In June, an eleven-person team spent a week upgrading the popular Pretty Point Campground at Hiltaba Nature Reserve. The team, comprised of Gawler Ranges National Park Rangers and Nature Foundation volunteers, completed a series of improvements. The upgrade included creating a new entry and exit loop, designating sixteen campsites, revegetating eroded areas, planting 40 trees, moving fire rings, installing new signage, adding over 300 recycled wooden fence post bollards, and realigning the Betty and Bob Lewis Walking Trail's entry. The team's efforts were aided by generous donations of resources and labor from various contributors, including a bobcat for digging post holes and finishing off the ground surface.

Birds SA has concluded their autumn bird survey at Witchelina Nature Reserve, noting an abundance of certain species due to significant rainfall events since November 2021. Most notably, the team spotted the Chestnut-breasted Whiteface, one of South Australia's rarest birds, at two different locations; these are only the third sightings on the reserve in recent years. The next bird survey at Witchelina is planned for October.

Our fabulous volunteer Coral Johnston was very excited to record flocks of Regent Parrots (Polytelis anthopeplus) at Murbpook Nature Reserve last week, counting at least 26! We have recorded a group of three Regent Parrots several times over the last year, and most recently in April, but never this many so it's great news!

This week a team conducted the 6-monthly bird survey at Witchelina Nature Reserve.  Given the significant rainfall both on Witchelina and across the north we thought we might find some interesting birds and this proved correct! In total nearly 90 bird species were recorded during the survey on the property; many more than for previous surveys conducted during drier times.

Isabelle Onley has recently published her PhD research on the vulnerable Greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor). Her original project was titled ‘Conservation genomics and adaptation of translocated Greater Stick Nest Rats under climate change’.