nature at its best. Crew member, Lauren Cogo shares some of her recent discoveries…
“The cultural landscape we live in harbours natural secrets that have survived despite some tough and testing times. All of our developed infrastructure, our cleared lands and the creation of our homes have sadly displaced some native flora and fauna that call our region home. However, our native birds, reptiles and mammals often find way to coincide with our cultural influences on nature throughout time.
On a local scale, we can see changes that the native fauna is becoming adapting to these modifications to their home. As a works crew member I have witnessed these changes, throughout my time working with Connecting Country.
Trees and other flora are a highly valuable means to provide birds with shelter, a reliable food source for insects and hollows for mammals. But what happens when humans interfere, and use them for fence posts?
On one occasion I observed a nocturnal microbat using a timber log fence post as its very own roosting site, wedged in the folds of old hard bark, it flew out just as we were replacing the wire fence. It may have also been using this site for feeding on a range of insects that also live in the timber post, such as spiders, ants and moths. This repurposed timber is still useful in the landscape, despite it not standing proud and tall in its previous natural state.
An Eastern Bearded Dragon found under an old fence post on a Connecting Country works site.
An old fence post, knocked down to be replaced, created the perfect shelter for the Eastern Bearded Dragon, Pogona barbata, currently listed as vulnerable on the Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria. During late winter, it was in a relaxed hibernation mode, known as torpor, and utilized the old timber post for shelter on the ground. They can also be found using your old tiles to bask on, old corrugated iron sheets to relax under and your large hollow trees for shelter.
On another occasion I spotted an uncommon Yellow- Footed Antechinus, Antechinus flavipes, moving rapidly over fallen timber and leaf litter within the Muckleford Creek and acting as the unlikely hero as it thrives in its threatened Box Ironbark Forest habitat around Central Victoria. Unlike many other Australian mammals, the Antechinus is diurnal so they can be seen using tree hollows and logs for habitat; day or night. They can also use our buildings to nest in, so watch out, you may have some company.
This gives me hope that the changes we’ve made to the landscape won’t stop our native critters from ensuring they have safe habitat to live in and a food source to survive. So whether your out in the paddocks, sitting by a creek or at home, keep an eye out for one of natures secrets, they may just knock on your door.”
By crew member, Lauren Cogo.
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