Consultant Dr Claire Feniuk recently completed Greening Australia’s Habitat Conservation and Management course. Over a period of three months, the course involved weekly three-hour lectures at La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary, and a series of eight Saturday field trips to sites in Melbourne and the surrounding area.
The content of the course covered a range of topics from first principles (the climate and geology of Victoria; basic soil science; fundamentals of restoration ecology) through to practical aspects (site assessment, project planning, weed management). The field trips presented a fantastic opportunity to get out and see some of the huge challenges of restoring and rehabilitating Australian landscapes, as well as some of the incredible achievements that are possible.
Key lessons from the course included:
- The value of strategic planning at a landscape scale – where you invest your effort is key!
- The importance of proper monitoring and evaluation – needs to be in the budget!
- That climate change is altering the rules of habitat restoration – forcing us to look forwards, not backwards.
For more information about the Habitat and Conservation Management course, head to the Greening Australia website here.