About Arid Recovery

Mission Statement

To facilitate restoration of arid zone ecosystems through on ground works, applied research, and industry, community and government partnerships

Vision

Recognition as a world class conservation and research program, with research outcomes and management techniques recognised and adopted on a regional, national and international scales.

About us

Arid Recovery has developed into Australia's premier arid zone conservation partnership. We are a joint conservation initiative between BHP Billiton, the local community, the SA Department for Environment & Natural Resources and The University of Adelaide. Based at Roxby Downs, the program aims to develop and implement methods for broadscale restoration of arid lands.At present the project is centred around an 123km² fenced reserve. We are a world leader in ecosystem restoration through the use of exclusion fencing. Feral species management and ecosystem recovery regeneration is a long term goal for beyond the fence, ongoing cat, rabbit and fox control has been undertaken outside the reserve since 1997 with research into more effective methods of large scale feral species control. Arid Recovery was the first site in South Australia to trial aerial baiting for feral cats we are also the first site in arid Australia to radio-track cats and foxes with GPS collars to gain a greater understanding of cat and fox behaviour in the arid zone.

Our exclusion fence is protecting a range of native plants and animals. Feral cats, foxes and rabbits have been removed from 60km² of the Reserve, making it the largest Reserve of its kind in Australia. Native plants have regenerated within the Reserve and local mammals and reptiles have responded to the removal of introduced species and domestic stock. Four locally extinct mammal species have been successfully reintroduced to the Reserve to date, these include:

Greater Stick Nest Rat, Leporillus conditor 
Burrowing Bettong, Bettongia lesueur
Greater Bilby, Macrotis lagotis
Western Barred Bandicoot, Perameles bougainville 
Numbat, Myrmecobius fasciatus 
Woma Python, Aspidites ramsayi

The first four of these reintroductions have been successful and all four species are now thriving within the reserve. Numbat and woma python reintroductions are still in the trial stages.

The program also focuses on a 200 square km area of land outside the fence where feral animal control methods are tested and trialled. Volunteer involvement and community and industry education are all important components of the Arid Recovery program.

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