FAUNA E-News 201502



FAUNA E-news 2015:02
In the spotlight
Farewell to a treasured friend – Helen Luckhoff 1938-2015
Loss of a good friend and mentor who slipped away overnight, 6th March 2015 I have been sitting here thinking of Helen. She was a devoted wildlife carer who specialised in Flying Foxes. I met Helen in the 80’s when Mike and I found our first Flying Fox. Over the years she guided us and taught us all there was to know about flying foxes, we also formed the Brisbane Valley branch of ONARR. Over the subsequent years we helped with research, micro-chipping, etc. which assisted lots of academics understand how far our flying foxes travel, what they ate, how they maintain our rainforests. Back then we really tried to help and learnt a lot. Nowadays our wildlife seems to be low in the overall scale of things, but there are still a few people out there who are fighting to save them and will continue to do so. If you stop and ask an older wildlife carer if they knew Helen you will be surprised at the amount of people who would say yes. Most of the groups around today were formed by an ex member of ONARR which was Helen’s baby for so long. To name but a few, of course ONARR, Bat Conservation and Rescue, BIRO, IKPS, FAUNA, S.E. Qld Carers and BARN. Helen always had the time for you, no matter what time of the day or night you called with a problem. I must say Helen is the reason that Mike and I got so involved with wildlife and the reason I am still doing it today. The wildlife fraternity will miss you greatly, my thoughts are with you, Bob and family. Sue Holmes

Upcoming F.A.U.N.A. workshops and meetings
F.A.U.N.A. CPD Program
F.A.U.N.A. terms and conditions of membership for all active carers require that permitted carers accumulate 10 CPD points and 4 Fundraising points per year in order to remain qualified and have their permits renewed. Each point is equivalent to one hour of training or fundraising. By attending three full workshops per year memebers will have accumulated 10.5 points and met their training requirements and by giving four hours at a F.A.U.N.A. fund raising event, carers will have met their fundraising requirement. If you cannot attend trainings face to face, then workshops will be available for online study with an open book, self marking, multiple choice cerfication test required at the end. Once you have passed the certification test by answering 100% of the questions correctly, you will be awarded the CPD points for that training module. All online training modules are priced at $6 per point and this must be paid by online PayPal or PayPal Credit Card in order to access the training. Once accessed the training can be viewed for one year and the certification test can be sat as many times as necessary for a 100% pass rate to be achieved. New members are required to attend up to six points worth of training face to face or one on one with a F.A.U.N.A. approved mentor (not a family or household member) in their first year in order to receive and maintain their permit.
Workshop: Saturday 21 March 2021
Workshop Modules: Species Identification and Wildlife Handling (0.5 CPD Points), First Aid and Treatment (1 CPD Point), Wildlife Feeding and Foraging (1 CPD Point), Brushtail Possums (1 CPD Point) These modules make up the final compulsory modules for new members and will only be presented once as a block in 2015 Time: 10.00am-14.15pm Venue: Coominya State School, Main Street Coominya in the library. CPD Points: 3.5 (1 point per hour of training attended) Cost: $15 for F.A.U.N.A. members and $20 for non members. Coffee and tea are provided but please bring a plate to share for morning tea and lunch breaks.
Management Committee Meeting: Saturday 21 March 2021
Time: 14.30pm-15.00pm Venue: Coominya State School, Main Street Coominya in the library.
F.A.U.N.A. updates
From the desk of the Vice President, Julie Zyzniewski
There are exciting times ahead for F.A.U.N.A. Somerset Regional Council has agreed to come on board and be an important part of our Winter Wildlife Festival on Saturday, 22 August 2015. SRC’s major contribution will the provision of the venue, which is the Fernvale Futures Centre and the surrounding parklands. The focus for the event is the importance and diversity of wildlife in the community and how we can help and protect the unique animals we share our communities with. It will be a family oriented event, with pre event competitions, stalls, food and drink vendors, games, practical wildlife information sessions and displays that will continue throughout the day. Family friendly entertainment is also being planned for the evening, so it’s going to be a full and exciting day. If you have any ideas about displays or entertainment that you would like to contribute, please contact the project manager, Jacqui Blanch on [email protected]. One of the reasons for holding this event is to take some of the fundraising burden away from our members and do it all in one day, but it does mean we will need lots of help to make it happen. Further down the track we will send out a list of jobs that need to be done and ask you to donate some of your time on the day. With your help the first Somerset Winter Wildlife Festival will be a stunningly successful event. Yours in wildlife care, Julie Zyzniewski (Vice President)
From the desk of the Secretary, Sue Holmes
Hi everyone, sorry that more members were not able to attend our first workshop for 2015. We launched our new CPD point system for workshop training, we still have a few things to iron out but I think overall it went well. If you cannot attend workshops, you will need to do the workshops online in order to keep your permit. Welcome to new members: I wish to give a warm welcome to the new members that attended the workshop on the 7th February, and hope you enjoy your time with F.A.U.N.A. If you have any questions at any time, regardless of how silly you think they may be, please do not hesitate to call me. Welcome to Robert Cook, Laidley; Judy Cook, Esk; Phil & Kim Argent, Mt. Whitestone; Maggie Fitzgerald, Lockrose; and Tracey Thomson, Kilcoy. Wildlife: We are into Autumn, as most of our Macropod carers will know, this is when it starts to get busy. Can all carers who are available to look after Ringtail or Brushtail possums and Macropods please give me a call to confirm your availability. Hope you all are all ready and willing when you are called upon to either pick up a baby or attend a rescue. Keep safe. Sue Holmes (Secretary)
Assisting Wildlife Research
Koala Rehabilitation Survey
My name is Emily Burton. I am a postgraduate student, currently enrolled in honours at the University of Queensland after recently graduating from Bachelor of Applied Science, with an extended major in Wildlife Science. For my research project, I am investigating the rescue, rehabilitation and release of koalas in the southeast Queensland region, which will hopefully aid in conservation efforts of the species. As part of this research, I am interested in the various attitudes and protocols of koala wildlife carers within the area, to better understand the level of success rehabilitation provides to individuals and wild populations of koalas within the area. To do this, I am conducting a survey for koala carers to complete. The committee of Human Ethics at the University of Queensland has approved this survey, and questions ask for very broad and general information on the attitudes and protocols of caring for sick, injured or orphaned koalas. The survey is completely anonymous, participation is voluntary and participants may withdraw at anytime. Feedback on the results of the survey are welcomed and may be retrieved after July next year by contacting myself. Any further questions regarding the survey, please don’t hesitate to contact myself ([email protected]), 0430 955 257 or my supervisor Dr. Andrew Tribe ([email protected]). Please click here to download the survey for completion and return… Thank you for your participation and aiding in valuable research and conservation of such a beautiful, iconic Australian species. Kind regards, Emily Burton
Carers’ Corner
Wildlife and Domestic Animals
As you read the title some people will think, "where this is leading" and to sum it up quickly, "never the two shall mix". In other words, both have their place but to let the two get friendly with each other leads to, unfortunately, the possible death of the wildlife. Harsh words, you might say, but in reality when it comes to caring for wildlife many carers, with no ill intent, will allow the animal in care, i.e. possum, glider or kangaroo to name a few, become friendly with their pet. Typical comments are, "my pet would never hurt what I have in care", "they get on so well together, what is the harm?", "They are so cute". Yes they are cute, yes your pet may never hurt what is in care, and yes they get on well together…. Yes you have just set up what you have in care for a possible early death. "But how?" you might say. Our job as a wildlife career is to look after the sick, young or injured animal so they can be released back into the wild. Wild animals by instinct fear domesticated pets and will avoid them at all costs. When a wild animal is exposed to a domestic pet that fear slowly diminishes and the longer it is exposed the less their fear becomes. When the animal is well enough to be released back into the wild it will go about being a wild animal until… it comes across a domestic animal. That fear to flee that is instinctive has been suppressed by its past exposure to a domestic animal. Let’s set the scenario, one possum on the ground minding its own business, along comes a dog or a cat. Possum spots the approaching animal, it smells/recognises something about it that triggers a memory. The need to flee is slowed down or stopped. The dog/cat attacks and the rest is sadly not pleasant. The most important thing to remember is to always keep your wildlife separate from your domestic pets. When you successfully release, you can do so in the knowledge that you have done your best to save the animal in your care and give it a chance back in the wild. Pamela Dingle (Environment Officer)

Plant of the month Grevillea Cultivars ‘Robyn Gordon’
Height Small to 2 metres It is a shrub that grows to 2 metres in height and up to 3 metres width and has attractive divided leaves. The red inflorescences are up to approximately 15 cm long by 9 cm wide. The cultivar, which is a cross between a red-flowered form of Grevillea banksii and Grevillea bipinnatifida, was selected by David Gordon in Queensland for its prolific and sustained flowering. Trials, which began in 1963, demonstrated stability in its characteristics and it was released to the nursery trade in 1968. It was registered in 1973 under the name ‘Robyn Gordon’ in memory of a family member who died in 1969, aged 16. Attracts Birds, gliders, brushtails, ringtails and insects.
Fauna Hire Equipment
If you require aviaries, roo pens or other equipment, then please ask Sue Holmes. We have some which you can lease for a refundable deposit of $50 and if you would like to buy them off Fauna, we are happy to look into the value and come up with a good price. We charge a hire deposit now as items have often not been returned when people leave the group. Please remember that if you hire them, they must come back and if they don’t, you will be charged for that equipment.
History Sheets
Please remember to fill out history sheets and hand to Sue Holmes at the end of each year so we can keep accurate records of the wildlife our group cares for and what happens to that wildlife. If you don’t have a history sheet, please login to the member’s portal and download one here… If you do not have (or have forgotten) your login details, please email Jacqui on [email protected] and she will assist you.
Let’s go shopping
Wombaroo Pinky Pouch Oil	Teats
A lubricant for furless joeys designed to help with the skin care of joeys orphaned and in human care. It helps to keep the skin soft and supple and ease peeling due to heating and exposure to the environment when the Joey would normally still be in the pouch. Non greasy and safe to be ingested. WPP Oil contains no petroleum or paraffins which may have a laxative effect. Made entirely from oils of plant origin and classified food safe. It is an oil that is naturally present in the milk of several species (e.g. rabbits, goats, horses and human breast milk). BENEFITS: Rapidly absorbs into skin to form a protective barrier; softens and soothes skin; lubricates by reducing friction against the pouch liner; does not contain moisture so is not prone to microbial or fungal growth; completely free of synthetic preservatives. Available in 250gram bottles from www.wombaroo.com.au	Silicone: Baby Critter Teats View on Facebook Phone 07 4789-0573 Silicone: Burston Blues Email [email protected] Mobile 04 2972 7837 Various: Australian Wildlife Supplies Email [email protected] Phone 07 5426 8088 Mobile 0417 749 501
	Possum boxes
	Kathy Silk Phone 07 5465 6935 or Mobile 0410 334 661 $25.00 per box
	Rodents
	The Rat Shed Phone 07 5424 6519
Milk formula	Native plants
Gatton Produce (E.M Redmonds & Co P/L) Phone 07 5462 1139 Divet $24-00 per kilo and has most other formulae on hand	Pete’s Hobby Nursery 10 Patrick St, Lowood QLD 4311 Phone 07 5426 1690 or Mobile 0412 243 740
Around the traps
Do Duck Inn
It’s been a "Do Duck Inn" time for Ducklings this season. The have come in ones, twos, nines and the last brood was eight. Wood Ducks and Pacific Black Ducks. It is interesting to find the difference in temperament between the two species. Woodies bond quicker to care and humans, whilst the Pacific Blacks are skittish and shy, very quick and wolf down their food. Chicken Starter Mash is the best way to go, in water to start when they are only a day or 2 old, and later on you can give them some oats as well. Add liquid Calcium to their drinking water daily and they need sunshine and grass (when one has grass). Woodies are also grazers, so they have to have greens like lettuces and silverbeet chopped up as well. Space is so important as they need to swim and flex their wings. Having a dam next door is fantastic for us. They soon follow the wild ducks that come onto the block and then they are up, up and away. However, they seem to know their way back as well for a little snack of oats. Hazel Kranenberg (Bird Register)

Koala beats the odds
About 7 weeks ago I got a call about 7-30 pm from a friend of mine. There was a koala on the side of the road near their house, so I went out to check on her. She couldn’t walk, was crying out and ripping the towel I had in the basket to shreds. I took her to Australia Zoo and when I rang the next day to see how she was, they told me she had been hit by a car, had blood in her abdomen and was not doing very well. I did not hear any more until last week when they rang to ask me if I would like to release her. So, they brought her to me and I took her back to the tree she lived in and let her go. She went straight to her place and folded her arms as much as to say "I’m home". Mind you, I was glad I had some tissues in the car as I needed them. What a wonderful feeling! Irene Wilson, Kilcoy

Show us the money
Crowd funding a food bank
Don’t forget our crowd funding campaign to raise money for a food bank which will supply formula, teats, etc. to F.A.U.N.A. carers. We have set a goal for this campaign of $5000. Please visit our campaign, donate if you can, defiinitely share it far and wide with your family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances across any social media channels you play in http://www.gofundme.com/f859u8
Ways to engage with F.A.U.N.A.
E-news contributions
F.A.U.N.A. will be issuing electronic newsletters each month. Each edition will be full of events, information and tips for wildlife carers. Every three months, the E-news will include the quarterly reports from the committees and registers. If you have an article, item or tip you would like to see in the E-news, please send it to Shona Ford on [email protected] before the end of each month or call her on 04 5948 4938 to arrange an article. If you think you will be a regular contributor, please contact the Webmaster, Jacqui Blanch, on [email protected] or call her on 07 5465 6190 to arrange direct upload access.
Road Kill
Please keep a register of road kill and send this information to Sue as this helps us to determine where animals are crossing, where the high fatality areas are and also which species are most at risk. Remember to check for live joeys. This information is sometimes requested by Councils and Government Authorities and can be helpful in promoting the protection of wildlife and also in raising funds for grass roots volunteer organisations such as ourselves.
The fine print
Disclaimer
The statements and information contained in this publication have no legal status and are provided purely for the interest and benefit of F.A.U.N.A. members to assist members in their decision making processes. This information is for guidance only and should not be relied upon to the exclusion of obtaining professional or first hand advice. No liability can be accepted for any error or omission by the publisher, editor, contributors, officials of or the Association as an entity. Fostercare of Australia’s Unique Native Animals Association Inc. (F.A.U.N.A.) does not specifically endorse any of the products described in this newsletter, but provides the information as a service to its members. F.A.U.N.A. hereby expressly disclaims all liability of any kind whatsoever for any loss, damage or other consequence which may arise from any person using the products or information detailed in this E-Newsletter.
© 2015 F.A.U.N.A. ABN 24 274 942 904