Alcoa Foundation provides $1 million worth of funding to DBCA’s Western Shield wildlife recovery program

The Alcoa Foundation is doing its part to protect vulnerable native species in the northern jarrah forest of the South West by providing $1 million worth of funding towards the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions’ Western Shield wildlife recovery program. The company said the new funding from their global charity is set to bolster and improve the protection of 14 threatened species in WA’s northern jarrah forest — including the numbat, woylie, chuditch and quokka — from foxes and feral cats. Alcoa said the DBCA, which runs Western Shield, would use the funding over the next three years to increase fox and feral cat management and monitoring across more than 500,000ha of forest from Avon Valley National Park in the north to State forest south of Collie. The aluminium company said training opportunities would be made available for Aboriginal rangers for wildlife monitoring through the deployment and servicing of remote cameras and data collection in the field. Alcoa global biodiversity manager Dr Andrew Grigg said the foundation believed it was the appropriate time to make this investment given the growing biodiversity threat posed by feral predators in the northern jarrah forest. “Many of Western Australia’s native animal species are on the brink of catastrophic decline due to the danger they face from feral predators like the fox and feral cat,” Dr Grigg said. “The Alcoa Foundation has a strong focus on protecting biodiversity, so we are proud to bolster the important work done through Western Shield and understand how it can be improved.” DBCA’s Western Shield zoologist Dr Michelle Drew said the funding would support ongoing efforts to protect native wildlife from introduced predators while also supporting a healthier jarrah forest. “The project will provide increased protection for native species such as the woylie and quenda, also known as “ecosystem engineers”, whose digging behaviour enhances nutrient cycling, increases soil aeration and water penetration as well as promoting the growth of native seedlings,” Dr Drew said. “This will ultimately enhance the regeneration of the northern jarrah forest and promote greater native species diversity.” Alcoa said the grant is independent of and in addition to the support Alcoa of Australia has provided to Western Shield since the program’s inception 25 years ago.