Practical Ecology Pty Ltd in Preston, Victoria, Australia | Business service

Practical Ecology Pty Ltd

Locality: Preston, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9484 1555

Address: 2B Stott Street 3072 Preston, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.practicalecology.com.au

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• Business service
• Environmental consultant
• Commercial and industrial
• Environmental conservation organisation

25.01.2022 Another good story from the ABC. The bush is not destroyed but in transition and it will need management; go out and weed!

24.01.2022 G'day All I will write one more post to present my interpretation on how we might reasonably keep working while still following government requirements and expert advice to achieve the deadly serious need to limit and monitor the spread of COVID-19. I am hoping that my points might be useful to other people to understand how to balance urgent actions and maintaining work where possible. My interpretation is based on all of the expert advice that is out there but I haven't bee...Continue reading

22.01.2022 The Ecological Society of Australia has started a fund to help our natural ecosystems recover after fire. If you want to help please contribute funds or your skilled labour or data.

20.01.2022 Some reading for you all. Practical Ecology prepared a flora and fauna assessment and native vegetation impact analysis for a dwelling on a block to the east of Yellingbo Nature Reserve. The landowners got their permit for a dwelling but were not happy with a planning permit condition that required a patch of bushland adjacent to the reserve to the west be managed for nature conservation with no grazing, fire wood collection, fuel reduction in general or domestic pets. These... requirements for focussed conservation management of good quality remnant bushland on private land comes out of the Rural Conservation Zoning decision criteria and are very often required by peri-urban shires across Victoria. This case makes it clear that the approach and principles PE takes to developing land management plans for our clients is legally required in many circumstances. See more

19.01.2022 Insurance for prescribed fire is a difficulty that has reached PE as well! After investing over $20,000 in training and equipment and 5 years of providing a prescribed burn service with 30 fires and no escapes our insurance company said they couldn't renew our policy and I can't even get a new company to quote to provide a policy. I am not sure what they think will happen; if no one has insurance or only some people can afford it we will collectively do less prescribed fire that will prevent bigger burns then we will have larger more destructive bushfires that will cause bigger insurance claims. And will it only get down to government to burn and there will be a lot less prescribed fire over time with dangerous consequences?

18.01.2022 It is International Ranger Day! Let us remember that too often the people who manage national parks and conservation reserves around the world are killed for the important and difficult work that they do. The Thin Green Line Foundation reports on their sacrifices so we can acknowledge their commitment, hard work and loss, and helps support the families of rangers who are killed in some countries.

18.01.2022 Here's an overview of research around the effectiveness of prescribed fire in reducing bushfire risk. In summary, according to empirical research it may not be as effective as some people assert although it still has its benefits depending on when and how it is implemented. Of course, prescribed fire is controversial with some suggesting we should do alot more of it than is currently completed with many holding the view that it is always destructive and problematic for biodiv...ersity. In my view neither extreme, i.e. burning 20% of public land as some people suggest vs no prescribed fire as others do. First, in Victoria it has been impossible for our fire management agencies to burn more 3% of public land over the last ten years even if they were expected to do 5% between 2010 and 2015, and achieving this outcome is harder than ever because of changing climate. Second, effective reduction of bushfire and its impacts, i.e. loss of human life, built assets and biodiversity values, is only effectively done with a wide range of measures and processes including strategic prescribed burning. https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/ See more

16.01.2022 An article on a nasty weed with the only hope of control being biological control. Yet another example of the importance of funding substantial and priortised biological control programs even if some projects don't result in effective controls because when it does work the benefits are enormous for the environment and economy.

15.01.2022 Please support the rangers of the world to protect nature! The Thin Green Line Foundation does great work and donations are tax deductible in Australia, USA and UK!

14.01.2022 Don't try this at home...

14.01.2022 Cutting funding for training environmental is simply not a good idea! Managing our land and indigenous flora and fauna has been and should continue to be a growth industry. So much of the Australian environment is significantly degraded, too often for no real financial gain but just out of ignorance. Restoring our environment is good for the economy as well because we need all of the services a healthy environment provides.

13.01.2022 Another article about the power of invasive species to move and avoid being recorded but citizen science has power. Remember hygiene between natural sites is always important! https://theconversation.com/land-flatworms-are-invading-the

13.01.2022 Here's an inspirational conservation story - strong women doing good work:

12.01.2022 https://www.abc.net.au//love-calls-of-powerful-o/12132824

10.01.2022 G'day All I hope you are staying physically and mentally healthy through these difficult times. I do keep receiving emails from companies and organisations about their capabilities while respecting public health imperatives from government and experts and protecting their staff's health but for the moment I am going to use this forum to share. Here at PE we are doing our very best to respect all requirements from government and expert advice about stopping the spread of ...COVID-19 while trying to continue working to the degree possible. Since we work in nature away from people and our crews and consultants can get to our work sites without human contact we are trying to continue works as much as possible and generally succeeding. So, we are still working to the best degree possible so that we can keep our staff working, paying rent, buying food etc and making a contribution to keeping the economy going where possible as well as continuing important environmental and planning work. Natural areas are still out there needing management and "planning applications take longer than a pandemic". Working in planning and ecological restoration has taught me patience and the need to take the long view. Good things like sustainable development takes time and patience to design, get approvals and implement. Restoring and managing degraded remnant vegetation and habitats take staged works over time through the seasons. Taking the long view, respecting expert advice, clear thinking, well planned action and patience will get us through as per usual. Thanks! Lincoln Kern See more

09.01.2022 Over the past few years PE staff have participated along with many other representatives of the bush regeneration or ecological restoration industry/community in Victoria in considering and acting on cooperating together for the advancement of the industry. It was decided to work with AABR to enhance the reach and presence of the organisation in Victoria so that we could work together on issues such as accreditation, standards and whatever we decided over time needs to be done. Here's some info on the membership drive:

09.01.2022 Urgent! Help us buy Lot 155 Cape Tribulation Road in the Daintree Rainforest and add it to the Daintree National Park! Each $2.50 will save one sqm of rainfores...t. Please donate now at https://bit.ly/2zECF2X and help us raise $220,875 by the 30th of June. A donation of $25 will purchase and protect ten sqm of rainforest. For more information please see https://www.rainforest4.org/land_purchase_to_save_the_daint This property at Diwan is 8.835 hectares in size, is covered by tropical rainforest, and provides vital habitat for the Endangered Southern Cassowary. Please see more information at https://www.rainforest4.org/land_purchase_to_save_the_daint The property adjoins the Daintree National Park and is a known habitat for the endangered Cassowary. We have the challenge of raising $220,875 by the 30th of June 2020. Please donate now at https://bit.ly/2zECF2X

08.01.2022 Rampant feral horses in Kosciuszko national park demonstrate a clear need for strong feral animal control measures following the bushfires. "We hovered over a k...ey wetland for the northern corroboree frog that had not been burnt, deep in the alpine forest. A group of feral horses stood in it. They had created muddy wallows, trampled vegetation and worn tracks that will drain the wetland if their numbers are not immediately controlled." Professor Jamie Pittock, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University. Read the full article: https://theconversation.com/fire-almost-wiped-out-rare-spec

07.01.2022 Where are the Silver Banksias and Drooping She-oaks left? https://ianluntecology.com//forgotten-woodlands-future-la/

06.01.2022 Cats hunting, killing and eating wildlife, both domestic and feral, is a huge impact on Australian fauna but they are also the cause of more substantial and to some degree hidden impacts on wildlife and human health. For example, Toxoplasmosis spread by cats could be causing significant impacts on people's mental health. Some recent research highlights these impacts: https://invasives.org.au/blog/the-trouble-with-cats/

04.01.2022 I am sure that some of you "monitor" your local wetlands by simply enjoying visiting them or even work in them. Here's an opportunity to contribute to a global scale citizen science project to measure their condition. Wetlands have been substantially destroyed in many countries and those that remain are immensely valuable.

02.01.2022 Please help buy back the Daintree if you can...

02.01.2022 An interesting article on cleaning up an oil spill in a nature reserve... In the 1990's a friend of mine cleaned up diesel contaminated soils at an industrial site in north Florida in the same way by making big compost piles with the soil, chicken manure and a local bacteria bred in a small lab on site. Different application of the same approach! Imagine if your nature reserve was contaminated like this? But we don't need to imagine too much locally, this did happen in Skeleton Creek in the west of Melbourne last year but with the extra impact of being an unknown cocktail of chemicals.

01.01.2022 Maybe a useful new product?

01.01.2022 is working on significant infestations of Silverleaf Nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium on a very large private land site and it is proving to be an expensive and protracted exercise for the land owner, well over $10K per year. We haven't had to manage this weed before and are learning about how nasty and pernicious it is. It is an "iceberg" weed with a strong deep rhizomatous root system that is resistent to systemic herbicides, strong chemicals like Tordon are required for a...ny effective treatement, and controlling a patch can easily take ten years of treatment. It is also easily spread by sheep and vehicles but doesn't easily spread without human help. You do not want this weed! If you discover it on your land make it a high priority to control and prevent seeding every year until it is gone. Here's the latest Best Practice Management Guide for the weed. file://sbs2011/core/A%20%20Tenders%20and%20Quotes/Contracting/1.%20Active%20Client%20Folders/Supergardens/Variations/Silver-leaf_Nightshade/Variation%201%201819%20SLNS%20Dec18/Silverleaf-nightshade-best-practice-management-manual-2018.pdf See more