Two nature-lovers have left a living legacy to Australians. Their bequests to the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife purchased a 160 hectare inholding to add to the Kosciuszko National Park.
The purchase of this addition was made possible through bequests to the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife from the estates of Genevieve Little and Catherine Clare White. The land is now part of the national reserve system.
The ridge-top inholding block, which overlooks the Snowy River in the Paupong area about 30 km south of Jindabyne, will preserve habitat for a range of threatened species. It was part of the Gungarland lands on the park’s eastern border within the Byadbo Wilderness Area.
This area contains remnants of Box-Pine communities and the only acacia scrub communities in Kosciuszko National Park.
Threatened species reliant on this habitat include the Speckled Warbler, Gang-Gang Cockatoo, Brown Treecreeper, Olive Whistler, Diamond Firetail, Hooded Robin, Pink Robin and the Spotted Tailed Quoll.
Director-General for the Office of Environment and Heritage, Lisa Corbyn, said today that this addition, while small compared to the rest of the park would be important for a range of reasons.
“Kosciuszko National Park is almost 700,000 hectares but every addition to this world class reserve is an important one,” Ms Corbyn said.
“The site contains vegetation communities which are not adequately conserved in other parts of the national park network, containing White box woodlands as well as native cypress pines, Kurrajong trees, Apple box eucalypts and Native Cherry.
“The new addition also contains important habitat for a range of threatened species such as Gang-Gang Cockatoos, Hooded Robins and the Spotted-tailed Quoll. The White box woodland communities are important habitat for the endangered Regent Honeyeater.
“The purchase was finally made possible with funds bequeathed to the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife which is a non-government fund raising body that has been raising funds for such purposes for more than 40 years.
“The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is the only organisation in Australia whose philanthropy is an investment in our public estate, for all to enjoy,” Ms Corbyn said.
