University of South Australia wildlife ecologist Sophie 'Topa' Petit and a team of Kangaroo Island volunteer NGOs have been named finalists in Australia's most prestigious science awards for their work to help the island's wildlife recover in the wake of the devastating 2029/20 bushfires.
The fires burnt nearly half of Kangaroo Island, killing millions of animals and threatening the survival of some species.
The team is among three finalists in the 2024 Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science, to be announced on Wednesday 4 September in Sydney.
Assoc Prof Petit initiated a nest box project for bats and pygmy-possums, and led the group of NGOs in the construction, deployment and monitoring of several hundred boxes over four years.
Approximately 200 Kangaroo Island citizen scientists were engaged in the project, supported in part by a one-off UniSA Vice Chancellor special grant to kickstart the project.
"A huge amount of work has been undertaken in the past four years," says Assoc Prof Petit. "It has included obtaining animal ethics and wildlife permits, writing grants, applications and reports, training and co-ordinating volunteers, undertaking risk assessments, preparing data sheets and instructions, and overseeing the deployment and monitoring of the next boxes, along with many other tasks."
Numerous local organisations have contributed to the project, including Barossa Enterprises, one of the largest employers of people with disability, whose workers built many of the pygmy-possum nest boxes.
The results of the project were presented at a conference on Kangaroo Island in December 2023, organised by Assoc Prof Petit. Half of the 22 conference presentations were delivered by citizen scientists and five of the volunteers also received an SA Government Premier's Certificate in recognition of their outstanding service on the nest box project.
"Our last field trip in February this year was a great day for our citizen scientists. We found two rare little pygmy-possums (Cercartetus lepidus) in our specially designed boxes. Their habitat was almost entirely destroyed during the bushfires, so this was a very welcome discovery."
One scientific journal paper has already come out of the community project and several more publications are in the works.
"One of the most rewarding aspects of this experience is that many of the field volunteers are keenly awaiting our next scientific adventure," Assoc Prof Petit says.
"They have learned a lot about biodiversity and the scientific process. It is a privilege to keep working with such caring and amazing citizen scientists.
"Although the project was born from an emergency, it has always been anchored in science. Through it, the team believes that Kangaroo Island volunteers have forged a closer connection to their environment, increasing their confidence, knowledge, skills and experience, driven by a strong sense of purpose."
The Eureka Prizes, hosted by the Australian Museum, will be presented at a black-tie event at the Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday 4 September. A total of 55 finalists will compete for 18 prizes.
Notes for editors
The full team nominated for the 2024 Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science includes UniSA Associate Professor Topa Petit, Kangaroo Island (KI) Wildlife Network, KI Research Station, KI Conservation Landowners Association, KI Dance School, and Friends of Parks KI Western Districts.
