Wildcare’s Friends of Maria Island demonstrated how long term commitment (of nearly 20 years) and consistent effort have paid off during the 2023 Community Landcare Conference Field Trip to Maria Island on October 15th – hardly a broom plant to be found! The history and conservation values of Maria Island are special and volunteers play […]
This year’s Landcare conference is being held over the weekend on 13 -15 October at the Spring Bay Mill Triabunna (a venue well worth visiting) and the Friends of Maria Island are joining Wildcare Tasmania and Tas. Parks & Wildlife Service in hosting a field trip to the island! There is a fabulous line-up of […]
Maria Island has been referred to as Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark. It is often featured in the kind of magazines people read when they are dreaming of an idyllic holiday escape. Host to visitors from far and wide, it is internationally regarded as a wild walking wonderland – a place to immerse in nature, encounter wildlife […]
Quite a crowd of very willing volunteers arrived on Maria on the 6th September to help give Parks staff a hand with the Lime wash of the buildings around Darlington. Our first task that afternoon was to check off all the safety requirements, collect our PPE, and pick up our lime washing equipment. The preparation […]
FRIENDS OF MARIA ISLAND – STATE OF PLAY Our long established programs of control/eradication continue with a notable and progressive decrease in the incidence of Broom and Spanish heath. Long term volunteers rotate through the various working bees (4-5 per year) with a welcome regular addition of new members. BROOM Systematic monitoring and clearing of […]
Wildcare volunteers’ contributions have achieved the highest recognition in this week’s Tasmanian Volunteering Awards. Patron of Volunteering Tasmania, Her Excellency, Professor the Honourable Kate Warner, AC, Governor of Tasmania presented the official Awards at a special ceremony at Government House. Professor Warner presented the Volunteering Tasmania Environment, Animal Care and Conservation Award to Anne & […]
Weeding Broom and Sea Spurge on Maria Is. Nov. 2018 by Anne and Peter Booth Daisies cleared Pt. Lesueur – Pete, Chris and Ros On our latest working bee in November we welcomed two ‘first-timers’ to our group, although it transpired that many years ago they had done research work on the island’s Native-hens and […]
With the buildings of the Darlington Probation Station having missed their “almost annual” protective lime washing last year, Senior Ranger Pete Lingard sent out the call to arms (or at least brushes) to the faithful army of volunteers to support the cause. No less than 15 volunteers, together with several PWS Staff responded, travelling over […]
Register here for the working bee that brings ongoing praise from thousands of visitors to Maria Island. Many visitors comment on the well kept and painted convict buildings throughout Darlington. Join the Friends of Maria Island and the PWS on this satisfying, annual repaint of the convict buildings using the traditional lime-washing techniques that the convicts would […]
The Organising Committee extends a warm invitation to Wildcare branches to attend Island Arks VI, the sixth symposium on island conservation, tourism and management. The Island Arks Symposium is a long standing, high level meeting for islanders, island managers, conservation ecologists and island eco-tourism operators. Since the first meeting in 2009 held on the Great Barrier […]