The battle to save our threatened birds
TWELVE bird conservationists from the Northern Rivers will join colleagues from Northern NSW at a ground-breaking workshop to discuss the threats and solutions to the future of bird life on the weekend.
BirdLife Northern NSW convenor, Richard Jordan, said the meeting at Urunga south of Coffs Harbour will discuss the future of 12 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in the region.
He said it is the first of a number of workshops to be held in various parts of NSW and eventually all states of Australia.
"The threat to birds, especially in inland areas and wetlands, have never been greater, and things seem to be getting worse," he said.
"The KBAs are a dozen special places in our area with high conservation values, especially for birds.
Mr Jordan has been chair of the local committee since 2016 but joined the organised back in 1981.
He said the areas had been designated as KBAs by BirdLife International in association with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
"Each KBA has a volunteer guardian, with the responsibility for reporting annually on any threats, and a team of volunteers who carry out regular surveys of threatened bird life," he said.
"It is also important to maintain constructive contact with the relevant landowners and managers, who may be the National Parks and Wildlife Service (for National Parks and Nature Reserves), Local Land Services (in the case of travelling stock reserves) and private property owners."
During the workshop, training will be provided to these dedicated volunteers in all the aspects of KBA monitoring, Mr Jordan.
"Sunday will be a day to get out in the field to put bird survey theory into practice," he said.
Anyone interested in learning more Key Biodiversity Areas and becoming involved is welcome to call 0428385677.