Foundation for Australia's Most Endangered Species Ltd in North Adelaide, South Australia | Non-profit organisation

Foundation for Australia's Most Endangered Species Ltd

Locality: North Adelaide, South Australia

Phone: +61 8 8374 1744

Address: Unit 2/47 Tynte Street 5006 North Adelaide, SA, Australia

Website: http://www.fame.org.au

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• Environmental conservation organisation

25.01.2022 Can you spot it? There are some good Friday vibes in that second picture A mere three days after sharing the news of one of the breeding pairs of Bush stone-curlews laying an egg, the famous George and Freckle have surprised us all by hatching not one but two young birds: twins! We had told you that they had an egg in the nest not long ago, but they managed to keep hidden that there were, in fact, two! In this photo you can see Freckle sitting next to one of the chicks, wit...h the other one still hidden. George and Freckle have been popular with those of you following and supporting the Mt Rothwell project to save these unique, beautiful birds, and it’s amazing to see that Flint and Curly now have siblings, helping to grow a more sustainable population. Two new additions to an endangered species, as a result of dedicated conservation work made possible by you! Now that is a good start to a long weekend. Thanks to the team at Mt Rothwell for the image.

25.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Sterna fuscata Sooty Tern CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable (NSW) The most abundant seabird found during the summertime on Lord Howe Island would easily be the Sooty Tern. The Sooty Tern is a large, black seabird, found over tropical and sub-tropical seas. Quite often referred to by the locals on Lord Howe as Wide-awakes - because of the sound of their call, they soar, skim and dip into water in large flocks. ... Like most seabirds, they will lay just one egg for the season. They breed in large colonies on offshore islands, and as we are learning about many of these species, Lord Howe happens to be their only known breeding ground. It's certainly a crucial link in the chain and itself needs protecting. Threats include predation on their breeding grounds by domestic dogs and introduced rats and invasive weeds. FAME has committed to guard the paradise of Lord Howe Island and the species endemic to the Island, of which the Sooty Tern is but one. Our project, in conjuction with the Lord Howe Island Board and the NSW Government will help increase the number and breeding success of a range of woodhens and seabirds endemic to Lord Howe Island. For more info or to make a donation, visit the project page of our website. Photo: Jack Shick

24.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race Warru, Black-footed Rock-wallaby (MacDonnell Ranges race) CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable Yet another of our Rock-wallaby species finds itself endangered, this week we profile the Warru, or Black-footed Rock-wallaby. Short in stature and shy by nature, the Warru has thick, wooly fur and a long brushy tail that it uses for balance. So adapted is it to it's surroundings, the soles of its feet are even textured... to grip the rocks that it hops between. The remaining population of this species of Rock-wallaby has basically become fragmented thanks to feral cats and foxes. What this means is that the once much larger population has become fragmented and split off into smaller populations, which have over time, become their own subspecies. For a species under threat, this is never a good thing, as the genetic diversity has decreased. Photo: courtesy Project Noah.

23.01.2022 Chris Edser is the Australian artist behind a children's book all about the famous Drop Bear! Launching online on Thursday 26th November, there will be original artwork prints available - and we're honoured to announce that all profits from these sales will be directed to conservation groups including FAME! You can learn a bit more, and support this initiative, at the following link: https://www.chrisedser.com/#/the-drop-bear-book-launch/ If you have a business and would lik...e to partner with FAME to support conservation, please get in touch! Thanks to Chris for his generous support.

23.01.2022 Happy World Numbat Day to the 1,500 numbats left in the wild. To celebrate, enjoy this gorgeous footage of a joey by Rob McLean (watch for the roll at the end!). This special mammal is probably best known for being the faunal emblem of Western Australia. With reddish-brown fur and five or six white stripes across its back, numbats are usually no more than 45cm long. That’s including their tail, where numbats show sexual dimorphism: the female’s tail is longer than the male’s.... Unlike most marsupials, numbats are diurnal. They are carnivorous - insectivorous even. They eat around 20,000 termites each day, catching them with their long sticky tongues. Their profound sense of smell helps them find termites hiding in loose soil. Interestingly, numbats don’t have a pouch, and a mother will carry her 2-4 joeys around on her stomach, the long hair on her belly helping to protect them. They like the safe confines of a good burrow, or hollow tree log to hide in. Closely related to the famous Thylacine and the miniature dunnart, numbats are now very rare and are listed as an endangered species. In fact, the only place they are found in the wild is in the Dryandra Woodland in WA. The major threats to numbats are loss of habitat and predation - not only by feral cats and foxes, but also dingos, snakes and birds of prey. Numbats are dear to our hearts at FAME, as we have recently supported a ground-breaking project to save them in the wild. In partnership with the Australian Government, the WA Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions, and the Numbat Task Force, we’re helping to train conservation dogs in the detection of feral cats to protect the last remaining wild populations! Visit the project page of our website to recap this success story, which was also awarded Australia Geographic’s Conservationist of the Year Award in 2018: https://bit.ly/3jOr1DA

23.01.2022 Today is World Cassowary Day! The Southern cassowary is a remarkable species. They use infrasound through their rumbles to communicate across vast distances, and that impressive casque on top of their head is believed to act as an ‘antenna’ of sorts, helping them to receive those communications through dense forest. Cassowaries are the third largest bird in the world and spotting one in the wild is at the top of many wildlife enthusiast’s lists. FAME played an active role in... funding two vital projects in the Daintree Rainforest to restore cassowary habitat with partners ReForest Now! To find out more, visit the Success Stories section on our website at fame.org.au Have you seen a cassowary in the wild?

21.01.2022 Incredible news Numbat Task Force!

20.01.2022 The team at Falafellas is donating 100% of this week's profits to our critical Lord Howe Island project, saving species like the LH Island Woodhen from extinction! Thanks to the team for such an amazing initiative. If you live in the Ringwood area in Victoria, please lend your support. Do you have a business and would like to team up with FAME? Please get in touch - our projects can't succeed without amazing people like you!... Photo courtesy of Jack Shick, Sea to Summit Expeditions

20.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Petaurus australis Wet Tropics subspecies Yellow-bellied Glider (Wet Tropics), Fluffy Glider CLASSIFICATION: Endangered The Yellow-bellied Glider is not only one of six gliding mammals in Australia, it's also a species of 'wrist-winged' gliders, capable of gliding up to 150m at a time. That's a pretty mean feat for an animal of about 45cm, including its tail. There are two species of Yellow-bellied Glider or Fluffy Glider (awww), the rarer of th...e two being the northern species, found up in the wet tropics of Queensland. It's about the size of a rabbit, with grey-brown fur on its back and yellow or orange fluff on its belly. They are quite an active, sociable and very vocal mammal, heard by the loud shrieks, whirring moans, gurlgles, chirps and clicks of them communicating to one another. Now so rare they have become an endangered species, the northern Yellow-bellied Glider is found in eucalypt forest in areas generally with high rainfall and nutrient-rich soil. They live on nectar, insects, pollen, tree sap and in particular, honeydew. They are largely under threat from habitat loss and fragmentation, particularly due to timber-harvesting and agriculture. Photo: courtesy Wild Ambience.

20.01.2022 GIVING TUESDAY: "The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." (Robert Swan). Today is the last day to have your donation doubled! Come join us. The first Tuesday of December is designated as Giving Tuesday - a chance to reflect on the work of not-for-profit organisations and to lend your support where possible. At FAME, we’re incredibly grateful to you - our backers - who enable the success of conservation work, much of which we have been l...ooking at over the past week or so. This year, the FAME Board has committed to gift-match all donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000! This means any support you can offer will be doubled, up to that amount. This gift-matching initiative has been running in the week leading up to today - but ends tonight! Can you help us make the most of it, and reach the threshold? How you can help: - Donate to a FAME project here: https://www.fame.org.au/donate - Share this post on your profile! - Tell friends about our work for wildlife! For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/. To see some positive conservation successes from 2020, have a read of our last few social media posts. From the team here at FAME: Thank you.

19.01.2022 Spring has sprung or rather, bounced, as is the case for our Southern Bell Frog project at Clayton Bay in SA. This week, 32 Southern Bell Frogs that have been carefully raised from tadpoles and monitored in a hatchery since the tadpole stage will be placed outside into natural breeding pens. It is there we hope they will breed and produce eggs that will be the next generation of Southern Bell Frogs. Once eggs are laid, they will be moved to the hatchery and nurtured through... to tadpoles and then froglets, a stage at which they will be released into the wild at strategic locations. The Southern Bell Frog project is unique in South Australia and will build on the excellent work of our on-ground partners, Clayton Bay Nursery and Environment Group and Clayton Bay Community Association Inc who are revegetating parts of our local area. For more information on the Southern Bell Frog project, visit the project page of the website. Photos: Aquasave-Nature Glenelg Trust Nature Glenelg Trust

19.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Banksia oligantha Wagin Banksia CLASSIFICATION: Endangered Found in the southern wheatbelt of south-western WA, just west of Wagin and Katanning, grows a little-known species of Banskia. Unlike other Banksias, Wagin Banksia produces cone-shaped clusters of flowers, rather than 'Banksia' flower spikes. Flowers are cream grading down to red on the bottom half. ... Wagin Banksia characteristically grows in sand and salt creeks and pops up amongst otherwise cleared farming land. In fact, there are quite a few scattered populations still managing to survive in fragments of remnant bushland in an area which has been mostly cleared for agriculture. An interesting feature of Wagin Banksia is its senstivity to fire. Whereas native flora is known to thrive in the face of fire, fire triggers this species to release seeds that will hopefully be the beginning of the next generation of trees to grow. Photo: B & B Wells

18.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Seringia exastia Fringed Fire-bush CLASSIFICATION: Critically endangered What does a Fringed Fire-bush love? Fire. Typically found after fire in hummock grasslands, this native shrub simply loves a good burn. It's known only from seven subpopulations in Broome, WA and has a very restricted geographical distribution. With grey-green oblong leaves and crinkly purple flowers, it's grows in dry desert conditions. So little is known about this plant,... it's believed that this plant does not produce fruit as a way of reproducing, but instead, clones itself underground from roots. The main threats to the Fringed Fire-bush are road maintenance; grading and clearing, competition from another native plant capable of smothering the Fringed Fire-bush and urban development.

17.01.2022 Bilbies are so much more than just a pretty face. Today on #NationalBilbyDay, here are a few extra reasons to love these native furry creatures. They may be small, but the Greater Bilby packs a punch in terms of what it gives back to its environment and how it supports other native animals. They are nationally listed as a vulnerable species, and right now there are only 600-700 of them left on the planet.... Bilbies are eco-engineers. As they dig, they turn the soil, and in the process help to regenerate seeds and restore soil condition, essential work particularly in the driest of regions on our continent. (‘Essential work, but somebody’s got to do it’, did I hear you say?) Bilbies also provide protection to other endangered native species in that, their old disused bilby burrows the bilby burrows left behind after they move to new homes also provide homes to other mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians including the Spinifex Hopping Mouse, the Short-beaked Echidna and the Sand Goanna to name a few. One break in the chain has a ripple effect on the entire ecosystem, certain to have a wider, ongoing impact. In a year when not much has gone right for our native species in the wake of the appalling bushfires, some good news was recently reported that bilbies have been successfully reintroduced in a predator-proof section of the Mallee Cliffs National Park, NSW. Go you, bilbies, we are backing you all the way. Save the Bilby Fund Photo: Bruce Thomson, www.auswildlife.com

15.01.2022 LIFE: Our Guarding Paradise project aims to build on the success of the rodent-eradication program on Lord Howe Island. A tropical paradise off the coast of NSW, this UNESCO World Heritage site is an incredible home to endemic flora and fauna - many of which are vulnerable to, or already facing, extinction. Today is #GivingTuesday - and with the FAME board pledging to gift-match all donations up to $20,000, you have a chance to have your donation doubled in value! Our mission... is to stop further extinctions to Australia’s incredible wildlife, but we can’t do it without your help. If you can, please visit FAME.org.au/donate and consider supporting one of our conservation projects! Together, we can end extinctions.

15.01.2022 We want to say thank you to everyone who supported our Giving Tuesday appeal, and anyone who has donated to FAME in the past. Yesterday, we were able to maximise the FAME Board’s gift-matching initiative by raising the full $20,000. That means you have helped put an incredible $40,000+ into stopping further extinctions of Australia’s flora and fauna! From the team here at FAME: THANK YOU!

14.01.2022 Take a trip through time to discover the incredible Lord Howe Island - a biodiversity hotspot in the middle of the Tasman Sea.

13.01.2022 SURVIVAL: Early this year, we all watched in horror as bushfires swept across vast areas of Australia, taking with them homes, habitat and wildlife. One region hit hard was Kangaroo Island in South Australia, where the endemic Kangaroo Island (KI) dunnart lives. KI dunnarts (Sminthopsis aitkeni) were already endangered and had been the focus of a FAME project for a number of years, working with the passionate team at Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife. After the fires, there w...as real concern that we may have lost this small marsupial forever. We began urgent action to survey remaining habitat in the hopes of finding surviving populations. The work you helped us complete before the bushfires had enabled KI Land for Wildlife, through their existing program, to engage with more than 60 landholders and gain access to greater than 14,000 hectares of potential habitat. Over 7,000 survey-nights had been completed, with over 50,000 images analysed. This provided a solid platform from which more attention could be raised on a national scale - a key aim of all FAME projects. Along with greater publicity for this gorgeous animal, your support enabled us to fund post-fire aerial surveys which proved a success! Whilst showing clearly the devastation of the disaster, we also found remnant areas of habitat where dunnarts may have escaped the blaze. Subsequent camera footage has proved this hope correct. Out of the ashes, this positive survival story meant the world to all of us involved with FAME and KI Land for Wildlife and wouldn’t have been possible without your support. After a tough 2020, we’re using the build up to Christmas to highlight the positive conservation stories that have come out of your support of FAME. From now until Giving Tuesday (December 1) the FAME Board has committed to gift-match all donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000! This means any support you can offer will be doubled up to that amount. For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/! Image courtesy of Jody Gates.

13.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Fregetta grallaria White-bellied Storm Petrel CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable The White-bellied Storm Petrel is a small seabird, and in Australia, the only place it breeds is on offshore islands in the Lord Howe Island group. Characterised by a fine black bill with a tubenose, they also have toes that do not usually project beyond their square cut tail. As the name suggests, the upper parts of their plumage is dark and the underparts are light. ... The White-bellied Storm Petrel will very rarely make a visit to land, unless it happens to be near a breeding colony. Their natural habitat is quite simply open sea, even skimming across the water and dipping to catch their food - a small crustacean or squid that has caught their eye. Usually silent as they fly, they quite often make a pattering on the water's surface with their legs, as seen in this photo. Because they spend so much time out at sea, very little else is known about their behaviour. An estimated 1,000 breeding pairs nest in the Lord Howe Island group, however they are now extinct on the main land. Their biggest threats include commercial fishing, marine pollution, habitat loss and invasive species - namely the domestic cat and the black rat. FAME has committed to guard the paradise of Lord Howe Island and the species endemic to the Island, of which the White-bellied Storm Petrel is but one. Our project, in conjuction with the Lord Howe Island Board and the NSW Government will help increase the number and breeding success of a range of woodhens and seabirds endemic to Lord Howe Island. For more info or to make a donation, visit the project page of our website. Photo: Jack Shick

12.01.2022 Thank you to the team at Falafellas. If you’re in Victoria, consider supporting this great initiative!

10.01.2022 Today is International Volunteer Day! At FAME, we are indebted to both our donors and volunteers to make projects possible and successful! In our mission to end wildlife extinctions, the amazing volunteers who work tirelessly in the field do everything from raising captive bred Southern bell frogs, to revegetating critical Southern cassowary habitat (see image). These achievements just wouldn’t be viable without them. So, to anyone who has ever volunteered to support conserva...tion, or anyone who is planning to in 2021, thank you. Your efforts really do change the world. To see more of the amazing success stories that volunteers have made possible, check out our projects page on FAME.org.au

10.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Mirounga leonina Southern Elephant Seal CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable It's not quite a Seal. And it's definitely NOT an Elephant. Hunted to the brink of extinction in the 19th century for their meat, oil and fur, Southern Elephant Seals are a pretty large species. They have big square heads, strong front flippers and the girls have large black eyes and quite bulbous nostrils. The most distinctive feature of a male Southern Elephant Seal is his cons...picuous bulbous nose; a trunk-like proboscis, and its main function is to emit noises primarily to ward off other males. A male is usually at least five times the size of a female. Now when you are talking about an 800kg female and therefore a male being 4000kg, that's just enormous! There are two species of Elephant Seal in the world, and the Southern Elephan Seal breed and haul out on Australia's Antartic Territories (Macquarie and Heard Islands off Tasmania), but from time to time they do also find themselves on the beaches of Tasmania and the Australian mainland. In the ocean, they live alone. They come ashore on land or ice to breed, are a highly territorial species, and a dominant male could have a harem of several dozen females. Southern Elephant Seals are well adapted to survive the cold conditions and can remain undertwater for two hours at a time as they fish for squid, fish and crustaceans. The greatest threat to their survival is commercial fishing operations (entanglement in fishing gear and other debris) which also contributes to a decline in their primary food source. Breeding sites are now protected to help remaining populations reestablish themselves.

10.01.2022 "We want to highlight that we are on the right path; we have enough success stories behind us that we know what can be achieved. The Tasmanian tiger disappeared as a consequence of ignorance and misplaced priorities, but we know better now and can have a brighter, more sustainable future." This Threatened Species Day, we take a look at why, despite past failings, our recent success stories provide hope for the future. We can rewrite our relationship with Australia's incredibl...e native flora and fauna. Come see how. #ThreatenedSpeciesDay

09.01.2022 REBOUND: Our positivity posts continue as we look at an amazing project in South Australia! Our Southern bell frog (Litoria raniformis) project is a long-term strategy to bring this special amphibian back from the brink in the lower Murray River region. With just one solitary wild population remaining - from 50 known groups previously - one of Australia’s largest frogs was facing local extinction. Partnering with Nature Glenelg Trust, we built a conservation facility staffed ...by dedicated volunteers and experts and began the process of raising tadpoles to breeding age. The good news of 2020 began in April for this project, when we were able to reveal that broodstock were in place and ready to be monitored as they grew over the winter months. Then, in October, it was announced that dozens of individuals had successfully reached breeding age and were being released into natural breeding pens. This is an incredible step towards a remarkable rebound for this species, with hopes now high that a whole generation of Southern bell frogs can be released back into their natural habitat across the lower Murray. After a tough 2020, we’re using the build up to Christmas to highlight the positive conservation stories that have come out of your support of FAME. From now until Giving Tuesday (December 1 - just 4 days away!) the FAME Board has committed to gift-match all donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000! This means any support you can offer will be doubled up to that amount. For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/! Image courtesy of Peter Mirtschin.

09.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Pterodroma nigripennis Black-winged Petrel CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable (NSW) The Black-winged Petrel is one of 14 migratory seabirds that breeds in colonies on Lord Howe Island. Petrels are characterised by their hooked bill, which they use to grasp prey caught during shallow dives just below the water’s surface. The Black-winged Petrel is recognised by bold black markings underneath its wings and is known for the loud, high-pitched calls it make...s. Nest colonies are often low bushes along cliff faces. Fortunately for the Black-winged Petrel, feral cats and pigs have been eradicated from Lord Howe Island. The Petrel is now under threat by the Masked Owl an introduced species which predates on eggs and chicks of the Black-winged Petrel. There are no current population estimates it could be as little as 100 pairs, or as many as 1,000 pairs of Black-winged Petrels still surviving and making the long journey each year, to Lord Howe Island to nest and breed. FAME has committed to guard the paradise of Lord Howe Island and the species endemic to the Island, of which the Black-winged Petrel is but one. Our project, in conjuction with the Lord Howe Island Board and the NSW Government will help increase the number and breeding success of a range of woodhens and seabirds endemic to Lord Howe Island. For more info or to make a donation, visit the project page of our website. Photo: Jack Shick

09.01.2022 The Boodie (Bettongia lesueur) - or Burrowing bettong - was once Australia’s most common macropod - a suborder that includes kangaroos and wallabies! With European settlement, the resulting habitat destruction, human hunting and invasive predators combined to drive this endemic mammal to mainland extinction. At this point, it was likely that we would lose the Burrowing bettong forever. Thankfully, the species persisted on three islands offshore, which meant conservation progr...ams gave it a shot at surviving in those areas and, potentially, being reintroduced someday to the mainland. That hope came to fruition in the 1990s, when FAME partnered with other groups to bring back the bettong to South Australia within a Sanctuary in the state’s north, where it continues to survive in this not-so-new colony surrounded by other endangered species like the numbat. If a solution is found to our invasive predators, and habitat areas can be rewilded, there’s a chance to see this marsupial return to its former abundance across its traditional range. Projects like this, and fulfilling the hopes of a wider return in the future, can’t happen without you. The amazing FAME community continues to help us stop Australian flora and fauna going extinct, and you can learn more - and take part - at www.FAME.org.au

08.01.2022 PUNKS: Our positive news continues with an underwater rocker: the Mary River turtle. Affectionately known as the Punk turtle, this bright-haired species may be familiar to many of you through our regular updates this year. With an aim to establish a ‘head start’ population, our on-ground partners have done amazing work to tick off many steps in the process. 2020 saw dozens of hatchlings being released into protected sections of the Mary River, to safeguard the young from pred...ators like the Fork-tailed catfish. But the good news kept coming when, in September, 53 new hatchlings arrived. Over the past couple of months they have been being carefully raised in captivity with the aim of further releases. After a tough 2020, we’re using the build up to Christmas to highlight the positive conservation stories that have come out of your support of FAME. The exciting breeding and releases of this special turtle are a great example of the fantastic work being done across the country. Stay tuned for the next update! For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/!

08.01.2022 Spring is definitely in the air. And - look what we found! George and Freckle our favourite Bush Stone-curlews at Mt Rothwell Conservation Centre and parents to Flint and Curly, have been at it again! The wonderful team at Mt Rothwell were eager to share their exciting discovery with us, that Freckle has un-strategically laid another egg in leaf litter. ... What a lovely way to start the week. Fingers crossed for you George and Freckle. To recap the successful captive breeding project we were able to support, visit the project page of the website. Photo: courtesy Mt Rothwell.

08.01.2022 Welcome to Australian Wildlife Week! Over the next 7 days, we’ll be looking at some of the critical projects the FAME community is making possible. Today, we kick it off with our efforts to protect the Brush-tailed rock-wallaby, following devastating drought and bushfires. These agile rock-wallabies live in the highlands of the Great Dividing Range, and saw much of their home range incinerated by the summer bushfires. Coming on the back of the worst drought in decades, the sp...ecies struggled to find enough food and water to survive. Working with our project partners Aussie Ark, we aim to build a sustainable population of sufficient genetic diversity within seven purpose-built enclosures. Once their native habitat has been restored, the aim will be for the long-term reintroduction of the species to the wild. Brush-tailed rock-wallabies face a number of threats, ranging from the invasive to the natural, but with enough support, our project can ensure this gorgeous marsupial survives through a challenging time. To learn more about this project, visit the project page: https://www.fame.org.au//protecting-the-brush-tailed-rock- Check in tomorrow where we’ll be looking at another of our critical missions - this one just as bouncy, but significantly smaller!

08.01.2022 #THREATENEDTUESDAY SPECIES: Sula dactylatra tasmani Masked Booby (Lord Howe Island) CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable (NSW) Yes, we know, it's Tuesday. For the simple explanation that there are just so many endemic species of our new Lord Howe Island project to cover off, this week we also have #ThreatenedTuesday.... The Masked Booby is a large, white seabird, with a yellow bill, black tips on its flight feathers and a black mask across the face. A male Masked Booby will whistle, while a female honks. They are quite content to nest on a rough platform of trodden grass. Two eggs are laid by the female - of which only one will survive. The second chick is quite often killed by the first. The Masked Booby is no exception to the list of seabirds that habitually call Lord Howe Island home for at least some part, if not all year round. Boobies - as seabirds, are quite widely distributed throughout tropical and subtropical seas. Lord Howe Island plays a crucial role, as the breeding population on the Island is the most southerly breeding colony in the world. Although they may range widely for food, the birds will return to the Island to breed. FAME has committed to guard the paradise of Lord Howe Island and the species endemic to the Island, of which the Lord Howe Island Woodhen is but one. Our project, in conjuction with the Lord Howe Island Board and the NSW Government will help increase the number and breeding success of a range of woodhens and seabirds endemic to Lord Howe Island. For more info or to make a donation, visit the project page of our website. Photo: Jack Shick

08.01.2022 It was only 2 weeks ago that we brought you the exciting news from Mt Rothwell that George and Freckle - one of the pairs of Bush Stone-curlews we're helping to safeguard - had laid a new egg... But the news doesn't end there! One of the other pairs, Andy and Sandi, have now been found getting up to the same business! Here you can see one of the soon-to-be parents safeguarding their new egg on the nest, and if you swipe across you can see a nice shot of the future of this imp...ortant population. As always, the amazing team at Mt Rothwell, our partners in the Bush Stone-curlew project, were excited to share the news. You can find out more about this and other projects by visiting the FAME website! Thanks to the team at @mtrothwell for the images.

07.01.2022 Happy Friday evening! The team at Mount Rothwell Biodiversity Interpretation Centre are just as excited as team FAME to share the progress of Sandi and Andy’s new family. Here’s Sandi caring for her chick whilst Andy, trying to look busy in the back, just about avoids falling over the log Our Bush stone-curlew project aims to ensure a sustainable population of these precious birds in Victoria, where they’re facing extinction. You can help by checking out the project page at FAME.org.au

07.01.2022 THRIVING: Six years ago, FAME partnered with the South Australian Government as well as a number of other entities to bring the Idyna/Western quoll (Dasyurus geoffroii) back to its home in Ikara-Flinders Ranges. Up to that point, it hadn’t been present for more than a century after being wiped out by hunting and introduced predators. This year, we were able to report on the incredible success of this reintroduction after on-site surveys revealed that the species isn’t just su...rviving but thriving in its natural habitat! This isn’t just thanks to the initial introduction though: your continued support of this project has meant we’ve been able to provide ongoing monitoring of the population and, critically, focus on effective fox and cat control. But the good news didn’t end there: quoll activity was detected in a group of hills only 4 km west of the Oraparinna Station buildings an area in which they have not previously been found, indicating that a population has established in a wider area. With trapping and monitoring having been rescheduled for the end of 2020, we hope to share new insights with you soon. After a tough 2020, we’re using the build up to Christmas to highlight the positive conservation stories that have come out of your support of FAME. From now until Giving Tuesday (December 1) the FAME Board has committed to gift-match all donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000! This means any support you can offer will be doubled up to that amount. For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/! Images courtesy of DEW/Michael J Barritt.

07.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Lagostrophus fasciatus fasciatus Banded Hare-wallaby, Mernine, Marnine, Munning CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable The first sightings of the Banded Hare-wallaby even pre-date European settlement. It was first recorded when the French were making expeditions out to Australia in the early 1800s. As is the story for many of our native mammals, the Banded Hare-wallaby was once found throughout south-west WA and SA. Extinct on the mainland since the 1960s, ...this species of Wallaby is only found on Bernier and Dorre Islands off the coast of WA. Also known by its indigenous names, Munning or Mernine, the Banded Hare-wallaby is quite a petite little package, at around 65cm from top of its head to the tip of its tail. Females are larger than males. It has a short nose, long grey fur specked with yellow and silder and fades into a light grey on its underbelly. Its distinguishing feature are the dark, horizontal stripes of fur that start at the middle of its back all the way down to the base of the tail. It's noctural, social and prefers to live in groups. A female will usually only rear one joey for the season. However, like other kangaroo and wallaby species, the female has the abilty to delay the deveopment of a fertilised egg (called 'embryonic diapause') if there is already a joey in pouch. Major threats are the usual list of suspects: loss and destruction of habitat, competition for food and predators (foxes and feral cats).

06.01.2022 Looking for something to read this long weekend? We have just released the second issue of On The Brink, where we look at your Donor Survey responses, and update you on important projects like Western quoll reintroductions and the fight to save the Mary River Turtle. We also take a deep dive into our most recent project - Guarding Paradise.... This issue is full of inspiring stories from the conservation field, and a look at what we've got planned. Click the link below to access the online version.

05.01.2022 We have exciting news from our project to bring back the Eastern Bettong! Read our project update here for all the details:

04.01.2022 News comes from our project partners, Mary River Turtle project - Tiaro Landcare on the Mary River, Qld, that this season they are rearing another 53 Mary River Turtle hatchlings to eventually be released back into the Mary River. Before their release at around six-months of age, there’s a lot of planning and preparation that must happen before then. This year, a new generation of turtles are being protected and monitored in river enclosures and outdoor ponds in as natural e...nvironments as possible so as to increase their chances of survival after being released. Just exactly what goes on behind the scenes while we wait for the next clutch of Mary River Turtles to be ready for release back into the Mary River? All turtles are weighed every two months; bycatch from the river enclosures is recorded; and water temperatures are measured regularly. In addition, river water is pumped into the nearby ponds to freshen the water there and to help to maintain appropriate water temperature for the turtles. Turtle hatchlings are fed five days a week and their growth measurements are closely monitored and analysed. Native fish, river prawns, freshwater mussels and snails are added to the enclosures to provide a varied food menu close to what is found in the Mary River. The project involves constant evaluation and modification. There have been lessons learned from the first season of breeding the turtles that were successfully released back into the Mary River. The growth and condition of the new hatchlings is of utmost importance, as the stronger they are, the greater their chance of survival come release day. For more information on the Mary River Turtle project, visit the project page of the website.

04.01.2022 Despite the unrelenting harsh, dry conditions they face daily in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges, the populations of Western Quolls and Brush-tailed Possums are continuing to thrive, having survived three of the driest years on record. Both species were extinct north of Hawker in South Australia before FAME partnered with the SA Department of Environment & Water (DEW) on a bold project to reintroduce the species into the Ikara-Flinders Ranges in 2014. FAME’s ongoing support of the ...reintroduction project in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges is now focussed on effective fox and cat control to further help both species as they continue to establish themselves in the region. Returning these species to the northern Flinders has only been possible through the ongoing commitment of the Foundation and its partners, particularly the Bounceback Program, the SA Arid Lands Landscapes Board, and the many private conservation and pastoral landholders that collaborate with the program throughout the Flinders, Olary and Gawler Ranges. Earlier this year due to COVID trapping and monitoring, which would ordinarily help to provide a health-check of both the Quoll and Possum populations in the Ranges was unable to be completed. Instead, motion-sensor cameras have been providing a picture story to show how both species have fared this year. Western Quoll activity has been detected in a group of hills only 4 km west of the Oraparinna Station buildings an area in which they have not previously been found, indicating that a population has established in a wider area. With trapping and monitoring now being rescheduled for the end of 2020, we look forward eagerly to what this will reveal to us. For more information on the Western Quoll project, visit the project page of the website. Environment SA News Photo: DEW

04.01.2022 FREEDOM: In the years leading up to 2019, a rodent eradication program was carried out on Lord Howe Island. These rodents were invasive predators whose populations grew dramatically leading to devastating reductions in population numbers for various species including the Black-winged petrel (Pterodroma nigripennis). A recent report by Terry O’Dwyer et al. showed the extent of the impact, as they wrote: We found that rats were causing nest failure at both the egg and chick st...ages and that breeding success was as low as 2.5% in the presence of rats. On rat-free Phillip Island, in the Norfolk Island group, breeding success was 47.5% in the same year. Well, how’s this for a 2020 good news story: When they assessed the same breeding grounds this year, after the rodents had been successfully eradicated, breeding success jumped to 67.5% on LHI! They now expect Black-winged petrel numbers to expand with increased fledging. Given freedom from the suffocating pressure of the introduced rat, the petrels can be expected to survive into the near future. A fantastic outcome after years of work, and an inspiring start to our recently launched ‘Guarding Paradise’ project: protecting Lord Howe Island. After a tough 2020, we’re using the build up to Christmas to highlight the positive conservation stories that have come out of your support of FAME. From now until Giving Tuesday (December 1) the FAME Board has committed to gift-match all donations dollar-for-dollar, up to $20,000! This means any support you can offer will be doubled up to that amount. For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/! Images via NSW DPIE: A rat carries off a chick pre-eradication | A Black-winged petrel seen nesting on the surface post-eradication.

04.01.2022 #THREATENEDTHURSDAY SPECIES: Christinus guentheri Lord Howe Island Southern Gecko CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable In comparison to other gecko species, the Lord Howe Island Southern Gecko would be classified as a heavily built gecko. That’s putting it nicely! The species is endemic to offshore islands from Lord Howe Island and also on Norfolk Island.... It’s a gecko very much at home in a wide range of forests, loving a rock, boulder or crevice it can find protection under or in. The Lord Howe Island Southern Gecko exhibits quite an unusual behaviour, by forming a tight coil and placing its large toes from one foot over their head and eyes. This helps them camouflage nicely when on rocks or in leaf litter of the forest floor. FAME has committed to guard the paradise of Lord Howe Island and the species endemic to the Island, of which the Lord Howe Island Southern Gecko is but one. Our project, in conjuction with the Lord Howe Island Board and the NSW Government will help increase the number and breeding success of a range of woodhens and seabirds endemic to Lord Howe Island. For more info or to make a donation, visit the project page of our website. Photo: Jack Shick

02.01.2022 RESEARCH: Not all good news stories in conservation are reintroductions or revegetation. Some of the most important work happens before all that, in the research field. In a year where tertiary institutions have been hit hard by the pandemic, we were excited to be able to support the PhD work of Federation University Australia student Eleanor Fox, who is working with a genus of plant that is quintessentially Australian. The focus of Eleanor’s paper is two species of gum that ...exist only in Victoria: Yarra Gum (Eucalyptus yarraensis) and Strzelecki Gum (Eucalyptus strzeleckii). The distribution of both species is severely fragmented as a result of urbanisation, agricultural expansion and development since European colonisation. The research aims to map locations of remaining populations across the state, and look at their genetic diversity and connectivity. The results should enable greater insight into how revegetation efforts are affecting the chances of survival for these important parts of local ecosystems. In a year beset by hits to the research field, Eleanor’s work with FAME’s support is a bright spot that sets the stage for future benefits. After a tough 2020, we’re using the build up to Christmas to highlight the positive conservation stories that have come out of your support of FAME. Stay tuned for the next update! For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/!

02.01.2022 OPTIMISM: To this point, 2020 has been a tough year for many people, in many ways. With 2021 fast approaching, we'd like to highlight that, despite these challenges also impacting conservation, an inspiring amount of great things have happened too! From reintroductions to revegetation, and from newborns to new projects, your support has enabled some big wins. Over the next six weeks leading into Christmas, join us as we focus on the positive stories from FAME's mission to end... Australian extinctions - all made possible by people like you! We'll be revisiting some of the exciting moments you've been part of, as well as sharing some fresh new footage from the field. As always, thank you for your support. For more information about FAME's work and to help us continue saving Australia's flora and fauna, please visit https://www.fame.org.au/! Image courtesy of Jack Shick.

02.01.2022 1 September. As well as being the first day of spring, it’s also National Wattle Day today. Wattle is symbolic as Australia’s floral emblem. It’s also a symbol of unity, new growth and fresh beginnings. Wattle or the genus Acacia is one of the largest groups of flowering shrubs and trees found across Australia. Wattles can be found somewhere in Australia in flower in every month of the year. Wattles are tough. They are adapted to and can withstand Australian droughts, winds... and bushfires. Certainly the resilience of wattle echoes with us as Australians, particularly through what we have experienced this far in 2020. Devastating droughts, catastrophic bushfires and a terrifying, debilitating global pandemic. This year has been a rollercoaster to say the least. 1 September marks coming out from a long, cold and very quiet winter with COVID looming as a grey cloud over us these past six months. The very thought of spring as it arrives with the promise of some warmer weather or sunshine to say the least longer days, and continued growth in the aftermath of a devastating bushfire season gives us all something to smile about and to look forward to. If you can today, or maybe you will be able to soon, keep an eye out for gorgeous wattle blossoms in your district. With any luck, we can have a much brighter end to the year. We wish you a Happy Wattle Day. Wattle Day Association Inc.

01.01.2022 It’s World Animal Day today. As well as creating awareness for the protection of animals across the globe, it also serves as a good reminder to us all about how our actions impact species on both individual and population scales. When we talk about animals, we include frogs, fish, reptiles and birds not just mammals. The cute and cuddly, the not-so-cute-and-cuddly, and everything that falls in-between. The more we learn about the structure of ecosystems around the world, th...e more we understand the importance of every taxa within - from small to large. In Australia, the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) lists our native threatened species on a scale starting at Conservation Dependent, and moving up to Extinct. Alarmingly, 518 native animals are listed as a threatened species, and the number actually endangered is likely higher than that. With a loyal community of heroic FAME supporters, it is our mission here at @Fame_species to prevent any further extinctions of Australian flora and fauna. Our work supporting projects to save those species right on the brink never ends many species are under pressure and some face extinction. To make a donation to enable us to continue the fight, or for more information about FAME’s current projects, visit the project page of the website: FAME.org.au. Happy World Animal Day! Images: Tasmanian devil joey Southern bell frogs Kangaroo Island dunnart Lord Howe Island Woodhen, image courtesy of Jack Shick Mary River Turtle hatchling, image courtesy of Chris Van Wyk Western quoll, image courtesy of Michael J Barritt.