Friends of the OBP
The Wildcare group Friends of Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) provides volunteers and assists with fund raising, working bees and research activities to benefit the critically endangered OBPs.
Branch Files
- OBPRB News Oct 2022 - Newsletter from the national Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program.
- OBPRP News June 2022 - Newsletter from the national Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program.
- OBP Mainland Release - Two week update - 26 May 2022
- OBPRP News May 2022 - Newsletter from the national Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program.
- OBPRP News January 2022 - Newsletter from the national Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program.
- OBPRP News September 2021 - Newsletter from the national Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Program.
OBP surveys take us to places on the west coast from Strahan to Marrawah.
We look for OBPs on their migration path from SW Tasmania to the mainland.
We visit some spectacular places on the surveys, like Pulpit Rock at Trial Harbour.
We encounter all sorts of weather on the surveys, like this approaching storm.
We assist NRE with building infrastructure at Melaleuca, like this new feed table.
We provide bikes for volunteers to travel between the feed tables at Melaleuca.
We provide supplies for maintaining the bikes at Melaleuca.
Sometimes material for working bees needs to be transported by helicopter.
Where we work
The Wildcare Friends of the Orange-bellied Parrot (OBP) group works across the OBP’s range with a focus on Tasmania.
What we do
The objectives of the group are to:
- Assist with the monitoring program at Melaleuca (SW Tasmania)
- Conduct migration and winter surveys in various locations from Strahan to Arthur River – read about our April 2021 Autumn Migration Survey
- Assist with OBP habitat management projects
- Raise awareness of the plight of the OBP
- Raise funds (including through our online shop) to support the activities of volunteers and other recovery actions
Volunteers with Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE) observe Orange-bellied Parrots visiting the feed tables, recording individual colour-bands and nest observations. This data is collected for the department’s OBP Program staff to monitor survival and breeding success of wild and captive-bred release birds.
Members of our group conduct annual autumn migration and winter surveys on the west and north-west coasts. We also assist our counterparts on the mainland with winter surveys. An increasingly important role of Friends of the OBP is recovery program advocacy and fund raising.
We are currently involved in some exciting new projects. Through a range of partnerships, we hope to raise much needed funds to support our volunteers and other parts of the recovery program.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the latest news stories about OBPs in print and from radio.
Visit the GALLERY to view images of the Friends of the OBP in action.
Visit FILES to see newsletters from the OBP Recovery Team.
Online shop
All proceeds from sales in our online shop go to support the efforts to save the critically endangered Orange-bellied Parrots. Please support the work of the Friends of the OBP by purchasing something for yourself or as a gift. Items are printed as they are ordered and then delivered by Australia Post.
You can either browse the shop products or check out the groups of products:
- T-shirts and hoodies (6 designs in a variety of sizes & styles in up to 18 colours)
- Mugs
- Coasters
- Bags
- Cushion covers
- Stationery
- Scarves
- Aprons
- Phone cases (for both iPhones and Samsung Galaxy)
Accommodation at Melaleuca
If you are a member of the Friends of the OBP and are selected by NRE as a volunteer for the OBP Summer Monitoring Program, member accommodation at Melaleuca may be available to you.
For more information on Friends of the OBP accommodation at Melaleuca please contact Barbara Willson on email barbara.b.willson@gmail.com
For all other enquiries about any aspect of your volunteer work and accommodation available through the DPIPWE Monitoring Program at Melaleuca please email obp.program@nre.tas.gov.au
Our Contacts
President – Marianne Gee Friends.of.the.OBP@gmail.com
Treasurer – Will Oliver
Wildcare Shop
OBPs in the news
Unprecedented access: Inside Tasmania’s orange-bellied parrot captive breeding program Australian Geographic visited Five Mile Beach and Melaleuca during the 2021-22 breeding season. Includes video footage of OBP nestlings.
Saving the orange-bellied parrot is just one perk of spending time in Tasmania’s beautiful south-west is an ABC News story from January 2022 that gives a good overview of the work of volunteers from both NRE and Friends of the OBP.
An interview with Friends of the OBP President – Marianne Gee from September 2021: