dirk hartog island

Question 1

what is dirk hartog island

Answer 1

is WA largest island, located in the shark bay world heritage area

Question 2

what is the program implicated for dirk hartog island

Answer 2

the program aims to restore the island to its condition in 1616 when it was first visited by Dirk Hartog and addresses the impacts of land cover change

Question 3

what does land cover change on the island include

Answer 3

deforestation, expansion and intensification of agriculture, and the introduction of feral cats, sheep, and goats

Question 4

what does the program include

Answer 4

the program includes ecological restoration, weed management and vegetation and habitat recovery, and it started in 2007 with the destocking of sheep and goats

the program also includes an ongoing weed management program with five weeds listed for eradication measures

Question 5

how many sheep and goats had been removed from the island since 2017

Answer 5

by the end of 2017 over 5000 sheep and 11,000 goats had been removed from the island, and feral cats were eradicated by trapping and tracking

Question 6

what did removing these species cause

Answer 6

the removal of these species resulted in a 35% increase in vegetation cover, and negative species, such as the banded and rufous hair wallabies were reintroduced to the island

Question 7

was the program successful

Answer 7

the program has been successful in preventing exposure to five weeds found in shark bay mitigating future land cover change

Question 8

how much did the program cost

Answer 8

16.7 million overall

the cost of the program was around $150 per goat, and it is considered a world-leading ecological restoration program that may assist in mitigating future land cover change in other environments

Question 9

is the island a national park

Answer 9

yes, the establishment of the island as a national park in 2009 provided more stringent protection measures

Question 10

what does the return of the 1616 strategy focus on

Answer 10

the return to the 1616 strategy focuses on community engagement

Question 11

who provides upates on dirk hartog island

Answer 11

the Wirruwana news provides updates on Dirk hartog island national park twice a year

Question 12

what did the island do to engage community

Answer 12

the island developed an interactive web-based education package for primary school students with a focus on conservation

the shark bay Arts council shed created a community art project that aligned with the return to 1616 strategy in 2016

the program involved community members and staff/prisoners at Albany regional prison building boxes to transport feral species to the island

Phd from UWA

Question 13

what did the heritage agreement get made

Answer 13

a heritage agreement was created in negotiation with the Yamati Marla Aboriginal Corporation to ensure that Aboriginal heritage values were not affected by the proposed works

an additional agreement was formed with the Wardle family, allowing the expansion of tourism on the island

Question 14

what did the island get as an extension of the native title

Answer 14

in 2018, over 28,000 square km of land and water in the shark bay area was granted as an extension of the native title

Question 15

what did the island achieve

Answer 15

the island achieved advanced ecotourism certification and runs 92% of the island’s power by a hybrid solar and wind powered generator

Question 16

what is the accommodation on the island supplied by

Answer 16

is supplied by a solar pump and windmill in addition to a desalination system

Question 17

what does the ecolodge do

Answer 17

the ecolodge has a glass crusher and recycles cans and tins

Question 18

what was dirk hartog island used for

Answer 18

dirk hartog island was used as a pasture for sheep and goats from the 1860s to 2009, with many feral goats and sheep released on the island

Question 19

what funds were given to the island

Answer 19

a caring for our country grant from the commonwealth government and funding from the Gorgon Barrow island Net conservation benefit fund were used to remove the feral species on the island between 2010-2013

Question 20

how much were the funds for the island

Answer 20

the removal of feral cats on the island began in 2011 with funding of over $8.5 million from the Gorgon Barrow Island Net conservation benefits fund and an additional 4.8 million from the department of environment and conservation for the first stage

Question 21

how much is it to remove feral cats over 7 years

Answer 21

the program to remove feral cats is expected to cost an estimated $16.7 million, over 7 years, with on going maintenance and monitoring required until 2030

Question 22

what does the feral cat program involve

Answer 22

the program involves highly trained dogs to hunt feral cats, with a zoologist mapping grids to follow and identifying if new baits or traps are needed

Question 23

who was employed for the feral cat program

Answer 23

a project manager, two project officers, and a local Aboriginal trainee were employed to manage the program, with steering and management committees established

Question 24

what does the return to the 1616 strategy involve

Answer 24

the return to 1616 strategy involves community engagement through education programs, community arts projects, and even an eco-tourism distinction

Question 25

what can be said about the return to 1616

Answer 25

the return to 1616 strategy is a large ecological restoration project in the southern hemisphere

Question 26

what was reintroduced to dirk hartog island

Answer 26

36 dibblers were reintroduced to dirk hartog island in 2019, with some bred at Perth zoo as part of their native species breeding program

Question 27

what innovative strategies were implemented

Answer 27

including creating artificial burrows for the mice to be released into pseudo dunes, which they eventually transitioned out of and built their own burrows

Question 28

what was dirk hartog island home to before and after introduced species

Answer 28

dirk hartog island was home to 13 native mammal species, with only three remaining after the introduction of sheep, goats, and cats

Question 29

when did the island become a national park

Answer 29

most of the island became a national park in 2009 while still allowing recreational use

Question 30

why did the program operate in stages

Answer 30

the program operated in stages, with the eradicationnof introduced species being essential for the protection of reintroduced native species

Question 31

what was the eradication of goats, sheep and cats

Answer 31

the eradication of goats and sheep had an estimated likelihood of eradication at a rate of 96.9% and 99.99% respectively

the eradication of cats showed a 93% reduction between May 2014 and may 2015

Question 32

describe the environmental success on the island

Answer 32

aerial photographs and satellite imagery showed a 35% increase in vegetation cover after the removal of sheep and goats

the program re-established ten native species to the island, including threatened mammals and two additional species that may have inhabited the island

Question 33

what makes dirk hartog island so important

Answer 33

the success of maintaining these species would make Dirk Hartog island the most diverse of any island in WA, enhancing its characteristics as a world heritage property

Question 34

positives of social aspects of the 1616 program

Answer 34

• Employment opportunities
• Education in the primary school aged students in conservation
• The provision of opportunities for prisoners to become involved.
• Expansion of tourism
• Involvement of first nations peoples- custodianship of the land
  Community involvement through arts projects

Question 35

negatives of economic aspects of the 1616 program

Answer 35

• $ 16.7 million over 7 years - (overall)
• Cost of $150 per goat
• $10,000-$20,000 per dog
• Costs of Tasmanian zoologist
• Two project officers, project manager, trainee
• Costs-being met by federal government 2010-2013
  Chevron key contribution+ state agencies

Question 36

positives of the environmental aspects of the 1616 program

Answer 36

• 36 Dibblers have been reintroduced from Perth zoo
• 96.9% of goats have been removed
• 99.99% of sheep have been removed
• by 2018 no feral cats detected for two years
• Removal of sheep and goats= 35% increase in vegetation
  10 native species returned to the island+ 2 addition species e.g rufous and banded hare wallabies

Question 37

what did DR sims say

Answer 37

Dr Sims, senior officer on the Dirk Hartog Island Ecological Restoration Project, lights up when talking about the work she has been doing for years.

“We are trying to return the island back, as near as possible, to what we think it was like before Europeans first set eyes on it,” she says.

Question 38

describe how mulgara’s are being introduced and where from

Answer 38

The mulgara’s are from more than 800 kilometres away at Matuwa Kurrara Kurrara National Park, where the marsupials are being collected with permission and assistance from the area’s Martu traditional owners.

The national park, north of Wiluna in WA’s Goldfields, has one of the healthiest populations of the surviving mulgaras, which are close to being listed as a vulnerable species.

In total, 100 mulgaras will be flown to the island.

Question 39

describe what aline is doing for her PhD

Answer 39

And a few weeks ago, 85 Western Grasswrens were successfully translocated to the island from and Francois Peron National Park and Bush Heritage’s Hamelin Station Reserve on Malgana and Nanda Country, bordering the Shark Bay World Heritage Area.

The translocation was informed by researcher Aline Gibson Vega’s PhD project and is part of a collaboration between DBCA, Bush Heritage Australia and the University of Western Australia.

Question 40

what does aline say

Answer 40

It’s just great to see that we’re going to have this little insurance population essentially.”