Helping hand: The West Midlands Group has sourced funding to protect native vegetation, habitat for the iconic black Carnaby cockatoo. nImage by Ron N. BethFARMERS in the west midlands region have put their best foot forward in planning to erect 12.5 kilometres of fencing to protect 490 hectares of priority bushland where the endangered black Carnaby cockatoo is found.
West Midlands Group communications officer Jennifer Bairstow said $50,000 was successfully sourced from the State NRM Community Grants program.
The money has allowed four properties from Warradarge and Eneabba to receive a range of services including a summary of the type of flora and fauna living on the farms from the Land for Wildlife program, a contribution towards the cost of fencing material, as well as technical advice on how to manage the remnant bushland into the future.
Much of the vegetation in the West Midlands region is low heath or scrub heath on lateritic soil or sand plain, such as banksia (including dryandra), hakea and grevillea, collectively known as kwongan - an important food source for black Carnaby cockatoo.
Once seeding has concluded farmers will proceed with fencing.
The West Midland Group is a farmer-driven, not-for-profit organisation and has highlighted as a priority the protection of remnant vegetation through its natural resource management program.
Protecting remnant vegetation is one of the steps to reducing the decline of the iconic black Carnaby cockatoo.
For further information about the project visit the West Midland Group website wmgroup.org.au.