Friends of the Earth

The Quest for the Tuft-tailed Phascogale

the Goongerah Environment Centre

Purpose: 1/ to discover an unknown species
To find and identify a small arboreal mammal seen once at Dingo Creek. This unique species had a body about 100mm long and a tail about 150mm long with a distinct tuft of fur on the end of it. It was seen scurrying along the bracnhes of a Silver wattle, hunting lerps. The physiology and behvaiour identify it as a phascogale, but of a size & shape completely unknown.
2/ to use a GIS & provide tutorial on its use
High conservation value forests including old-growth, rainforst, mixed forest & threatened species habitat, will be located by use of GIS. Flora & fauna surveys will be conducted at some of the sites selected.
Where: GECO & East Gippsland's old-growth forests
The GIS analysis & tutorials will be conducted at GECO, Bonang Highway Goongerah. Call 03 51 540 156 for accomodation bookings or other information.
Survey sites and a week-long camp may be anywhere in East Gippsland, with the Errinundra Plateau most likely.

Draft Timetable: September 2004

Day	Thursday 23	Friday 24	Saturday 25	Sunday 26	Monday 27	Tuesday 28	Wednesday 29	Thursday 30	Friday 1	Saturday 2
AM		Analysis of GIS	Exploratory walk	Goolengook Walk	Install hair tubes		Return to camp	Rainforest mapping		Return Melbourne
PM		Site selection	Flora & Fauna survey	Climbing	Exploratory walk	Quadrat survey	Quadrat survey	Rainforest mapping	Collect hair-tubes
Eve	Bus leaves Swinburne Hawthorn 5pm Lilydale Railway 7pm	Drive to Goolengook	spotlighting Goolengook	move camp to Site1	Spotlighting	Full moon nightwalk		Spotlighting	Return Goongerah

What to bring:

ESSENTIAL	OPTIONAL
waterproof over-clothes warm bedroll warm clothes tent food (nearest shops Delegate 40km) coffee, chocolate, other addictives headtorch or pen torch compass full tank of fuel	torch: truncheon Maglite best or Dolphin or rechargeable spotlight spare batteries Camera (video with nightsite best) Spare film First Aid kit glow-sticks Climbing gear (for tree-hollow searches) GPS hand-held radio binoculars

How to get there: Email tonyquoll@yahoo.com if you want a seat on the bus, need a lift or can offer a lift

From Melbourne Drive east to Orbost, then north to Goongerah This is 7 to 8 hours from Melbourne Details on camp location will be left at GECO.

From Sydney Drive to Cooma, then Bombala, to Delegate, Bonang then Goongerah This is 7 to 8 hours from Sydney Details on camp location will be left at GECO

Cost: Stay at GECO; $8 / night
Goolengook fully-catered walk $150, $100 concession (optional)
Fuel & food ; share costs, around $50 a week
More information about the Tuft-tailed Phacogale

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