Canberra Biodiversity

Work Charles Sturt has been doing

The major conservation objective is to maintain viable populations of the Button Wrinklewort within this functional native grassland. This habitat has been declared in the ACT as an endangered ecological community. Management focuses maintaining the Button Wrinklewort as a component of this grassland ecosystem.

  • A Management Plan developed by Dr. Sarah Sharpe in 2007 when she was based with the ACT Government. It provides a strategic approach ensuring that activities on the site (within and adjacent to the Conservation Area) do not compromise conservation outcomes.
  • The grassland site has been identified as an area of high conservation value and ratified in April 2017 as a Charles Sturt biodiversity zone.
  • Maintenance of inter-tussock spaces in the Kangaroo Grass to allow the diversity of forbes (wildflowers) to thrive through a regime of cool mosaic burning every two years.
  • Minimisation of shade on the grassland.
  • Fostering partnerships with local community groups (FoG) to share knowledge and experiences, particularly in ongoing monitoring activities.

Monitoring

  • The grassland site is managed by Charles Sturt University’s Division of Facilities Management (DFM) in consultation with the joint lessees, St Mark’s National Theological College and the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture.
  • DFM partners with the Friends of Grassland, a local community volunteer group, to undertake an annual survey every November monitoring the presence of the species.

Canberra Biodiversity history

The Charles Sturt University campus in Canberra borders St Mark's Native Grassland. The site contains two hectares of remnant Natural Temperate Grassland, declared an endangered ecological community under ACT and Commonwealth legislation. Two hectares have been assessed as having very high botanical value and one hectare as having moderate botanical value.

The conservation grassland is dominated by Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra) with an extremely high diversity of native wildflowers, several of which are regionally uncommon, including orchids and lilies. A population of the Button Wrinklewort (Rutidosis leptorrhynchoides), declared endangered under ACT and Commonwealth legislation survives in the grassland. This is the flagship species for this campus.

The Golden Sun Moth, Synemon plana was first sighted in the grassland in 1997. Themeda grasslands are not identified as typical habitat for these moths. They are listed as endangered in ACT and critically endangered under Commonwealth legislation.  This is a very special remnant of national significance.