Australian wildlife conservation

Many species however are far less common than they once were, and some are declining alarmingly and may soon disappear forever (as some have done already). A number of conservation groups locally and throughout Australia are attempting to tackle some of the many issues

Conservation problems facing Australian wildlife include:

habitat loss - habitat eliminated or almost so, causing loss of species unable to live in any other kind of habitat (the single biggest threat to wildlife both locally and globally)

habitat fragmentation - a fair bit of habitat remaining, but fragmented, making it difficult for animals to move from one patch to another, and creating edge problems (e.g. some forest edges are occupied by aggressive species such as noisy miners, making it difficult for some of the true forest species)

habitat alteration - loss of understorey shrubs, logs, food plants, old trees with hollows etc.

feral animals - competitors, predators and - in the case of the cane toad - poisoners

barriers to movement - see 'Animals Have to Move' on the Scenic Rim Wildlife pages

hunting (not as great a problem here as in some countries, but there is some illegal hunting and also a black market trade) - see articles on wildlife trade, shooting in national parks

roadkill - not a major threat to most species, but could cause local extinction, and is a constant welfare problem

disruptive human activities - for instance unsustainable tourism and recreational activities, as well as industrial practices in important areas of habitat, including anything noisy near nesting, feeding or resting sites

climate change - e.g. for a world view see the WWF climate change site or this Australian government site, and warnings on effects on Australian wildlife by CANA's

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland: main branch

From the website of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland:

"The Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland is the oldest, largest and most respected wildlife-focused conservation group in Queensland.

We’ve been part of all the major conservation issues in Queensland for almost 50 years"

The Society was created as a community-based, non-profit organisation, founded in 1962 by well-known Australian poet Judith Wright, publisher Brian Clouston, zoologist David Fleay and artist/author Kathleen MacArthur.

Their news page keeps us up-to-date with much of what is happening to wildlife in Queensland and beyond

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland: Scenic Rim group

The Scenic Rim group of WPSQ is so far an informal group, planning to become a fully-fledged branch some time in 2010, covering the species-rich region of Southeast Queensland starting from abut 50km south of Brisbane, from (and including) Lamington National Park and Tamborine Mountain in the east to the Main Range in the west, its southern boundary running along the Queensland/NSW border.

A Wildlife Expo is to be held on Sunday 18th July, in Beaudesert, southeast Queensland, in conjunction with the Logan and Albert Conservation Association

There are further links to other conservation associations from the Scenic Rim group of WPSQ website

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Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife Conservation

We still share our country with a wonderful array of other species, so still have a chance to 'do it right' and continue to enjoy this diversity well into the future.

Many species however are far less common than they once were, and some are declining alarmingly and may soon disappear forever (as some have done already). A number of conservation groups locally and throughout Australia are attempting to tackle some of the many issues

Conservation problems facing Australian wildlife include:

Local conservation groups (Scenic Rim):

Elsewhere in Queensland:

Elsewhere in Australia:

Climate Change

Some notes on climate change

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland: main branch

Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland: Scenic Rim group