Threatened Species Recovery Teams

Spectacled flying foxes, magnificent brood frogs and littoral rainforest are just some of the 180 species and four ecological communities at risk of extinction in the Wet Tropics. Key to their long-term survival are groups of experts working together to develop and implement species recovery plans.

Jacqui Diggins, Acting Biodiversity and Climate Leader at Terrain NRM said stopping the decline of endangered species and supporting their long-term recovery back to a healthy population is very challenging.

“It takes many years and consistent funding to keep species from going extinct but probably most importantly it needs the collaboration of experts and different organisational perspectives to think through all the complex environmental challenges involved,” she said.

“Typically, what happens is that groups of people get together to establish recovery teams and action groups, which provide an important forum to share knowledge and coordinate actions. They are often coordinated by volunteers and they’re critical for the long-term survival of any endangered species.”

Recovery teams and action groups involve conservationists, scientists, Traditional Owners and representatives from local councils, government agencies and natural resource management organisations. Currently, there are eight formal groups across the region working to protect some of our highest priority species including the northern bettong and mahogany glider.

Terrain NRM, the natural resource management body for the Wet Tropics, is currently focused on understanding and protecting nine priority threatened species – coastal littoral vine forest, mabi rainforest, broad leaf tea tree, ant plants, cassowaries, mahogany gliders, northern bettongs, yellow-bellied gliders and northern quolls.