South Endeavour Trust

These plump pygmy were once found throughout the woodlands in the sub-alpine zone but are now limited to patchy boulder fields. These are the only areas that cats can’t effectively hunt and it provides a source of permanent freshwater from the snow melt for the possums.

During the winter, Mountain Pygmy Possums create a warm snuggly den deep in the boulder fields to hibernate through the harsh winter. Each spring, the Mountain Pygmy Possum wakes up from hibernation to feed primarily on the high fat that migrates to the region.

However, post the in 2019/2020, SOS decided that food resources were so low that it was required to drop Bogong Moth biscuits in the boulder fields to supplement their feed.

To compound issues the Bogong Moth has suffered an extreme decline and are now . Prior to European colonisation, the Bogong Moth was so numerous that their spring migration was used as a food source for first nation people. They were likely used to feed large congregations of multiple language and family groups that would travel to the Alps. I imagine Bogong Moths would taste similar to other high fat insects – nutty cooked eggs with hint of sweetness.

Our plans to survey our newest property Maalan Cloud Forest reserve were quickly dispelled last week. The wet season was still in force throughout the Wet Tropics and the only access to the property was underwater!

Fortunately, a large colony of the endangered spectacled flying fox kept us occupied. The pups are just are on the cusp of being independent and enjoyed showing off to us.

We're excited to start re-vegetating the cleared sections of Maalan Cloud Forest reserve. Fingers cross this giant colony of flying foxes crosses takes full advantage of the new habitat.

Look at the incredible size of these rock orchids (Dendrobium speciosum) from our Mount Gibson reserve in far North Queensland. Rock orchids are one of Australia’s largest orchids and unlike the name suggests, they can be both epiphytic or lithophytic. Our Mount Gibson reserve has an amazing density and diversity of orchids!

What am I?
Sometimes I scream and bellow, I'm the only surviving member of my family and I LOVE to nap.

A before, during and after of the downstairs research centre clean up at Kings Plains reserve.

Big thank you to Evert for volunteering his time to come help the Trust out in our hour of need. You're welcome back any time!

Massive shout out and huge thanks to Joel from J Docker Electrical. A local Cooktown sparky who came out as soon the flood waters receded to hook up the Kings Plains homestead!

We couldn't have done it without our community, Tony the pilot and the people who were kind enough donate their time or money.

We still have a long way to go before we are fully operational. But it is that much shorter now.

Kings Plains is the science and management base for our four large Cape York conservation reserves. Besides every building being inundated by the record flood, our access road and bridge have been washed away. With the wet season is just starting and so much damage, it will take a huge effort to get things working again and to get our conservation programs back on track. The cost will be horrific, but we simply must get Kings Plains operating again as quickly as possible.

Please make a donation to South Endeavour Trust today by visiting our website or donating through our social media. 100% of all donations will go directly towards getting us back to making the greatest possible contribution to protecting Australia's amazing biodiversity.

South Endeavour Trust South Endeavour Trust was established in 2007 as an independent, not for profit, charitable trust with the sole purpose of contributing to nature conservation in Australia. The Trust is wholly privately funded. While we actively look to work in partnership with others, we are not seeking donations.

We know it is Xmas and many people are doing it tough, but we have experienced a devastating loss due to catastrophic flooding at our Kings Plains Reserve near . We really need your help.

Kings Plains is the science and management base for our four large reserves. Besides every building being inundated by the record flood, our access road and bridge have been washed away. With the wet season is just starting and so much damage, it will take a huge effort to get things working again and to get our conservation programs back on track. The cost will be horrific, but we simply must get Kings Plains operating again as quickly as possible.

Please make a donation to South Endeavour Trust today by visiting our website or donating through our social media.

100% of all donations will go directly towards getting us back to making the greatest possible contribution to protecting Australia's amazing biodiversity.

https://www.southendeavour.com.au/

South Endeavour Trust South Endeavour Trust was established in 2007 as an independent, not for profit, charitable trust with the sole purpose of contributing to nature conservation in Australia. The Trust is wholly privately funded. While we actively look to work in partnership with others, we are not seeking donations.

Cyclone Jasper is heading to FNQ and will impact several of our reserves sometime tomorrow.

Everyone stay who in the pathway, including our land managers, care takers, ecologists, friends and family - stay safe.

The wet season is truly starting throughout . Parts of inland Australia are getting intense storms and the are starting to build up!

And the are loving it! With breeding cycles kicking in. Here we can see the entire lifecycle of the Ornate Nursery Frog, the adult male guarding eggs and very tiny froglets just starting to hatch. Unlike typical frogs they breed on land, and their eggs do not hatch into . The develops directly in the egg and then hatches out as a tiny froglet. The transparent eggs are laid under rocks or logs in moist soil.

Private protected areas make a critical contribution to the conservation of threatened species and ecosystems in the wet tropics and all areas of Australia!

Queensland’s wet tropics see 25% rise in threatened species in three years as climate change bites Ecologist Stephen Williams says tropics ‘at a real risk of losing the very things it was made a world heritage area to protect’

The last of Ethan Mann Photography's series we will be sharing.

The ever present and extremely common Red-legged pademelon was photographed using underpasses between Misty Mountain and Cassowary Crossing with zero chance of encountering vehicles. After construction, ecologists, road engineers and the tablelands conservation community united to design furniture to line the tunnels. Some years later the underpass is alive with rainforest vegetation allowing for our native wildlife to feel safer while passing through!

A coppery brushtail safely crosses a busy highway on a rope that zigzags through an .

Late last year Ethan Mann Photography spent a considerable amount of time working on a camera trapping project in underpasses on our Atherton tablelands reserves. These reserves act as important corridors allowing animals to move through the landscape.

Especially for wildlife adapted to habitats like , a road creates a major barrier. During a highway upgrade in the early 2000s, multiple underpasses were installed with the sole purpose to reconnect routes for . Now these underpasses connect the Misty Mountain and Crossing reserves either side of the highway, allowing animals to breach the road barrier, safely, with zero chance of encountering vehicles.

A Herbert River ringtail possum enters an underpass on a rope installed for arboreal species.

The exposed rope on either end of the tunnel has become weathered and is now the host of moss and epiphytes. It's almost more vine than rope. The Atherton Tableland rainforest reserves are home to high altitude wet tropics possums, which rarely come to the ground. Ethan Mann Photography captured Herbies using the system semi-regularly to cross the road barrier.

Over the next few days we'll be re-sharing some images created by the very talented Ethan Mann Photography. Ethan captured these using camera traps at the East Evelyn underpasses.

During a highway upgrade in the early 2000s, multiple underpasses were installed with the sole purpose to reconnect routes for fauna. These underpasses connect our Misty Mountain and Cassowary Crossing reserves either side of the highway, allowing animals cross under the road safely, with zero chance of encountering vehicles. After construction, ecologists, road engineers and the tablelands conservation community united to design furniture to line the tunnels.

These included rocks and logs on the ground, and dead trees strung with rope for arboreal species to travel along, allowing them to cross without the potential threats of the ground.

Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata)

This beautiful Tree Spider Orchid ( tetragonum var. cacatua) was found in the small patch of isolated rainforest of Mt Amy. Depending at how you look at plant (which honestly confuses most of us), this particular specimen is one of the most northern records of this variety.

Normally found at high altitudes (900m +) between to the , this plant was found just north of Windsor on the remote Mt Amy!

One for the Australian herp-nerds.
In July, a small team of ecologists undertook a fauna survey on Mt Amy.

Upon jumping off the chopper onto the remote peak they almost immediately stumbled across a Cape York Scaly-foot (Pygopus robertsi).

From what we can tell there's only a handful (13 or so) of records of these in existence and even fewer photos. So it's nice to confirm this rare or cryptic species is living on South Endeavour Trust land.