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Welcome...to the 42nd edition of news fromthe alps, where we recognise thesignificance of 25 years of the AlpsProgram. It’s been said before, buthow many other examples exist - inAustralia or even worldwide - of aprogram like this? Government supported,held together by an MOU andset up to assist people work towards acommon goal, it’s no wonder the Programhas survived and thrived for 25years. A quick calculation shows thatthere have been 12 changes of governmentin the four jurisdictions sincethe establishment of the Alps Programback in 1986, and through all ofthis, the Program has been relativelyunchanged. This is a testimony to staff- in varied roles and across the fourorganisations - who have supportedthis Program. Governments maychange, but people’s commitment andpassion for this most beautiful part ofAustralia does not.For me, I am into my secondof three years in the role of ProgramManager – some goals have been metbut there is a lot to do, hence the 20projects to implement this year. Butmost importantly the Alps Programwill continue to do what it does best- offering opportunities to allow operationalstaff from across the agenciesto benefit from each others knowledgeand experience.Anthony Evansprogram manager & editorPublished by Australian Alps national parks,Incoming Program Manager and Editor:Anthony Evans: NPWS office in Jindabyne(PO Box 2228, Jindabyne, NSW 2627),(02) 6450 5507, 0428 484 119,anthony.evans@environment.nsw.gov.au.For more information about the Alps,including information about the Parks, otherpublications and news, visit the AustralianAlps Web Page:www.australianalps.environment.gov.auDesign and artwork by Tom Sapontsis. Editorialsupport by Elizabeth DeFriest 03 9534 7970.Printed on ISO 14001 Environmental Accreditedpaper.A big thankyou to those who have made timeto be interviewed; and to the photographersfor their images. Without this support, newsfrom the alps would not be possible.””Kev Cosgriff: (Ranger Team LeaderBogong Management Unit, Alpine NationalPark, Parks Victoria) In Kevin Cosgriff’sview, without the MOU there’d be nonetwork opportunities, no perspectiveof the Alps as a whole, no unity. “TheAlps Program helps you get outside yourimmediate area, it unites people acrossa landscape. We’re all a small part of areally big landscape. We all have commonvalues and goals and that helps build theco-operation, the sharing of ideas, theworking towards consistency. Alps peopleare great people and it’s great to work withthem. The Program’s also a way to experiencedifferent areas within the Alps, to goto all of these places which remind us whywe’re here. How good is that.”Megan Bowden: (Ranger with theNSW Parks and Wildlife Service) “To methe key to the Alps Program is the peopleyou meet, the contacts you make withothers across the Alps who all manage thesame issues and challenges. At meetings,workshops of over even a beer we’re ableto make contacts and form networks thatwouldn’t be possible otherwise. And thisis so necessary as we all know that managementissues don’t stop at the borders.“And this is natural as people havebeen moving across borders, migrating,walking these tracks for a very long time,and in some ways the Program is helpingto keep those pathways going for the goodof the landscape.”Brett McNamara: (former AlpsProgram Manager and now ManagerRural District, ACT Parks & ConservationService) “Without the MOU and the AlpsProgram, people would have operated insilos. It’s a cliché, but perhaps we wouldhave focused on our own patch; the blinkerswould have been on without looking atthe big picture. Put rather simply, I’m yetto meet a feral pig who recognises statepolitical borders, so if feral animals don’twhy should we as park mangers – it’s allabout working in partnership and in aspirit of cooperation and goodwill. TheAlps Program reminds us that we havecolleagues dealing with the same issuesand that we’re all working towards a commonoutcome - sustainable conservationlandscape management.”Gill Anderson: (former Alps ProgramManager and now East Region, VictorianServices Program Manager) “The MOUgives the Program a high level of approvaland recognition, Government support that Ithink is really important to have. The Programalso gives people involved with theAlps a sense of being part of a team and aconnection to something bigger than ourown organisations, parks and communities.For me the absolutely wonderful thinghas been the sharing of skills and knowledgethat flowed in through the Program, notonly from across our borders but alsothrough connections made internationallywith other mountain protected areas.”3Anthony Evans: (Current AustraianAlps Program Manager) “It allowsus to focus on issues or projects whichindividual agencies wouldn’t have time orresources to do. Such as the whole alpshorse surveys. Or the education resource,after all, if you grow up knowing nothingabout the Alps, how can you appreciatetheir value as an adult? A kit like thishelps people appreciate their importance,and it’s something that would not likely beproduced by the individual agencies.”Rod Atkins: (former Alps ProgramManager and now employee of the FederalEnvironment Department) As Rod Atkinspoints out, the relationship between theProgram and the Commonwealth is insome ways different to that between theProgram and the state and territory agencies.While the Commonwealth has no ongroundmanagement function, it has hada role in facilitating two major initiativesrecently. “I believe the National Heritagelisting and the National Landscapes Initiative- two significant events - would nothave come about if the agencies had notbeen able to demonstrate that they weremanaging co-operatively across borders.With these co-operative mechanismsalready in place, there was support forboth the Listing and the Initiative.” Theformer Program Manager sums up saying,“The MOU is the thing that brings peopletogether to talk about the matters fromwhich all else flows.”Lois Padgham: (Visitor ServicesCoordinator for ACT Parks and ConservationService) “The Program underpins myassociation with the Alps, which beganin 2004 when I joined a working group. Itwas a steep learning curve - trying to workout what was going on - and I met thesefantastic people. Over the years we’vebeen able to visit the far flung reaches ofthe Alps and I think that if you’re goingto manage something, you know yourown patch but you also need to havethat overall broader perspective. Withoutsomething like the Program people’s dailylives would get in the way of making timeto get together regularly. It’s good to hearwhat’s happening - to help each other orcommiserate - and that wouldn’t happenwithout the MOU.”Ian Weir: (Assistant Director ofParks in Victoria at the time of the MOUsigning) “The MOU has been a successbecause it has had a lot of people committedto it over the past 25 years. Like arelay race where each of the runners hasa passion, this is partly why it’s survived,but there are other reasons. The documentthey first stitched together was a verygood one based on protection of parksand co-operation. There was supportfrom Canberra where a great many people- scientists and politicians - have beengenuinely interested in the alpine environment.”And then there was the magic.“In my view the MOU did things thatreally mattered: greater access to expertknowledge and resources; developed aframework for co-operative arrangements;created new opportunities beyond thestatus quo. And it was the enthusiasmsthat came of all this - the spark of magic -that I think has sustained the Program tothis day.”Janet MacKay: (Director of internationaltourism planning consultancyfirm TRC Tourism) “My involvement in theAlps was within six months of funds beingcommitted and the need for a Programcoordinator to set up systems for theagencies to work together and manage ajoint budget. There was real excitement atfield level about the opportunities to workwith our counterparts across the border,and everyone wanted to be involved. Itbecame clear early on that staff workingtogether would be easy, but definingconsistent policies would prove harder.This has continued. Early in the Program,and still today, staff at field level workalongside each other as though there areno borders and ring each other for helpand advice. This was one vision that hasbeen achieved. Sharing information hasbeen a valuable role of the Program.“I still have friends across all states.Only the other day I was in Victoria on aproject in my current business and metthree people who remembered me, andI them, from my ‘Alps days’! We sharedsome great memories.”A SNAPSHOT. The Australian Alps Co-operative Management Program is a partnership. It achieves excellence in management - of the Alps’natural & cultural values, sustainable recreation and tourism - through a program of cross-border co-operation. A group of people withinfluence established the Program. It is supported at the highest echelon through a Ministerial and Heads of Agencies level Memorandumof Understanding. It’s success is also due to having the support of a balance of operational and planning level staff. Strong staff involvementhas helped develop a culture of pride, ownership and relevance. Crucial to the Program’s success is the dedicated partner funding andmanagement support. Also vital are the individual working groups - each with a specific focus - staffed by those drawn from within the stateagencies. Opportunities for across-agency staff networking, best-practice workshops and programs with tangible outcomes are also key.Future challenges include responding to climate change, water and fire.3Ramshead, NSW.

As we’re often reminded, by sharingplanet Earth’s ultimate landscape- the little blue ball spinningin space - we are all linked. At aslightly more intimate scale, thisvirtual joining of hands stretchesacross not only our AustralianAlps, but it also ties together thepassion and work of researchersof mountain landscapes across theglobe - thanks in part to GLORIA.gloria on themountainThe Global Observation Research Initiativein Alpine Environments is an internationalprogram which began 12 years ago inAustria and now stretches over all of Earth’scontinents (bar Antarctica). Guided bythe coordinators in Austria, participatingresearch teams from 41 regions head outevery five to ten years to collect the type ofsurvey data which is priceless. Those 41different sites are dotted around the globe,the one in Kosciuszko National Park representingthe Australian Alps. Regardless ofwhere or who is collecting the information,the strict protocols and standardisedmethods produce information on vegetation,soils and climate - for comparisonpurposes locally and world wide.The last time the Australian surveyteam collected data was in 2003. InJanuary, they returned thanks to fundingsupport from the New South Wales Parksand Wildlife Service, and the AustralianAlps Program. As Associate ProfessorCatherine Pickering (Griffith University)explains, “GLORIA allows us to see howclimate and vegetation may be changing, andwe’re already seeing the answer: yes it is.”While the data from the most recentsurveys is still being entered - no smallfeet given there are 300,000 individualrecords for 95 plant species alone -Catherine is happy to leak the fact that 16new plant species were found across thefive Australian summits that were not therelast time time ‘round - a case of speciesmoving up the mountain in response toa warmer climate. “Of course this isn’tunexpected given what we know - that theaverage snow cover at the highest snowcourse (Spencer’s Creek) in the SnowyMountains has declined by 30% overall,and 40% in spring over the last 50years.”*And there are other signs of change.“We weren’t looking forward to making thesurveys on one of the summits, given thelast time we were there we could hardlyrecord the data for all the ants attacking us.This time round there were hardly any.”For more information: CatherinePickering, c.pickering@griffith.edu.au*Green, K. and Pickering, C.M. (2009). The declineof snowpatches in the Snowy Mountains of Australia:importance of climate warming, variable snow, andwind. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research. 41: 212-218. Nicholls, N. 2005. Climate variability, climatechange and the Australian snow season. AustralianMeteorological Magazine 54:177-185.GLORIA plots range in size from a 10x10cm square to just under 5,000m2, requiring three kilometres’ worth of walking at random to collectthe information needed. Pictured here are some of those who did the work (L to R sitting): Dr Ken Green and Dr Susanna Venn (both NSWNPWS), Sarah Butler, Associate Professor Catherine Pickering,(L to R standing): Craig Hyde and Nicole Beutel (all from Griffith University).seven yearssustainableThis is the seventh time that thoselinked closest to the AustralianAlps’ alpine resorts have gatheredto share their expertise in practicalsustainability.And since the first Alpine ResortsSustainability Forum, the commitmentfrom resorts and agencies has grown,not surprising given most of the peoplepresent are directly concerned with thesame thing - responsible management ofthe alpine environment.This latest forum was held at LakeCrakenback in May, where 128 delegateswere drawn into information sharing anddiscussion prompted by offerings onsustainable products, services and campaignsfrom both privately owned businessesand government departments.Andrew Harrigan, Manager of the sectionof the NSW Parks Service which managesthe alpine resorts within KosciusczkoNational Park, has been a part of thelast four forums. “Perhaps eight to tenyears ago there was an element of denial,but this has been replaced with a strongcommitment. This latest forum highlightedsome of the fantastic work that’s beendone, addressing both climate changeand sustainability.”Aware that the Alps and the GreatBarrier Reef are both canaries in thecoal mine - “They are the two AustralianLandscapes identified as most atrisk” - Andrew makes the point that thereis a vibrant interest in skiing and in thealpine resorts, and that the work beingdone is to make them sustainable inevery sense.For the benefit of those who couldn’ttake part this time, the program rangedfrom the evolution of snowmobiles, toresource efficiency in Colorado; fromsustainable building improvements tomastering social media. Feedback hasbeen very good - “thought provoking”,“good networking”, “excellent field trip”.Clearly this is one to note in your diaryfor next time round.And amongst the many action items aforum of this quality spawns, there’sbeen an agreement between agencies inNew South Wales and Victoria to form agroup with a wonderfully worthwhile taskahead of them - to pool each agency’sdistinct environmental performance‘report cards’ to create a standardisedversion to be used across the Alps.L: The Bundarrah mob- since caught andrehomed - picturedhere with a molassessalt block at the MountJim trapping yard.R: The Cobberas Traildamaged by feralhorses literally eatingthe salt in the roadsurface. Parks Victoriaranger Rudi Pleschutschnig(who iswell over six feet tall)stands in the hole.Talk to Peter Jacobs or Steve Horsley about feral horses, and one thingleaps up - it’s not a simple challenge and it’s not going to be sorted fast.But as you learn more about the ins and outs, it’s also obvious that thoseinvolved in developing strategies to set up a balance between horse andAlps are going about it with care and respect.feral horse updateNational Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)Manager Steve Horsley describes what’sbeen happening in the New South Walessections of the Alps where last year’s trappingseason brought in 350 horses.“The biggest issue we have is whatto do with them, since only 20% of thosetrapped were able to be re-homed. That’swhy we’ve been keen to raise the awarenessof the need for support, encouragingexpressions of interest from potentialre-homing organisations. I’ve been dealingwith around ten groups, working toestablish relationships.” The demand fromre-homing groups cannot match the currentavailable supply of wild horses.Given the Alps-wide population ofhorses is estimated at 11,000 (from dataproduced by an aerial survey), findinghomes for trapped horses is essential. Notthat the aim is to trap all these horses,but it gives a reasonable idea of the rehomingsupport necessary to back up thecurrent trapping program. “We’re hopingfor interest, especially in areas close toKosciuszko National Park.”However Steve explains that control isonly part of an effective pest managementplan. Information is also key. “Ultimatelywe’re looking at managing horse numbersto minimise negative environmentalimpacts. To do that we need information:from aerial surveys - three to date - whichgive us an idea of population numbers andthe rate of increase. We’re also studyingdensity levels in particular locationsto gain a better understanding of therelationship between density and negativeimpact.” As well as this, broader pest speciesimpact work is being carried out tojudge the role of a range of pests. A riparianimpact assessment, just completed inNew South Wales and the ACT, and soonto be completed in Victoria, has involved97 sites across Kosciuszko National Park.The aim is simple, to understand what isimpacting on the landscape.The cultural values which are wrappedaround the feral horse in the Alps, alsoneed to be taken into account. “Thereis a range of view, with people at bothextremes. We have to be mindful that forthese programs to work we need to finda workable balance, to have communitysupport.” Information is helping to achievethis. “Twelve months ago there was a lot ofopposition from the general public as theperception was that we were exaggeratingthe population numbers. Since then therehas been a slow trend of acceptance of theneed to manage horses in the Alps.”Peter Jacobs, Chief Ranger, ParksVictoria’s Alps District also understandsthe need to balance the cultural and naturalvalues. Alongside their cultural value,there is a growing recognition of thephysical effect feral horses have in the Alps.“They are heavy, hard-hooved animalswhich have a negative impact on softand sensitive vegetation, especially thewetlands and the alpine bogs. Our role isto manage negative impacts on biodiversity,and given our parks are also beingimpacted upon by factors such as climatechange and fire, we need to reduce otherstresses - such as feral horses”. It’s a caseof fixing what you can in order to build theAlps’ resilience.Parks Victoria’s approach is verysimilar to that of NPWS - gather informationto inform management decisions -which isn’t surprising since there is muchinformation sharing between agencies.“Thanks to the Alps Program fundedmonitoring, we have a handle on the numbers.We know that the horse populationis growing and that if we are to simply captheir growth we need to take about 2,000horses out of the Alps each year.”Currently in Victoria, feral horses areremoved from the Alps with the help ofthe Victorian Brumby Association and theAlpine Brumby Management Association.“These partnerships are critical to theway forward, but we’re still not removingnear enough horses if we’re serious aboutpopulation control - and by that I meanjust keeping it steady.”“We also know we’ve work to doon methods and re-homing. And key toeverything is the fact that we need a feralhorse management plan - one alreadyexists in New South Wales - somethingwhich is critically being addressed inVictoria soon.”In the ACT, feral horse management isframed by two factors - low numbers anda direct relationship with the effect theyhave on the landscape. Brett McNamara,Manager Rural District, ACT Parks &Conservation Service explains that despiterelatively low numbers as compared withelsewhere in the Alps, feral horses stillmanage to have a proven negative effecton the landscape. “We’re effective at removingferal horses from the Cotter region- literally a handful each year. And we dothis because they have a proven negativeeffect on the spaghnum bogs.” Not onlyare these high altitude wetlands valuablehabitat for threatened species such as theNorthern Corroborree frog (Pseudophrynepengilleyi), but their condition affects waterquality and supply cities like Canberravia the Cotter Dam.For more information: www.australianalps.environment.gov.au for your copy of FeralHorse Management, Fact Sheet.5

L: Noy Garner dressinga slab with a broad axe.R: Regina Roach andteam splitting and trimmingshingleskeeping bush skills aliveGiven each hut is a unique pastiche of building materials and methods, the army of volunteers and agency staff who care for themneeds to have an extraordinarily varied skill set. Luckily, through specially run workshops, the expertise held by an existing group ofbush craftspeople - people who were taught by their fathers and grandfathers - is being passed on to a keen and ever widening group ofvolunteers. Taking part is just one way to connect with huts, literally through the tools and fabric that have made them.The latest workshop was recently held at Currango Homestead in the Snowy Mountains where 40 people learned how to handle theadze, broad axe, maul & froe. And who were these people? Agency staff from NSW Parks, Parks Victoria, architects specialists and rangersfrom ACT Heritage department, volunteers from both the Kosciuszko Huts Association and the Victorian Huts Association, as well asothers simply interested in conserving the huts they’ve visited. Keep an eye out for news of the next workshop in the ACT.Pictured here circa 1940,Victoria’s Weston’s hutis a prime exampleof a site valued formany reasons. It haslong term links withhigh plains cattlemenfamilies - the Westonsand Goldsworthys - whogenerations ago decidedwhere it was to be builtand from what. Thehut has high value as arefuge given its locationon a key walking routebetween Mt Feathertopand the Bogong HighPlains. Not surprisingly,when it was burnt in the2006-07 fires, it was rebuilt.6Some of Australia’s most valued real estate is tucked a long way awayfrom any sealed road. Often only a single room plus lean-to, thesesimple buildings are dotted across the vastness of the Australian Alps -iconic shelters built with purpose. And it’s through the very real reasonsthat these huts were created that so many people feel a connection,often generations after they were built. The care of these structures liesin the hands of parks agency staff who simply couldn’t achieve what’snecessary without volunteers from the various alpine huts associations.Speaking with just three people responsible for managing huts showshow easy it is to be caught up in their magic..huts magicJennifer Dunn, a conservation officer withACT Heritage, is a self confessed ‘hutnut’. Daily her work involves looking atnominations for places to be included onthe ACT Heritage Register but her pulseobviously races when the nominationconcerns an alpine hut. “I worked on therebuild of Pretty Plain hut alongside thevolunteers. My husband did too and nowhe understands why I value huts. It’s lovelyto think that my daughter will be able togo back in 20 or 30 years time and say,my mum and dad rebuilt this roof.”Perhaps people so often react thisway simply because a hut is a tangibleobject which shows that other people werehere before us. And for those who knowhow to look closely, there are complexstories to be told, simply through theadze marks on a piece of timber. Runyour hands across the surface and you’retouching a moment in another time.Such as when drought-filled summersdrove cattle and sheep from the plains upinto the high country where the grazingwas good. “We have the remnants of littlecrude structures which stand as evidenceof the hardship and struggle experiencedby these people. It was bloody hard work,to round up the animals at the end of theday then light a fire, eat, sleep and thenstart the whole process over.”Knowing the stories - the culturalvalue based on the context of a structure -is vital to managing and protecting a site.It’s not simply a case of popping a newstructure in the same spot when the originalone finally crumbles (although thereare instances where the new huts havebeen reconstructed). There is too much inthe original fabric of the structure to loseif this happened, which is why so muchunseen effort goes into taking stock, andmaking sure that this stock taking is madeby people who know what they are lookingat. Typically, rangers and volunteers fromthe huts associations together assess thesites - both to determine their heritage andsocial values, but also with the view ofongoing maintenance.“We look at long term managementof each hut via any existing Hut ConditionReports and Works Plans (which take intoaccount any background information suchas Conservation Studies and ConservationManagement Plans – the CMP’s ). Thisensures all works are sympathetic to theplace. The CMP is a functioning, detaileddocument, one where a ranger or volunteershould be able to flip to the right pageand gain some immediate direction aboutwhat works should be undertaken. Anyonecan pick it up and understand what makeseach hut significant.”And this is the whole point, becausean uninformed glance could easily miss(and then possibly damage) what makesa particular hut valuable. For example,Waterhole Hut in Namadgi National Parkis not significant merely because of itslooks. “It’s appearance is pretty ordinary,a typical corrugated iron clad shelter.” Butas part of a complete setting, it’s a goodexample of 1930s vernacular construction.With the nearby drop log yards with theirY forked logs and sheep dip, “You can seethe fantastic amount of labour that wentinto construction.”Chris Smith (heritage planner withParks Victoria), agrees that a huts heritageor historic use value - the reason theywere built in the first place - is just thebeginning. For many it includes the manyways they may have been put to use since...“Grazing, land management, hunting,mining, fishing, logging, scientificresearch; for all these different activitieshuts are one of the most tangible reminderof these things. Some stories would beOriginally built in 1939by Tom Oldfield, hisson Jack and HarryTyrie, conservationworks were carriedout at Waterhole hutNamadgi National Park(ACT) in 2003-04.In December 2010,ranger Dave Whitfieldon a routine inspectiondiscovered the hutunder a fallen tree - thelikely cause being therecent high rainfall.Once the tree wasremoved, much toeveryone’s relief noneof the con-servationwork had been affectedapart from a few ‘dings’in the iron roof.difficult to tell without something in thelandscape to help tell it. If you come acrossa logging hut it’s a great opportunity to makea connection with the people who built thehut, lived here, worked in the Alps. It’s a wayto understand their land use activities.”Whatever their origin, in current timeshuts can also play a refuge role. “Thoughvisitors are encouraged to go preparedto camp out, if circumstances demandit, huts do offer shelter. Some - such asCleeve Cole Memorial Hut - exist simplybecause there was no shelter when it wasneeded.” (This particular hut was builtin 1937 in memory of skier Cleve Colewho was caught up in bad weather anddied of exposure despite the efforts of hiscompanions.)Huts are clearly appreciated for theiraesthetic value. “People appreciate theirrustic character, the smoky interiors, thetimbers and furniture polished throughyears of use. Huts appear picturesquein the landscape. Of the thousands ofhectares in Victoria’s Alpine National Park,where do people go? To huts. They are afocus of activity, a destination. Surely thisis a measure of their value.”Chris also points out a continuity thatmay not be obvious at first glance, thathuts are usually well positioned, and notby chance. Very often the people who tookcattle into the Alps followed the existingpathways of the First Peoples. They’dbuild their huts where there was naturalshelter and water, often at a place wherethese pathways crossed - places wherepeople had always camped.According to Jennifer Dunn, MeganBowden, a ranger with the NSW Parks andWildlife Service is also a ‘hut nut’. Partof Megan’s role involves the logistic coordinationfor huts maintenance throughto reconstruction of huts burnt in 2003-a challenge ramped up by the location ofmany of the sites in Kosciuszko NationalPark.Megan explains that rangers areultimately responsible for the huts in theirpatch, and are guided by a managementplan for each. This to do list and significanceassessment has been put togetherby a heritage consultant in consultation withthe ranger and with each hut’s volunteercaretaker group. While the items on thelist may be familiar to most home owners- roofing, drainage, stumping - for huts, aslightly different approach is necessary.“The aim is to carry work out in a balancedway - to do as much as is necessarybut as little as possible - to retain as muchof the original fabric but keeping in mindthat you don’t want the hut to fall down.”For example, if a hut’s original stumpsare timber, replacing them with obscuredconcrete equivalents may extend the hutsability to weather longer before the nextmaintenance intervention is needed.There are 70 huts in Kosciuszko NationalPark, over 200 still standing acrossthe Alps, and as Megan points out, “...each one is different; not one is the same.”This is because they display differentmaterials in a range of ingenious oftenout-of-necessity combinations. Log, corrugatediron, split slab, river stone, pisé orrammed earth - there are endless combinations.“There are no hardware stores inthe Alps so the people who’ve built thesestructures have been masters of makingdo: using fencing wire instead of nails;cannibalizing old huts to recycle them intonew structures. We also see changes intechnologies - where bark and shinglesroofed early huts, have been replaced withcorrugated iron, sometimes simply bylaying the iron sheets over the top.”No wonder huts offer visitors such arich means of interpreting European culturein this setting. “You can’t understanda hut from a picture - you need to go in,to feel the stories of the people who havebeen there before you, the legends and themyths. A hut is something to experience.”7

Right: In Victoria’sBright, tracks havebeen successfullyshared by bush walkersbike riders for aslong as anyone canremember.Below: Thanks to thepartnership betweenthe Department ofEnvironment andConservation inWestern Australia andthe South West MTBClub, a trail networknearly 60km longthrough Karri forestis being maintainedby the Club in the MtLennard conservationreserve, nearBunbury.When asked who the majority of bike riders in the mountains are, thedirector of the Australian branch of the International Mountain BikeAssociation (IMBA), Nic Bowman, keeps it simple. “They’re bushwalkerswho happen to ride bikes.”Nic recently shared the association’sperspective with parks managers at theJune operational meeting, the aim beingto gain a greater understanding all roundof the common ground to be built upon.Nic is the first to agree that bike riding innatural areas has been a hot topic for someyears now, one that many land managersmay have hoped would go away. But thatMAINTAINGA BALANCEmanaging bikesis changing, and in New South Wales andVictoria especially the climate and degreeof understanding has shifted.For the assembled group, Nic’s aimwas to bring everyone up to speed on theworld of mountain bikes: the culture withits different subgroups; the role of the Associationand its formidable resources tobe shared (impact studies, track construc-tion guidelines, signage, risk managementetc etc); the love bike riders have fornatural places and their participation instewardship programs related to bush careand trail maintenance.The results were a fair amount ofdiscussion on various aspects - forexample the adoption of IMBA guidelinesin South Australia walking trail constructionbecause of their lower maintenance;the results of the impact studies; possibleeconomic benefits; signage dealing withtrack difficulty ratings; risk management;and, thanks to IMBAs existence aroundthe world, a sense of what’s happeningelsewhere.“Our aim is to help create a network ofshared use trails that is inclusive, a modelthat already works well in New Zealandand the United States. We value naturallandscapes and we need to encourageyoung people to enjoy the bush as theywill become the future conservationists.”Bart Smith (Ranger in Charge of theKing-Howqua Unit in Victoria’s Alpine NationalPark), came prepared, with a list ofquestions. “Knowing my patch and what Imanage, mountain biking is no longer newand emerging, and we need to get a handleon it. Having someone like Nic speak wasa good stepping stone as we’ve a keeninterest in developing ‘epic status’ tracksand experiences around Mount Buller.”For more information, on mountainbiking contact Nic Bowman via imba.au@bigpond.com orwww.imba-au.comthe science viewpointRecent research is helping to show the effect of mountain bikes in national parks. In simplest terms, like hiking, mountain biking hasa range of negative impacts on vegetation and soils as well as on water and fauna. In flat areas where the riding is smooth and thenumber of passes is less than 500, impact is virtually the same as for hiking for a given distance. More research, both on and off thetrack is needed, while good management will need to adopt a big picture view to better deflect off-track impacts, such as constructionof unauthorised trail features.There’s nothing complicated about the way field days work. A group ofpeople who might not otherwise have the chance to talk to each other, dojust that. A well organised field day goes one step further to make sureeveryone there has something in common, and at the latest Alps Programorganised event held in June at Jindabyne, the group was linked by thetopic of pest control. An oldie but a goodie, pest control effortlesslypulled 60 people away from their daily routine, which very often involvesdealing with pests as they try to manage a balance across the Alps.the fieldwhereit’s atSo while the pests had a few days respite,those taking part were guaranteed exposureto a lot of ideas to take home - options toconsider - together with the knowledge thatthey’re on the right track.Anthony Evans, Alps Program managerand host puts it well. “Our aim at thisfield day was to put a focus on day to dayoperational issues. In recent years we’vehad a chance to consider emerging issuesand strategies, and now it was time againto look at the bread and butter issues.”Feral pigs and deer, weeds and gizmoslike the M44 ejectors and remote sensorcameras - it was all up for discussion. Withpeople present from each of the three landmanagement agencies (as well as somering-ins from the Blue Mountains who facesimilar issues), the carefully complied setfurtherreadingof presentations gave everyone a chance tocompare and contrast each others existingprograms. It was also an opportunity topick up on the latest research likely todirectly influence future control methods.Take feral deer for example. At thispoint in time there is no active managementtaking place in the Australian Alps, partlybecause the potential control methodologyis still being explored. As for numbers,Parks Victoria’s Mike Dower estimated35,000 had been harvested in Victoria lastyear during the game season.It’s early days but the ground-workhas begun. The field day participants heardabout the research into control methodsbeing carried out by the NSW Parks andWildlife Service, and about the monitoringbeing taken up in partnership betweenParks Victoria and the Australian DeerAssociation. These are text book first stepsas everyone in the room was well aware- that regardless of the pest, an effectivemanagement plan rests of three vital bits ofinformation: numbers, impact and control.For those interested in just how much weed seed a tourist could be dispersing, the finalresults of a sock (yes sock) based study have been published. And the answer is millionsof seed per year according to Pickering, C.M., Mount, A., Wichmann, M.C. and Bullock,J.M. (2011, available on line already) Estimating human-mediated dispersal of seedswithin an Australian protected area. Biological Invasions.What are the effects of camping off the beaten trail? See Growcock, A.J. and Pickering,C.M. (2011) Impacts of small group short term experimental camping on alpine andsubalpine vegetation in the Australian Alps. Journal of Ecotourism 10: 86-100.Or for trends in mountain related tourism, try Pickering, C.M. and Barros, A. (To bepublished late 2011). Mountain Environments and Tourism. In: Holden A. and Fennell D.Handbook of Tourism and the Environment. Routledge, London.All can be sourced via an email: c.pickering@griffith.edu.auWhat some of theparticipants thought...“It was a great session for fieldoperators, presented by field operators.I spoke about monitoring and it wasgood to hear what other equipment -remote cameras that send images toyour desk - are being used by othersand how.”Craig Hore, senior ranger Bogong Unit,Alpine National Park, Victoria.“Just prior to the workshop we’dpurchased some camera equipment, soit was good to be able to talk to peoplewho are using them elsewhere in theAlps and reassuring to see that whatwe’re doing is in line with what’s happeningelsewhere. It was also valuableto cross a lot of ideas when we weretalking with a few people in a smalldiscussion group.”Amanda Blyth, senior field officer withNSW Parks and Wildlife.“It was full on and there wasn’t a break.The knowledge sharing was fantastic,especially the chance to look at howVictoria is handling feral deer as weneed to be ready to get on top of it.Then there were the new techniquesto trap feral cats being used inKosciuszko National Park. And givenwe’re surrounded by New South Wales,what they do affects what we do on ourside of the border. It was good to hearhow they’re getting the stakeholders togetherwhere pest control’s concernedto achieve their goals.”Colin Schofield, action Senior Ranger,Cotter Murrumbidgee CorridorFor more information, contact Associate Professor Catherine Pickering (Griffith University c.pickering@griffith.edu.au)8 9

Left: L to R: PhD student Hayley Bates and volunteerSophie Carroll (both University NSW) workingwith Linda Broome at Rough Creek where fivefemales with young were caught last December.(image: Andrew Sheargold, Canberra Times.)Below: Haijing Shi (PhD student, University of NSWADFA campus) with one of the new possums froma site near Cabramurra.BURRAMYS FACTSfirst fossil The Mountain PygmypossumBurramys parvus was firstdescribed following the discoveryin 1894 of jaw bones in a fossildeposit at the Wombeyan Cavesin central New South Wales. Morefossils were later found at Buchan,Victoria in the early 1960s.first live specimen In August 1966a living Burramys parvus wasfound in a ski lodge at Mt Hotham,Victoria and was described as ananimal that had ‘returned fromextinction’ and one of the few Australianspecies that had been given‘a second chance’. In the yearsthat followed more were foundliving in the wild in southern NSWand eastern Victoria.‘Possum Lady’ Dr Linda Broome received a wonderful gift late last year as she celebrated 25 years of work centredon the Australian Alps endangered Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus)...hiddenpossumsGiven Linda’s position with the New SouthWales Parks - which involves ongoinglong term Burramys monitoring - she isconcerned about the numbers. “The totalpopulation of this species in NSW and Victoriahas declined significantly from just over2,600 adults when we began surveying in1986 to around 2,000 today.”For anyone who works or lives inthe Alps this is probably not news. Whatis news is the fact that Linda and thoseworking with her, have made a fabulousdiscovery.Of course fabulous is not a word likelyto appear on any of the scientific documentsproduced to describe what has happened,but that’s exactly what it is. The veryfact that three colonies of possums havepopped up where they weren’t expected hasgiven everyone new hope for this species’ability to adapt. But we’re getting ahead ofthe story.Early in her career, Linda spent timeenjoying Wyoming’s awe-inspiring winterlandscape as she radio tracked smallmammals in the astonishing cold. By thetime she returned to Australia she was aseasoned hand in winter-field-research inalpine regions, happily carrying out similarwork on the Mountain Pygmy-possum,gathering information to help determinewhat factors boost population numbersand what do not. What began in 1986 as aspecific study has evolved into 25 ongoingyears, supported by students and theirprojects as well as a dedicated team ofvolunteers.At least once a year in Spring, trapsare carefully laid. “We put 100 aluminiumbox traps out on each site, lined withbedding and supplied with walnuts - bed& breakfast - covered with plastic to keepthem dry.” The next morning any trappedanimals are run through the usual identificationand condition checks as part of aprocess which adds information, beyondjust population estimates, to the buildingdata base. Alongside this, other factors arerecorded - such as snow depth and duration,and the abundance of Bogong moths,Mountain Plum-pine seeds, cats and foxes.The idea is to build a picture of what’s goingon so that informed steps can be takenalong the way to help support Burramyspopulations.Understandably keeping this monitoringcycle going takes up time, leavinglittle spare time to go searching for newpopulations. However last year Lindawas lured from her usual test sites - 30kilometres further north - to an area whichdid have characteristic habitat (boulder fieldsand Mountain Plum-pines) although it wasat a lower altitude, and so unlikely - veryunlikely - to be a Mountain Pygmy-possumstronghold. At the encouragement of acolleague - Keith McDougal, botanist withthe Office of Environment and Heritage -plans were made to go back to take anotherlook and in the meantime, seeds gatheredfrom under Mountain Plum-pines, one ofthe possums key food sources, were sentto Linda for examination - when she hadtime. “We were looking for control sites fora couple of PhD projects that ticked all thehabitat boxes but did not have possums –but – you know - I had this niggling feelingthat there could be possums there”.Data loggers were set up in the areaover winter to record temperature and thepresence of snow, and plans were madeto arrive with the traps in late springwhen the usual core ongoing monitoringwork was out of the way. Then somethingunexpected happened.“I had a phone call from a consultant(Martin Schultz) carrying out surveys forrehabilitation work in the new area sayinghe’d caught an animal which he thoughtmight be a Burramys. He sent the imagethrough and it was. I then went straight tomy shopping bag of stored seeds and byone in the morning had came up trumpswith a dozen seeds showing evidence thatpossums were eating them.”With both photographic proof and thedistinctive marks on the seeds, it was verylikely that a population of possums wouldbe found that spring - and they were, onthree completely new sites. Of course it’snot the possums numbers alone which areso heartening, but the knowledge that theyare living at lower altitudes and in locationswhich don’t necessarily tick all theirprerequisite niche boxes.“I’ve been surveying and trappingthese animals every year for years and tosuddenly find such an apparently robustpopulation well outside the area we havefocused on for all that time, and especiallyat altitudes down to 1200 metres, is veryexciting. It means that it’s possible theMountain Pygmy-possum is living inother parts of the park and even in areaswhere there is less snow and for muchshorter periods. The densities at the newsites so far appear quite low - so we needto figure out what it is that is restrictingtheir numbers. Our working hypothesis(and the focus of 3 current PhD projects)is an interaction between climate extremes,food supply and predation fromcats and foxes.”“We have always held fears that thisspecies was at real risk of disappearingcompletely with a receding snowline, butfinding them at much lower altitudes giveus cause to believe that the MountainPygmy Possum may be more resilient toclimate change than we had first thought.”So to sum up, this is good news aspopulation numbers may very likely begreater than previously thought; snowcover may in fact play less of a role thanhad been thought; and there is now anopportunity for animals to live in wild ormanaged captive-bred release colonies atlower altitudes.HabitatPossum colonies occupy widelyscattered boulderfields lying onor below rocky mountain peaks,typically at altitudes above 1400m, the lower limits roughly beingin line with the lower limit of thewinter snowline.Food & shelterThe seasons heavily influencepossum food and shelter. Singlelitters of four are born after thesnow melt in spring, growingrapidly to fatten extensively inlate summer and autumn. Winter,when food is in short supply, isspent in hibernation.In summer the boulderfieldsprovide a cool, moist environment,well protected from cats andfoxes. During hibernation in winter,daily temperature fluctuations(which can be as low as minus 20degrees) are virtually eliminatedunder a protective cover of snow.The migratory Bogong moth(Agrotis infusa), which gather intheir millions in the boulderfieldsduring the snow-free season,forma major part of the possumsdiet along with the seeds andfruits of the Mountain Plum-pine(Podocarpus lawrencei), SnowBeard-heaths (Leucopogon spp.)and Rice Flowers (Pimelia spp.).These foods may also includeother plants’ fruits and seeds, nectar,caterpillars, beetles, spidersand other arthropods.10 11

WORKSAROUND THEALPSPROGRAM UPDATEWith the new financial year upon us,new projects are being rolled out acrosseach of the Alps Program’s six referencegroups. Most of last year’s projects havebeen wrapped up, with the exception ofsome which are being carried across. AsProgram Manager, Anthony Evan’s role isto kick start as many of these jobs as possible- and as soon as possible.“Over the last few months all of thegroups have met, many face-to-face,but where time and distance proved anobstacle, some groups had to settle forteleconferences. The Alps OperationalGroup (Operational and Program Managersfrom across the Alps) met in June bothto review last year’s projects and discussthis year’s works plan. The Australian AlpsLiaison Committee also met at the sametime, while an Australian Alps traditionalOwners Reference Group meeting in Mayunfortunately didn’t manage a quorum.”Following is a run down from each ofthe reference groups.Cultural HeritageA report will be commissioned onthe Indigenous Cultural Values of theAustralian Alps. It’s anticipated that thiswill support the claim for the AustralianAlps to be placed on to the tentative WorldHeritage list.The highly popular Timber Skills workshopwill be held once again this financialyear, this time in the ACT. These workshopsare a chance for staff and volunteersto learn, share and pass on historic hutconstruction and maintenance techniques.(see page 7)Stakeholder Engagement andCommunicationThe long-standing Alps brochures (fourin total) will be reviewed. The content, designand overall purpose of the brochureswill be considered as part of the review.A stock-take of Alps displays, both amobile and permanent, is planned toidentify those due for updating.The Alps Education Kit is also beingupdated, beginning with a content review.The next step is to redesign the formatand prepare for it to be put onto theweb in a more modern format than it iscurrently.An Australian Alps Flickr account is inthe process of being established whichwill allow staff and the public to accesshigh quality images from across theAustralian Alps.And finally, the Group is also assistingwith the co-ordination of eventssurrounding the 25th anniversary of theAustralian Alps Program. It is plannedto hold a community event in Victoria,New South Wales and the ACT in Novemberto mark this significant occasion.Visitor Experiences and MarketingFollowing the success of the inauguralAustralian Alps Field Days earlier thisyear with its theme of invasive weeds andpests, a second forum will be held with atheme of Visitor Services and Facilities.The ‘Welcome to Country’ indigenoustotem project is continuing. A prototypetotem has been developed, with thefinal design not far away. Ultimately thisproject will see these totems installedat visitor nodes across the Alps and willprovide a reminder of the indigenousoccupation of the Alps.The Australian Alps Webpage is in theprocess of being upgraded to includemore information and opportunities forvisitors.Water and CatchmentsThe issue which lies ahead for this groupis to analyse the report recently presentedto the AALC: ‘Caring for our AustralianAlps Catchments’ (Worboys, et al, 2010).An implementation strategy, in responseto the report, will be developed.With support and direction from the referencegroup, a university based projectis underway which is investigating thedistribution of European Carp across theAlps.Natural Resource ManagementA university based project investigating thebiological impacts of European Waspswill begin over the next 12 months.Given feral horse management continuesto be a high profile managementissue, the Alps Program is assisting tobuild the knowledge base of managersacross the Alps.The Program is providing assistance toremeasure the feral horse exclusionplots in the Cobberas and CowombatFlat areas in Victoria via a universitybasedproject. In addition to this, anotheruniversity based project will develop anon-ground method for estimating horsedensity, to commence this year providinga suitable student can be found.The measuring of horse impacts aroundstreams and waterways across the Alpswill be completed by the 2012 winter.The final report into the floristic andstructural changes shown in the Alps FirePlots over the past 15 years (and severalsignificant fires) will be completed by theend of the year.An innovative series of workshops willbe held over the next 12 months titled‘Improved decision making for prioritisingweed control in the Aust Alps nationalparks’. The program, run by scientists,will lead key managers of weed programsthrough a structured process based ontheir science.Climate ChangeA survey of managers from across thefour agencies will be carried out to findout what research relating to ClimateChange managers find valuable - a logicalmove given the Alps Program stronglysupports research which will providemanagement outcomes.Two recent items of news illustratethe involvement of traditional ownersin the management of the nationalparks. Firstly a new TraditionalOwner Settlement Act 2010 cameinto effect in early October lastyear - an agreement which formallyrecognises the Gunaikurnai peopleas the Traditional Owners of muchof Gippsland. And in May this year,a memorandum of understanding(MOU) was signed betweenthe New South Wales Parks andWildlife Service (NPWS) and theTraditional Owners of the northernend of Kosciuszko National Park.positive stepsflora fundingWhat are the likely future risks tothe flora of the Australian Alps?How will climate change, directlyor indirectly affect its existence?Which plants or plant communitieswill be adversely affected, andwhich may find the going not-sotough?Co signers of the NSW MOU: Sally Barnes (Head of NPWS) together with Tumut Brungle Gundagai Elders, Uncle VinceBulger, Aunty Marg Berg and Aunty Sonia PiperThis particular MOU is the direct resultof a commitment made in the 2006Kosciuszko Management Plan to exploreand develop cooperative managementwith relevant Aboriginal groups, ultimatelyestablishing permanent heritagepartnerships. Four years later, an MOUhas been formalised between the TumutBrungle Gundagai Area Aboriginal Community(TBGAAC) and the NPWS. Thearea covered includes the Northern end ofKosciuszko National Park and other localreserves such as Wereboldera, Mudjarn,Minjary, Ellerslie, Courabyra, BlackAndrew, Brindabella and Wee Jasper - allfalling within the existing Tumut BrungleLand Council Area.Reaching this point has been thanksto a careful process. Preliminary discussionswere held in 2007, then begunin earnest at a family gathering held atCabramurra in March 2008 where Communitymembers began to list potentialkey issues for inclusion. By May an MOUcommittee had been formed. Many meetingsthen followed until the final documentwas adopted by community members onthe 12th of March in an official signing:Sally Barnes Head of National Parks andWildlife Service on behalf of NPWS; andAunty Sonia Piper, Aunty Margaret Bergand Uncle Vince Bulger, community elderssigning for the Tumut Brungle GundagaiArea Aboriginal Community.This process produced the followingkey areas: an understanding that the MOUis worthless without mutual respect; anundertaking to expand on training andemployment opportunities for TraditionalOwners for the benefit of all; a building ofcultural awareness to improve everyone’sunderstanding and appreciation of thisparticular cultural landscape; and providingaccess for traditional and culturalpurposes.In terms of detail, the MOU has beenadopted for a period of five years with anoption for another five. It will function viaan Executive Committee (selected from theTBGAAC) which will work closely withNPWS. At the heart lies a strategic planThanks to one of seven Terrestrial Biodiversitygrants, recently handed out by theNational Climate Change Adaptation ResearchFacility, in a little over two years wemay have some answers, or at least morequestions. The research, involving parksand university staff, will make good use ofthe extensive existing databases availableto researchers on climate change, fire,tourism impacts, grazing (from both nativeand introduced animals) and weeds.The study’s results will provide parkmanagement with recommendations forprioritising adaptive strategies for fire,grazing by feral animals, weeds, tourismand reduced snow cover - strategieswhich outlines activities to be undertakento meet key priorities, a plan which will bereviewed annually.And for those who may have missedthe details of Victoria’s Gunaikurnai settlement,the agreement was made underthe new Traditional Owner Settlement Act2010, which now states that the Gunaikurnaipeople hold native title over areas ofCrown land in the agreement area, settlinga native title claim dating back to 1997.The agreement includes both rights forGunaikurnai people to access and use theland for traditional purposes, and the fundsto invest in opportunities for both culturalstrengthening and economic development.Management of the land remainsunchanged - with one big difference. Ajoint management plan is being developedby the Gunaikurnai and the State for theAboriginal Title areas, and this plan will besubject to a process of public consultationprocess, before seeking ministerial approval.The previously mentioned fundingprovided to the Gunaikurnai people willhelp make this joint management possible.All involved hope this move will seehealthier parks and more opportunities fora greater depth of experience.designed to enhance the resilience of thealpine ecosystems to climate change. Asa bonus, the study will also classify nativeand weed species into high, moderateand low risk/invasive categories. In thisway, key refugia for native species canbe identified, and species chosen forrehabilitation programs, weed control andfor conservation in seed banks.For further information about theproject - ‘Determining high risk vegetationcommunities and plant species in relationto climate change in the Australian alpineregion’ - contact Catherine Pickering atGriffith University, (07) 5552 8059 orc.pickering@griffith.edu.au12 13

Bogong High Plains.Some of the best ideas are themost obvious, and surely this isone of them - a walk between thealpine resorts of Falls Creek andMt Hotham.resort toresortIt’s a great concept - to walk betweenthese two resorts in the warmer months.Of course anyone can currently accessa series of tracks to get from A to B,and it’s already a walk that appeals tobushwalkers who have the gear and areprepared to carry it. What’s special aboutthe yet-to-be-launched Falls To HothamAlpine Crossing is that it will open up theexperience to everyone - bushwalkers toSunday strollers.Ranger team-leader Kevin Cosgriffwith the Bogong Management Unit explains.“We wanted to break down barriers, to makethis peak and rolling high plains experienceavailable to more people.” The resultis an achievable five star 60 kilometrewalk over three days and two nights - aremote wilderness experience that’s easyto do. “The walk will start at the resorts,where there is plenty of accommodation;the packs will be carried; it’s fully cateredand an experienced guide helps visitorsappreciate their setting. The experiencethey get should be mind blowing.”With this as the end goal, muchhas and still is taking place to achieveit. Firstly the walk has received threesignificant ticks of support: from theVictorian Nature-based Tourism Strategy,the Board of Alpine Resorts Tourism, andthe National landscapes Initiative. Furthersupport has come from Tourism Victoria,the resorts involved, Parks Victoria andthe Department of Sustainability andEnvironment. Actual works began on theexisting network of tracks earlier thisyear upgrading surfaces to make thewalk more comfortable. An estimated25 kilometres will need intensive work,scheduled for completion next year.The official launch may still be sometime away, yet tours are likely to be upand running by the end of the year. Formore information about the operatorsoffering to take people on the Falls ToHotham Alpine Crossing, contact ParksVictoria on 13 19 63.it’sstillamysteryIn it’s long history, KosciuszkoNational Park’s Kiandra Courthouseand police quarters(1890s) has also functioned as aski-lodge (early to mid last century).Currently the NSW NationalParks and Wildlife Service areprogressively restoring the buildingto function as the Kiandrainterpretation, café and accommodationcentre. Which brings usto the mystery.As the old courtroom walls were beingprepared for repainting, the shadow ofa boot appeared. A conservation teamfrom the University of Canberra wascalled in and this image was revealed.But despite press and radio calls forhelp, no-one knows the story of how itcame to be there. Of course there areclues. The image itself is full of them:the clothing, the equipment. And there’salso the fact that the mural must havebeen painted before a staircase to theupper floor was built across its face inthe 1960s. Historic Heritage ProjectCoordinator Jen Hewitson ( 02 69477011) would love to hear from anyonewith any information.Mt Feathertop.14 15

The Australian Alps is a landscape that undergoes a dramatic seasonal transformation. When snow arrives, itbrings with it a series of shifts, and one of these is the way canids (foxes, wild dogs) and feral cats interact withthe altered landscape. For those involved in effective pest management in and around the Alps, it’s all aboutunderstanding these changes and making the most of them...pests insnowMel Schroder (Environmental ManagementOfficer, Kosciuszko National Park)is ideally positioned to describe the yearroundfox and feral cat control programswhich, in winter, focus around the skiresort areas. “A study undertaken by TaniaBubella in the early 1990s demonstratedthat the typical fox home range in thewarmer month’s breaks down in winter tocentre on the resorts, as these settingsoffer a reliable food source and shelter.”Having the foxes on your doorstep isn’tthe only advantage to a winter controlprogram. “In winter there are a limitednumber of species which forage in thesnow, reducing the potential for non targetspecies to remove baits.”Winter fox baiting programs beganback in 1999, coordinated by climateecologist Dr Ken Green. Each season workstarts once there is enough snow to allowstaff and researchers to cross-country ski.Following established transects, fox tracksare counted before and after the winterbaiting program to gauge the results. (Thecurrent rate of reduction is 75%.) Thebaits are then buried and checked weeklyuntil there are no further signs of activity.Mel points out that to get the bestview of any pest control program it’simportant not only to keep an eye on thereduction in pest species but also thepopulation numbers of the native animalsthat the program aims to protect. In thecase of both foxes and cats, the vulnerableBroad-toothed Rat (Mastacomys fuscus) isa favourite. “Fox and cat scat and gut dietanalysis at different times of the year hasshown that Mastacomys is very common,almost a preferential species amongstboth pest species.”With the players identified the efficacyof the control programs needs to be constantlyevaluated, “...to determine whetherthe pest population is decreasing andwhether the threatened species are benefiting.It’s about meeting your objectives.”Dealing with the cats is less straightforward as less is understood about theirbehaviour. “One 2004 study undertaken byKaren Watson which radio-collared catsaround the Perisher ski resort showed thatthey did live in the resort infrastructure aswell as in dens made at tree bases and inboulder fields. It is likely that they couldbe responding to winter in the same wayfoxes do.”What’s also not confirmed is feralcat impact on other species such as theMountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus)*.Some believe that the boulder fieldsoccupied by the possums offer a goodhabitat for cats. “In 2002 the population atMt Blue Cow had a major crash, promptingsome action to reduce stress on theremaining population. In that first year 30feral cats were trapped from the ski resorts, and in subsequent years, 85 in total. It’sa case of feral pests being something wecan control, where we can’t control otherfactors which may be impacting on thisspecies, such as climate change.”Judging efficacy has been tricky. Unlikethe foxes, estimating overall numbersof cats isn’t possible. “We can detect theirpresence with infrared cameras, but we’veno idea of their abundance.” Howeverlooking at indicator species such as thepossum and rat populations is useful. Upuntil recently there has been no significantincrease in the population of possums orBroad-toothed Rats, but with the introductionof soft jaw trapping in 2010 and itssubsequent success in removing 12 catsand 14 foxes from possum habitat, it’shoping that this year’s population monitoringmay start to show some positive effect.The best approach seems to be hadmaking use of every tool in the box,making sure you know about as manypotential control techniques and tips aspossible and re-evaluating the success ofa program along the way. “We share ourknowledge through field days** or yearlypest officer group meetings.”The notion of the varied ‘toolbox’is obviously an approach shared acrossborders as Nicola Webb, echoes, “Themore tools you have, the more techniques,the higher your success rate.” For Nicola,(Vertebrate Pests Coordinator, ACT Parksand Conservation Service), gatheringthose tools - and potentially others - ishelped by the fact that she’s a memberof the National Wild Dog ManagementAdvisory Group. “I’m one of the agencyrepresentatives meeting with farmers, ruralindustry representatives and the top wilddog scientists.”At Namadgi National Park, foxes aremanaged as part of the wild dog controlprogram using a combination of baits,M44 ejectors and trapping. It’s alsoabout timing and getting neighbouringstakeholders to join the dance. “We do anintensive control in Spring to pick up thepups, and then in Autumn when the adultsare out and about looking for mates, theaim being to lower the numbers of breedinganimals before winter.” Research***has shown that given there is reduceddog traffic along tracks in July when theyhave pups in the den, that’s also whenthe essentially year-round baiting controlprogram takes a break.A full time trapper, Mick Clarke, actsas a buffer for the baiting program bytrapping foxes and wild dogs that simplydon’t take the baits. Added to this isthe constant effort being made to bringneighbouring landholders into the picture.“The ideal is to have everyone carrying outcontrol measures at the same time.”In Victoria, ranger Rudi Pleschutschnigis usually the one setting the trapsand laying baits, explaining that fellowranger Iris Curran does the phenomenalamount of work necessary to manage thedata. Rudi’s approach to pest control iscoloured by a mix of straight-up logic andwhat he experiences in the field. “We stilldon’t know enough not to be doing thisstuff... we’re continuing to learn all thetime. I go out and find something unexpected,something that’s not in a text book,and that’s not surprising because the canidhas a problem solving brain. They educateboth themselves and their offspring tosurvive, so we have to stay one step aheadof them.”Much of Rudi’s way of operatingis thanks to actively gleaning methodsand personal philosophies from trapperswho’ve been around a very longtime - people who worked for the oldLands Department or Soil ConservationAuthority. Foxes are the focus year round,and in winter especially, the bait stationsare set up around known Mountain-pygmyPossum habitat.Baiting takes place monthly in summer,but in winter, travel becomes easierthanks to the snow which allows weeklychecks and even the extension of thebaited area. And there are other benefits.“It’s completely different working in snowas the track and trail signs are easier toread.” To the experienced eye it’s a littlelike reading a storybook - the snow offersup information about what animal haspassed by, or even a moment where onecaught and killed another. “Being reallyobservant is the key.”All monitoring generates data (whichis then fed back into a loop to informfuture programs). “We started with goodbaseline data and the results since showthat we are knocking the fox numbers down,but not out. There will be a spike in springand then a dramatic crash.” And like theprograms running across borders, anothertool is being tested this year. “Usingadaptive experimental management we’relooking at using a pulse trapping programto knock out problem animals.” The processis ever-changing and ongoing...*For more on the Mountain Pygmypossum,see page 10.** See page 9. *** data gathered by LeeAllen and Ben Allen (Biosecurity Queensland)from radio collared wild dogs.Parks Victoria rangers Ron Riley and Iris Curran fox baiting on the Bogong High Plains.a bush craftLike a family Christmas-cake recipe, many of the steps ranger Rudi Pleschutschnigroutinely takes when he’s setting traps have been handed down to him by masters in thisbush craft.To begin with he walks in to spot signs of foxes, often a prominent tussock on theinside bend of a trail marked with urine or faeces. When setting a trap, minimising hisown presence is a must and the steps to achieve it are almost a black art. He dresses in aset of clothes that have been kept apart from scented soap, cosmetics or boot polish. Hewears gloves and works on a hessian mat that is stored hanging in the open smoke-freebreeze. All soil dug out to make a small depression for the soft jaw trap is kept on the matuntil it’s needed as back-fill. The trap itself has been previously cleaned and oiled in acomplex process (involving boiling rainwater and a film of paraffin) to ensure it’s alsofree of human-related scents. A drag stick is harvested from the site and attached to thetrap’s chain, the trap is set, then everything is put back as before, having been swept by a greenbranch of foliage. The only bait for the trap is the easiest to sort. “Foxes are really inquisitive.In a familiar environment it’s enough to set a stick standing taller than everythingelse. They will walk over to investigate and if the trap has been set and done properly, thefox doesn’t know it’s there. We work out, and work with the animals’ Achilles tendon.”16 17

Managing dynamic landscapes is all about dealing with whatever happens in the best way possible, learning frompast situations. After a series of significant rainfall events late last year, the flood waters rose, then receded leavingbehind a job to do. Here’s a snapshot of what each agency was faced with and how they’ve been going about it...after thefloodPerhaps hardest hit was Victoria, whereaccording to Gill Anderson, East RegionServices Program Manager, damage waswidespread, not only across the Alps butthe state. “There were eight significantevents from Wilson’s Prom to the Grampians,and two or three of these were in theAlps. Looking at damage to roads, walkingtracks, bridges and culverts, it was generallya case of water not being able to get away.In areas that were recently fire affected,there was a huge amount of run off.”To deal with an estimated two milliondollars in damage, immediate worktook place to get tracks open to carry outassessments. Low level routine repairswere tackled locally, while complex damageinvolved more input. “For the morecomplex situations we needed engineeringguidance, and given the scale of damageacross the State, it has taken time tocoordinate. Not all is up and running butwe’re very close. We now know what stillneeds to be done and how we want toachieve it. Post winter we’ll be organisedwith contractors ready to go as soon asthe weather permits”In New South Wales, two major stormevents in September and October sawinfrastructure damage estimated at over$1.3 million dollars. As you’d expect,damage to roads, tracks and bridges waswidespread but there were three areassignificantly affected, and interestingly,each illustrates an almost text-book flooddamage category.In one case, a section of the ElliotWay running alongside Section Creekwas affected when the creek rose threemetres resulting in scouring of the earthenembankment and instability in the roadstructure. In the Geehi area increased soilsaturation resulted in multiple landslidesaffecting the road structure. Ted McDonnell(Manager Assets, Roads and RehabilitationUnit Southern Ranges Region)explains. “Roads running along hillsidesare constructed by cut and fill. The rainfallcaused some material to fall onto the roadsurface but the main damage was throughthe outer fill section becoming unstable.In some places the road surface - whichis usually around seven metres wide - hadshrunk to three metres through slumping.Rehabilitation works, including theconstruction of retaining walls, is neededto restore the road’s full width. Theseworks are scheduled for summer 2011.”The third example of typical flood damageinvolved classic culvert wash out whichoccurred in many places but none morespectacularly than in two locations alongthe Goobarragandara Power Line Road.Here two culverts became blocked resultingin the culverts being washed out andcausing over $120k worth of damage.“Looking to the future NSW Parksand Wildlife Group is about to release acentralised state road management policyand manual. The origins of the manual arebased on management practices used inNSW and Victoria and focuses on providingguidance on sound planning strategies,management practices and technicalguidance.” Of course skill and experienceare needed to make the most of thismanual.” There are many competent peopleinvolved in infrastructure managementthroughout the Alps, and there shouldbe greater liaison to share experiencesand technical data to standardise bestpractice in infrastructure development andmanagement.”The two main rainfall events alsocaused a significant amount of damage inthe ACT along the Murrumbidgee RiverCorridor. Within hours, a series of walkingtracks, bridges, steps, as well as unsealedvehicle fire trails, culverts and creekcrossings were adversely affected.Proof again that everything isinterconnected, the rain which fell on theTantangara Plains in the Alps near Tumutfed the flood which drove the damage asthe water made its way along the Murrumbidgee.Brett McNamara, ManagerRural District, ACT Parks & ConservationService describes a landscape that hadbecome unfamiliar to some who hadn’twitnessed such a wet summer before. “Iwas hearing staff talk about being boggedin areas they hadn’t previously had issueswith. It’s about changing people’sunderstanding of a landscape, if only toprevent issues with recovery of a vehicle,and the negative impact that leaves on theenvironment.” Where years of drought andfire had created a perception, this summeradjusted our mindset and made changesin land management.Then when the river rose, it had anadverse impact on tracks, walking trails,bridges, crossings, steps, fences andsignage along the River Corridor.Interestingly the 2003 fires playeda role in this situation. “As land managerswe need to look at fire and flood aslandscape building events. Fire helpsenrich soil and flood disperses it.” Andas the after effects of this flood were dealtwith, Brett made good use of the existingprocess developed post the 2003 fire fordamage claims, following the same principlesand processes. “We use GPS, digitalcameras, descriptions - all entered into adata base. It only took a matter of weeks topresent what was needed to the insurers.We’re now in a post flood damage recoveryphase which began four months ago.”Top: Multiple landslides on theGeehi Road.Middle: Section Creek embankmentrehabilitation works.Bottom: Big Walk footbridge(Mount Buffalo) before and after.Left: Classic culvert wash out alongthe Goobragandra Powerline Road.18 19

DIARYSeptemberAustralian AlpsTraditional OwnersReference Groupmeeting (the finalone before a newgroup is elected)SeptemberAustralian AlpsLiaison CommitteemeetingSeptember-OctoberMost referencegroups to hold theirbiannual face-tofacemeetingsNovemberRecognition of the25th Anniversary ofthe Australian AlpsProgram with:a community eventin NSW, Victoria andthe ACT:resigning of theAlps Memorandumof Understanding,most likely to takeplace at Falls Creekin conjunction withthe official openingof the new visitorfacilities aroundWallaces Hut.Early 2012Australian AlpsField Day – a forumfor operational stafffrom across theAlps, the focus beingvisitor servicesand facilities.May-June 2012Australian Alps/IUCN Science Managementforum andAlps OperationalGroup Meeting. Thetheme of the forumis Monitoring andestablishing baselineCondition.(For what’s been goingon over the pastfew months refer tothe Program update,on page 12).peopleworkingtogetherfor theAustralianAlpsA U S T R A L I A N A L P STRADITIONAL OWNERSA NATIONAL HERITAGELISTED SITEwww.environment.gov.au/heritageThe statements made in “news from the alps” are those of the various individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian, New South Wales, Victorian or ACTGovernments or their agencies.