Conservation agreement landholders help unlock the secrets of northern NSW’s nocturnal wildlife
When Gye Duncan heads out after dark with his thermal monocular, he often spots wildlife most people will never see.
On his Northern Rivers property, Aranyani, he has been lucky to see masked owls hunting at night, hear the calls of barking and powerful owls and stumble upon the discovery of a feathertail glider nesting in one of his native bee hives.
Through the Large Forest Owls (Safe Havens) Project, those observations are helping contribute to a growing body of data, demonstrating the important role private landholders play in protecting threatened wildlife and improving our understanding of species across the landscape.
Aranyani is one of 6 properties with protected areas registered with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust who are involved in the Nature Conservation Council project.
For Gye, participating in the project, which has been monitoring large forest owls and other hollow-dependent species across northern NSW since 2023, was a natural extension to his conservation commitment.
"After researching the importance of large forest owls for the ecological sustainability of ecosystems, I wanted to continue supporting the project and assist where I could," he said.
"We've appreciated the ongoing work providing additional nesting opportunities for owl prey species and the reports provided are detailed and really enjoyable to read.”
His property has emerged as one of the project's standout sites. 50 nest boxes were installed at Aranyani, which recorded the highest occupancy rates across all monitored properties, with 93% of nest boxes used by wildlife. Monitoring recorded at least 24 squirrel gliders using 14 boxes during autumn 2024, followed by 17 squirrel gliders using 8 boxes the following spring.
The results are exciting and reflect what Gye says he already knew about the property's biodiversity.
"From my own search, using my thermal monocular, and from the sounds at night, I am not surprised at all," he said.
"It is another data point confirming the high degree of wildlife present at Aranyani."
Gye said the project has also deepened his understanding of the ecosystems he is helping to protect.
"It has educated me in various aspects of biodiversity and the importance of having apex predators as part of a well-functioning ecosystem," he said.
"I would highly recommend landholders become involved for the wellbeing of wildlife, the natural world, humanity and the planet as a whole.
"It is a higher purpose that benefits everyone and everything and provides hope for future generations."
The project highlights how private landholders contribute beyond protecting habitat on their properties. Through monitoring programs like this one, they are sharing data from protected land and generating information that supports conservation planning and management.
“Properties managed for conservation, such as Aranyani, provide critical refuge for hollow-dependent species and deliver valuable evidence of the biodiversity outcomes that can be achieved on private land,” NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust’s North Coast manager Andy Westcott said.
About the Large Forest Owls (Safe Havens) Project
The results from Aranyani form part of the broader Large Forest Owls (Safe Havens) Project, led by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and supported by the NSW Environmental Trust.
The project spans nearly half a million hectares across Bundjalung and Yaegl Country in the lower Richmond and Clarence valleys and has worked with landholders across 30 properties covering more than 6500 ha.
Through acoustic monitoring, spotlight surveys, habitat assessments and nest box programs, participating landholders have helped researchers build a clearer picture of some of Australia's most elusive threatened species.