Wildcare | Branches | Friends of the OBP

The Wildcare Friends of Orange-bellied Parrot provides volunteers and assists with fund raising and research activities under the National Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Plan.

Branch Files

Early to rise. Its observation time. No problems on days like this at Melaleuca.

BUT it isn't always like that!

Daily observations are made by Friends of the OBP volunteers between 7-9am and 4-6pm.

12 OBPs at once!!. A hectic task to record all their bands.

With a kilometre between observation posts and feed tables bike-riding is the ideal way for volunteers to get around.

Braving wet, wind and mud to finish off the newly re-constructed feed table.

Daily feed table cleaning- about 25 mins each table adds up to 75 mins of scrubbing and washing.

Is this the best nest? No. Silver Silver L (F) and Blue Orange C didn't like the neighbours. Nov.2016

Where we work

The Wildcare Friends of the OBP group undertakes work throughout the OBP’s range.

What we do

The objectives of the group are to:

Assist with the observation at Melaleuca (SW Tasmania)
Conduct migration and winter surveys
Assist with OBP habitat management projects
Raise awareness of the plight of the OBP
Raise funds to support the activities of volunteers and other recovery actions

Our volunteers observe Orange-bellied Parrots visiting the feed tables, recording individual colour-bands and nest observations. This data is collected for the department’s OBP Management Group to monitor survival and breeding success of wild and captive-bred release birds. Members of our group also conduct surveys during the northern migration (March-June) along the north-west coast and on King Island. We also assist our counterparts on the mainland with winter surveys. An increasingly important role of FOOBP is recovery program advocacy and fund raising. We are currently involved in some exciting new projects and, through a range of partnerships, we hope to raise much needed funds to support our volunteers and other parts of the recovery program.

Visit the GALLERY to view images of the Friends of the OBP in action.

Accommodation at Melaleuca

If you are a member of the Friends of the OBP and are selected as a volunteer for the OBP Summer Monitoring Program, member accommodation at Melaleuca, may be available to you.

For more information on FoOBP accommodation at Melaleuca please contact Mark Holdsworth, Liasion Officer on 0419 120 298 or email mark.holdzy@icloud.com

For all other enquiries about any aspect of your volunteer work and accommodation available through the DPIPWE Program at Melaleuca please contact Shannon Troy on email shannon.troy@dpipwe.tas.gov.au