Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife and NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service would like to thank employees from LENDLEASE for participating in a Corporate Volunteer Day, held at Sydney Harbour National Park, Middle Head on 13 September 2018. 

Sea Turtles confuse floating plastic bags with jellyfish - their favourite food. Turtles, Seals, Whales, Dolphins and Dugongs allget hopelessly entangled in floating nets discarded by commercial fishing operations. Once trapped within their deadly grasp, they can drift for days before slowly drowning.
 

A team of Australian and international scientists, led by Professor Rebecca Johnson, Director of the Australian Museum Research Institute and Professor Katherine Belov, University of Sydney, have made a significant break-through successfully sequencing the full koala genome. Considered to be the most complete marsupial genome sequenced to date, it is in terms of quality, on par with the human genome.  

Despite severe declining numbers, one of Australia’s favourite animals, the Murray River Turtle, are fighting back from the brink of extinction. Murray River turtles have declined by 90% in the last 40 years and in some areas of Australia, are extinct. The turtles are declining at an alarming rate and unless action is taken the entire population could be wiped out. The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW) is currently working with Western Sydney University’s Dr Ricky Spencer and his team to implement a solution that will help save this unique national species. 

Southern brown bandicoot numbers in South Australia's Mount Lofty Ranges have been on a steady decline in recent years. Researchers have learned that bandicoot numbers are reduced by several factors including predators; changes in native habitats caused by humans, other animals and weeds; and also changes in climate.