The Upper Campaspe Landcare Network is getting set to launch its latest citizen science project.
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The year-long project centres on an elusive animal that uses electroreception to find its prey, is venomous, and is a semi aquatic mammal which lays eggs. You guessed it, it’s one of Australia’s most iconic species, the platypus.
The word platypus comes from the Greek word for ‘flat-footed’ as the species walk on their knuckles when travelling on land to protect their webbed feet.
The Upper Campaspe Landcare Network’s Platypus Project, funded through the state government, is looking for volunteers who are interested in learning more about the unusual animal to assist in locating them in an effort to protect their habitat now and in years to come.
The UCLN will work in partnership with the Australian Platypus Conservancy on the study, which will involve invaluable input from members of the community as well as the employment of innovative DNA technology in order to determine the presence of platypus and rakali (the Australian Water Rat) in the Campaspe and Coliban Rivers.
The project will be headed by biologists Dr Geoff Williams and Dr Melody Serena from the Australian Platypus Conservancy who will undertake the DNA testing to locate the platypuses.
The citizen science part of the project is especially important for clarification of where the animals live and to document their livelihood and the factors which are affecting them, for example climate change or chemicals in their habitat.
Dr Williams, formerly a director of Healesville Sanctuary and assistant Director of Taronga Zoo, has conducted over 450 platypus trapping surveys and has presented on the species at venues including the National Museum in Canberra and Melbourne Museum.
Dr Serena has been involved in platypus research since 1989.
She initiated the Melbourne Water Urban Platypus Program, conducted successful platypus reintroduction programs and provided platypus related advice to catchment management authorities and local councils.
At the launch of the project on October 26, participants will learn how they can assist in the creation of a key planning blueprint for future waterways management and platypus conservation efforts in the Upper Campaspe Catchment.
Landowners whose properties border the Campaspe and Coliban Rivers and their tributaries and would like to be involved are encouraged to contact Sandy Scheltema on uclandcare@gmail.com.
The platypus project will be launched at 1:30pm at the Campaspe River, at the end of Mill St in Kyneton.