133 Species

133 is the number of threatened native animals and plants in the Sunshine Coast local government area. 133 species at are at risk of extinction. 133 species that should be flourishing but are not. 133 species that may not exist in the future. Of these, 6 animal and 20 plant species are critically endangered. Zoom out to Queensland wide and the number of threatened species increases to 1047. Australia wide there are 599 animal and 1472 plant species that are threatened (total 2071). How many native species are threatened in your local area? Sorry, not sorry, for rattling off a series of statistics, but these numbers are staggering. There is nothing ok with a future world where these precious parts of our world don’t exist.

Some of the species threatened in Australia you’ll likely be familiar with, like the iconic koala (endangered), Tasmanian Devil (endangered), Loggerhead Turtle (endangered) and Great White Shark (vulnerable), while others you may not have heard of before. Regardless, each one of these species is a valuable, integral part of the ecosystem. And it is because of this inherent value that each of them should be part of the Australian ecosystem of the future. So, it’s imperative that we find a way to co-exist with them.

While there are nuances for why each species is at risk, the common dominator is loss and fragmentation of habitat and a decline in the quality of habitat. Even for marine species, their habitat is being affected by pollution and changes to ocean temperatures and salinity due to climate change. Species that dwell in waterways and the ocean are also influenced by the loss of habitat on land, which can increase erosion and consequently the volume of sediment being washed into rivers and the sea. Essentially, if you don’t have a suitable home, or your home is constantly invaded by predators or has been reduced in size, it’s a challenge to have a flourishing existence.

So, over the Christmas break I’ve been considering what my backyard, the Sunshine Coast and South-East Queensland would look like without any one of these species. Would the Sunshine Coast still be valued for its biodiversity or as a globally recognised Biosphere? Because each time a species ceases to exist, it changes part of the ecosystem. It changes part of the community it lives in, the physical environment and organisms it interacts with. The potential to lose species which are currently at risk of becoming extinct will incur changes the local ecosystem, fundamentally changing the community that we all live in.

Each of the 133 species in the Sunshine Coast area are part of the local ecosystem, they interact with other plants and animals, the air we breathe, the waterways, beaches and with us as well. They are part of our community. So, what if we extended the concept of community to incorporate all species, not just people? At Woodford Folk Festival I was inspired by hearing Costa Georgiadis speak, who suggested that we should care for all children of all species for all time. Children have a special place in communities. They are nurtured, guided and supported to thrive. What if we broadened this nurturing approach to all species? If we considered that all species need to be nurtured (maybe some more than others). Costa also introduced the idea of doing things at a hyperlocal level, in your backyard and neighbourhood. Your actions can be directly relevant and meaningful to you.

So where do not-for-profit (NFP) organisations fit into the nurturing of all species? Working alongside and with, both government and the private sector (all sectors have a role to play), NFPs are aptly placed to make a considerable difference to plant and animal species in their local area because of their strong community connections. This makes them ideally poised to have effective hyperlocal impacts to nurture, restore and protect species within local ecosystems. Their strong relationships with community members and volunteers, with landholders and those with specialist local and indigenous knowledge are vital to nurture at risk plant and animal populations back to health.

To promote recovery of threatened species we need to protect existing areas of habitat especially highly valued remnant vegetation, expand areas of existing habitat, connect isolated areas of habitat and restore the quality of already established habitat across the landscape. This will not only help to foster regeneration of native vegetation but also help birds and animals move uninhibited across the landscape. This will serve not only to enhance biodiversity but will also increase the resilience of the landscape to extreme weather events, ?which are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude due to climate change.

These actions are a key part of ensuring that the 133 species (1075 in Queensland, 2071 in Australia) at risk of extinction don’t just become statistics and further evidence of the devastating impact of human development on our broader community. Let’s support NFPs and other community based organisations and individuals who are dedicated to any aspect of biodiversity enhancement.