Wombat Project

The program is a trail or pilot program  run the NP&WS from the Office of Environment and Heritage looking at mange management of a wombat population on the South Eastern Side of the Nepean river at Bents Basin.

Works that we will be undertaking will include constructing the wombat flaps when required and placing the flaps on the warrens, adding the paint and treatment to the flaps  and setting up the remote sensing cameras and retrieving camera cards.

Following flooding two weeks ago we will be re mapping wombat warrens and having to construct and replace burrow flaps as many of the warrens have been flooded and the animals have relocated.

We will be walking through some rough steep terrain, open areas and other sections are heavily vegetated creek lines and riverbank.

It is a good idea to bring a change of shoes to drive home with as it can sometimes be very muddy.

If you are interested in helping out can you please let me know what days suit you. BYO lunch each day

Below is a link to a you tube video the NP&WS has produced about the wombat program.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnyK3tL3Bdo

When is your help needed ? 
– Thursday 10th September: 9:00 am – 4 pm
– Friday 11th September: 9:00 am – 4 pm
– Saturday 10th October: 9:00 am – 4 pm
– Saturday 17th October: 9:00 am – 4 pm (check cameras only)
– Saturday 7th November: 9:00 am – 4 pm
– Saturday 28th November: 9:00 am – 4 pm (Retrieve all cameras & flaps)

There may be some other dates for an extra treatment and camera placement dependant on what we find this Thursday and Friday due to the flooding the other week where a large number of warrens where inundated. The wombats create new burrows which we now need to locate again and GPS so lots of work next week.

Start time and where to meet 

Start time is 9am and we will be meeting at the Bents Basin Office which is the first building on your left as you drive into the park.

Bents Basin is accessed from Wolstenholme Ave Greendale so if you are plugging Bents Basin into a GPS to get here make sure you put this address in. Do not put in the Bents Basin Road address as you will end up on the other side of the park. Once on Wolstenholme Ave follow all the way down the road until you get to the red Road Ends sign. Park Gates are on the right. Some GPS units like to lead you astray and tell you that you have arrived at Bents Basin when you are only ½ way down Wolstenholme Ave. We will open the out gate for people to enter in by as the in gate is an automatic closing gate and does not open until nine. Mobile Phone reception out here is lousy at the best of times. Rule of thumb is if you get it don’t move, don’t breath and act like a tree. If your carrier is Telstra you will have slightly more success than any other carrier.
This is a great project for members of the community to be involved in. No prior experience is needed, training is provided. You will be joining a great team of people and scientists  from the NP &WS, The Office of the Environment and Heritage to help the wombats at Bents Basin.   If you are interested in being involved in this project  and you are 18 years of age and older & of reasonable fitness then please contact in advance:

Lyndal Kaye
Senior Ranger Nattai
Metropolitan South West Region
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
Office of Environment and Heritage
02 46324504 (Mt Annan)
PO Box 7305 Mt Annan NSW 2567
email: Lyndal.Kaye@environment.nsw.gov.au