Student’s research leads to protecting vulnerable Australian species

In 2022, Charles Sturt Bachelor of Animal Science honours student, Ms Mikayla Green, examined the impact of the 2019/2020 bushfires on Greater Gliders in the Woomargama National Park, in southern NSW. Her honours work was part of research at the new Charles Sturt Gulbali Institute of Agriculture, Water and Environment, supported by Murray Local Land Services through funding from the Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery Program.

Ms Green explained that Greater Gliders were once a widespread and abundant species that are highly dependent on old growth forests and make use of hollows in the trees, but a combination of logging, fire, climate change and habitat degradation has seen a decline in population numbers and they are listed as ‘vulnerable’.

Data from Ms Green’s research indicated that Greater Gliders are in much higher densities in the unburnt areas of Woomargama National Park compared to those areas which have been impacted by burning.

“I hope that by conducting this research about Greater Gliders in Woomargama National Park that the data can be used to monitor and potentially initiate strategies to conserve the population within the Woomargama National Park,” she said.