FBA

The phones are off and out-of-office emails are set! We'll be back Monday, 6 January. 🎄

🐨 In the heart of koala country atop the Clarke Connors Ranges, new fire breaks are safeguarding 750+ hectares of critical habitat! During the team's visit, three koalas were spotted—a powerful reminder of why protecting these areas matters. These fire breaks reduce fire risks for wildlife and cattle grazing, proving conservation and agriculture can thrive together. #KoalaConservation

FBA Land Management Officer, Sheree recently spent some time co-running a nutrition workshop for a local producer group. The workshop was an action-packed couple of days focused on improving herd productivity and profitability through smarter nutrition and pasture management! The group got some great hands-on experience and covered: ✅ Rumen health and optimizing digestion ✅ Key nutrients for livestock and signs of deficiencies ✅ Assessing water quality, hay, and feed supplements ✅ Practical weaning and breeder management ✅ Faecal NIRS technology for better feeding decisions ✅ Managing heifer and breeder nutrition for fertility

FBA gets up close and personal with the “Vulnerable” Ornamental snake (Denisonia maculata). 👀🐍 FBA’s Environment Leader Shannon van Nunen and Environment Project Officer Mietta Morris saw the reptile at a workshop organised by CSIRO at Brigalow Station, outside Moura. The workshop brought specialists and experts in the field together to discuss a potential method for assessing habitat quality for the threatened species. Native to Australia and specifically found in Queensland, their habitat is in a Brigalow Threatened Ecological Community. Mietta said they saw three Ornamental snakes while spotlighting, which is currently the preferred method for spotting the snake. She said the Ornamental snake was a cryptic species with very little data. One component of this exciting project involves sequencing the DNA of the Ornamental snake to do environmental DNA assessments and has already seen a successful result. Read more about the Ornamental snake here: https://shorturl.at/OEhGd

World Soil Day Did you know that just one gram of soil can contain up to 10 billion organisms? That's more than the population of the entire planet! Yet, scientists have only identified about 1% of the microorganisms living in soil. These tiny organisms play a huge role in keeping our ecosystems balanced. Why soil matters: -95% of our food depends on healthy soil. -It acts as a natural barrier against floods and helps lessen the effects of droughts. -Soils store more carbon than the atmosphere, and all of the world’s plants and forests combined. This World Soil Day, let’s celebrate the wonders beneath our feet and commit to protecting this vital resource for future generations. #WorldSoilDay #HealthySoils #SustainableFuture

Happy turtle Tuesday! 🐢🐢 Team Hatchlings had a turtlely awesome time representing Team Turtle CQ at the pop-up mini science fair Species Survival: Beyond Sustainability at Tanby Garden Centre. The young hatchlings promoted the work they do to help marine turtles. They also had a fun activity for the kids – decorating calico bags. To find out more about Team Hatchlings, check out this podcast: https://shorturl.at/pwsUy

🌊 It’s Coastcare Week! 🌊 FBA Science Communication Officer Bethlea has shared her top three tips to protect the coastline. ✅ Remove rubbish on your next beach walk. Every piece of plastic removed from the marine environment can save an animal’s life. ✅ Drive only on firm, wet sand and avoid driving at night. ✅ Support your local Coastcare group – volunteer, attend events or donate. What are your tips?

In case you missed it, our 2024 Annual Report is out now! 📰 This report highlights FBA's achievements, projects and more from the year. Read the report here: https://shorturl.at/9D1VS

It's an exciting time of year for the Great Barrier Reef!

🌏 Happy GIS Day! 🗺️✨ Today, we celebrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the amazing technology that helps us understand and protect our world. At FBA, we’re fortunate to have Pete, our mapping extraordinaire, leading the way in spatial analysis and environmental stewardship. 🙌 Since the early 2000s, GIS officers have been essential to Natural Resource Management, helping to measure and report on on-ground work. Thanks to advances in technology, Pete’s work is now more precise than ever, capturing not just what has been achieved but also the measurable impacts on our environment. 🌱💧 Let’s give a shoutout to Pete and all the GIS professionals making a difference! 🎉 #GISDay #MappingTheFuture #EnvironmentalStewardship