This talk to the main branch of the WA Naturalists’ Club will be given by Amanda Bourne who leads the conservation science program on four Australian Wildlife Conservancy wildlife sanctuaries in Western Australia. She will talk about the Mt Gibson Mammal Restoration Project, which is on Badimia Country.

The team at Mt Gibson recently celebrated a significant conservation milestone, with the release of the tenth locally-extinct mammal species, the Western Quoll, or Chuditch. Of the other nine species released during the past ten years, both inside and outside a 7,828 hectare feral predator-proof fenced area, most are showing good signs of long-term viability. Amanda will give an overview of the field programs at Mt Gibson and discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with large, complex, landscape-scale conservation and restoration programs.

In her work, Amanda coordinates a team of field-based ecologists conducting monitoring, research, animal translocations, and strategic planning. She has a strong focus on evidence-based decision-making in biodiversity conservation.