The Summerland Peninsula is home to Australia's largest little penguin colony. It has a vital role in securing the future of the species, given vanishing/declining numbers at other colonies. The creation of green firebreaks will reduce the severity and impact of heat stress events and the scale, intensity, and speed of a bushfire. Controlled burns or large, completely cleared firebreaks are not viable on the Summerland Peninsula due to the harm they may cause little penguins, their burrows and their habitat. To manage risk, various species of plants have been left to grow, but they haven’t been growing in isolation. From the moment they left the nursery and were planted by volunteers and the Nature Parks ranger teams, they became part of a wilder, more complex and stressful ecosystem where their survival and growth are strongly dependent on a wide range of climatic, environmental, and ecological conditions.

Results to date found guarding improves survival rates by three to four times during establishment and the fenced browsing exclusion trial indicates other factors influencing success. The browsing exclusion trial is a feature of the ‘Future-Proofing Little Penguins’ project and newly established green firebreaks. The fences effectively excluded all large animal browsers (wallabies, geese, rabbits, and possums) on the Mandeville Road firebreak. After six months, results suggest browsers have had a significant impact on survival. Establishment of more shrubs and trees and the provision of shadier, cooler penguin habitat is also a focus. The browsing exclusion trial is only just starting to provide an insight into the effects of browsers on the vegetation and of the broader ecological dynamics of the peninsula and more will be learned in the years to come. Information gained will help inform future conservation actions and lead to better and more sustainable conservation outcomes.

The Penguin Foundation is a proud fundraising partner and supporter of the project. Read more and stay update to date with progress at: https://www.penguins.org.au/ab...