The Work of the Volunteers

THE VICTORIAN MALLEEFOWL RECOVERY GROUP, INC. The Work of the Volunteers

INTRODUCTION
Volunteers are involved in the annual survey of approximately 850 Malleefowl nest sites located in 24 'grids' throughout the mallee region of north western Victoria. The survey data is collated and analysed by Dr. Joe Benshemesh as part of a long term research project. Click on the Survival button below to find out more about the background and reasons for the research. Grids are located as follows : 6 in Wyperfeld N.P. and environs. 9 in Murray-Sunset N.P. and environs. 8 in Hattah Kulkyne N.P. and environs. 1 in Little Desert N.P.	The Mallee region of Victoria.
THE GRIDS
The grids, or monitoring sites, are, in the main, rectangles measuring approximately 2.0 km by 2.0 km and cover several hundred hectares. However, the sizes do vary considerably and they may take advantage of a particular geographical feature, such as an irrigation channel, rather than conform to the normal rectangular style. The nest sites within a grid have all been mapped. More recently, each site has been recorded with an accurate GPS location. A nest site might be a currently active nest, a previously active nest, a practice nest or a partially completed nest. The number of mounds within a grid varies from about 15 to over 100. Birds tend to renovate old nests rather than construct new nests afresh. However, they do occasionally construct new nests, and these are mapped onto the grid sheets as they are found.	A typical grid located in Wyperfeld N.P. Each dot indicates a nest site. Most are not active. Vertical axis in metres. Horizontal axis in kilometres.
WORKING THE GRIDS
Photo courtesy Ann Stokie (That's husband Peter's hand)	Prior to the advent of GPS devices it was necessary to locate each nest site using marked grid lines, compasses and paced stepping. This could take quite some time, depending on whether the volunteer was working alone or in a pair, the volunteer's familiarity with the terrain and the density of the bush. GPS trackers now make short work (relatively) of finding the nests. Together with Palm Computers, which are linked to the GPS, the recording of data in the field has become quite high tech.
RECORDING THE DATA
Recording the data at a nest site encompasses a number of distinct phases, as summarised below. A visual examination of the site before moving too close to the nest. This is particularly important for active nests. A photographic record of the site. A closer examination of the site for signs of malleefowl activity and for scats and tracks of native and feral animals. Quantitification of different categories of flora. Physical measurement of the nest. Collection, for later analysis, of any malleefowl or fox scat and malleefowl feathers.	Paul Burton explaining some finer points of monitoring to volunteers at the Training Weekend, 2002.
Considerable care is taken with the data collection as the integrity of the research is very much dependant upon consistent and repeatable techniques.