NGT’s Lauren Kivisalu is helping out Birdlife Australia with OBP winter counts in the South West this year
Lauren Kivisalu
Many of you will be aware that NGT’s Lauren Kivisalu has been on maternity leave since the arrival of her first child Sydney last September.
Things are going well and Lauren is in the process of transitioning back into work by taking on an assignment over the winter for Birdlife Australia, co-ordinating three volunteer counts for Orange Bellied Parrots in the South West, stepping in to cover the departure of the previous coordinator Dave Williams. In case you are wondering, we are aiming for Lauren to return to her role with NGT in a part-time capacity a little later in the year.
Here is a message from Lauren explaining the project, including the information required if you would like to participate in this year’s surveys:
Hi all,
My name is Lauren Kivisalu, and I will be coordinating the Orange-bellied Parrot winter counts within the south-west vic region this year for Birdlife Australia. I will be undertaking this role while on maternity leave from my ongoing position with regional NGO, Nature Glenelg Trust.
The annual winter counts for the OBP’s are undertaken predominantly by volunteers at designated locations along the Victorian and South Australian coast.
The information collected by volunteers, including both presence and absence data, is hugely important in understanding the current state of the species and will inform ongoing conservation efforts. Those who have volunteered before also know it is a great opportunity to see some wonderful coastal environments!
If you are interested in being involved, it would be great to hear from you. The three weekends for the OBP winter counts are:
16th/17th May
25th/26th July
12th/13th September
The May count weekend is fast approaching, so if you are interested in being involved, please contact me with the following information as soon as possible;
1. The date/s you are able to participate
2. Whether you have volunteered before and which sites you are familiar with
3. If you have appropriate survey gear such as binoculars/spotting
I will send further details to those that are interested, including a volunteer registration form and survey form. The Birdlife Australia website has great information about OBP recovery including documents which step you through the winter counts, data sheet, and how to become familiar with OBP identification: http://www.birdlife.org.au/projects/orange-bellied-parrot-recovery/volunteer-in-the-winter-surveys
We will also be planning a get together for volunteers in June to give an update on the recovery efforts of the species, including how the data collected is utilised, and it would be a great opportunity to meet other volunteers, and learn more about the winter counts. Please let me know if you would like further information on this event.
If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to contact me, ph: 0428 977 358 or email: . I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Lauren
