At North Barker, our team uses a wide range of methods tailored to different species and habitats, including:

• Dip netting and electro-fishing,
• On water surveys,
• Riparian and wetland vegetation mapping,
• Water quality surveys (testing and monitoring),
• Bioacoustic recorders for frogs and birds,
• Aquatic invertebrate surveys (AusRivAS), and
• Weed surveys for problem species such as willows.

Our rigorous approach means our clients can be confident that their surveys meet best practice and capture the information needed for sound decision-making. The outcomes of our surveys provide clear, practical advice, whether it’s ensuring compliance with legislative requirements, identifying areas of high conservation value, or informing environmental approvals. We able to provide our clients with the following outputs that are designed to give certainty and confidence:

• Natural values assessments and significant impact assessments of aquatic values,
• Threatened species avoidance, mitigation and management protocols (e.g. frogs, fish, crayfish),
• Erosion and sediment control plans,
• Project specific hygiene and working near waterways control plans, and,
• Platypus management plans, including for dam decommissioning and riparian works.

We also undertake ecological monitoring of wetlands to track changes over time, helping build a clear picture of ecosystem health and guide management practices.

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Surveying for striped marsh frogs amongst other threatened fauna is a critical part of our natural values assessment process in the north of the state. Our surveys help identify where the species is present, inform avoidance and mitigation, and ensure developments comply with environmental legislation.

To target frog species, our team use traditional and innovative methods to capture a suite of data and cut down on false negatives – we also optimise detection rates by targeting the breeding season when the frogs are most actively calling, both during the day and at night. Our methods include active on-ground searches, listening for calls, call-back surveys, eDNA, and bioacoustics. In particular we are advancing use of the latter, deploying passive acoustic monitoring devices for weeks and months at time, dramatically increasing survey effort compared to traditional methods.  Analysis of the recordings is undertaken in-house by expert and trained acoustic specialists, to identify detections of the striped marsh frog and its distinctive “tuk” and “whuck” calls – can you pick them in the recording below?

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As such, between late 2024 and early 2025, two of Tasmania’s internationally recognised Ramsar wetlands — the Flood Plain Lower Ringarooma River Ramsar Site and the Little Waterhouse Lake Ramsar Site — were the focus of detailed natural values investigations by North Barker.

We investigated the unique terrestrial, aquatic and aerial landscapes of these protected wetlands, focusing on contributing to the existing natural values knowledge base and cross-referencing all findings with potential impacts from the adjacent proposed development. The following were targeted within the Ramsar sites:

• Hydrology
• Geomorphology
• Water quality
• Vegetation
• Flora (terrestrial and aquatic)
• Fauna (including migratory birds and their flyways)

Understanding the terrestrial and aquatic natural values present in Ramsar sites is critical to identifying potential risks and ensuring that any future development nearby avoids and minimises harm to these sensitive areas – as well as contributing knowledge for improved management of the sites.

Both sites support diverse species, vegetation and habitats, many of which are rare or threatened, making them high priorities for conservation planning and targeted management. Our surveys added some new threatened species not previously known within the Ramsar sites, such as Cuscuta tasmanica (golden dodder).

The information gathered on vegetation communities, bird life, aquatic habitats, and other ecological features, provides a valuable baseline for long-term monitoring. Protecting these sites is not only about conserving their biodiversity, but also safeguarding the vital ecosystem services they provide. Through careful environmental impact assessment and ongoing ecological monitoring, the Flood Plain Lower Ringarooma River and Little Waterhouse Lake Ramsar sites can continue to be recognised as living examples of Tasmania’s natural heritage and remain resilient within a multiuse landscape.

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After some investigation, we discovered that this double-banded plover sporting no less than 4 leg bands was an adult female, banded in the MacKenzie Basin of New Zealand in November 2022 by the Banded Dotterel Study Kaikoura. Double-banded plovers migrate between New Zealand and Australia annually and the information gained from this bird will help to better understand the movement patterns of these birds.

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This species is classified as endangered under the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and given its endemic status in Tasmania warrants consideration for listing at a national level. The species is under threat by climate change, illegal collection, and habitat loss through conversion, over-grazing and fire.

Our team at North Barker have experience mapping suitable habitat for the Miena jewel beetle, including stratifying habitat quality by maturity and suitable stem density of the parent plant species, as well as detecting and discriminating their characteristic bore holes (these being roughly oval shaped, 5-6 mm long and 3-4 mm wide, within O. hookeri stems ≥ 10 cm and maintaining that width for ≥ 50 cm – noting the parent species can also support boring larvae of other species).

In recent years our team has discovered and mapped > 55 ha of previously un-documented habitat for this species. With help from specialists at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, we were able to confirm the presence of adult beetles following the detection of bore holes.

Our clients were then able to prioritise avoidance of occupied habitat patches, aided by our development of an innovative mitigation strategy involving translocation of plant stems to safe patches where avoidance is not achievable.

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The time to survey for nests is the non-breeding months between March and June, with the most effective and efficient method being a survey from a helicopter. North Barker are highly experienced in the application of aerial nest search surveys from helicopter, having multiple staff with many seasons of experience and collectively hundreds of hours of flight time.

It is not a joy ride of course and finding nests can be challenging. To help us in our searches we use the highly informative nesting suitability model developed by the Forest Practices Authority,  where areas are scored according to the probability of containing a nest. The model is informed by variables like forest type and topography (slope, aspect and relief). Although we most often find nests in areas that score highly, this is not always the case… after all, eagles build nests, not models! The nest below was found in a very low scoring area right on the edge of modified land.

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The flying season for the ptunarra butterfly is very short, lasting for only 3-4 weeks during sunny autumn days. We have just finished another productive season of ptunarra surveys, including work on a significant previously un-surveyed population in central Tasmania. Our results will contribute substantially to better understanding the extent of habitat and total population in the central highlands, as well as being a catalyst for improved habitat management and preservation at a local scale.

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Slow growing and long-lived, the GFC has been known to reach weights of up to 6 kg, although most large specimens in recent times have been between 2-3 kg.

Last week, two of our Ecologists conducted targeted surveys for this elusive giant and they weren’t left disappointed. A number of large male and female GFC were observed.

The GFC is endemic to Tasmania and is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ under both the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

This species requires healthy, clean and clear waterways surrounded by native riparian vegetation. Habitat characteristics include a combination of flowing and still waters, deep pools, decaying logs, well-shaded undercut banks and loose rocky substrate that provides juveniles with shelter.

Illegal fishing and the ongoing loss of healthy habitat continue to threaten this species. It is therefore extremely important that we establish conservation agreements with landholders and developers as well as protect and improve priority habitat for this species.

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