Reintroduction of the Mallee Emu-wren to Ngarkat Conservation Park, South Australia

Translocation is a well-established conservation tool often used in management of threatened species (IUCN 2013). Using the translocation of the Endangered Mallee Emu-wren – Stipiturus mallee – as a model system, my research focuses on the ongoing conservation of this species, as well as addressing key knowledge gaps that remain for translocation practitioners across the planning, implementation and post-release monitoring of conservation translocations. Specifically I aim to:
• Identify factors that maximise the probability of establishment success in reintroduced Mallee Emu-wren populations while minimising costs and effort;
• Assess autonomous acoustic recorders (ARUs) as a method to accurately and precisely monitor long-term persistence of reintroduced populations when the translocated species is cryptic or difficult to survey;
• Determine long-term viability of the re-established Ngarkat Conservation Park (CP) Mallee Emu-wren population;
• Track Mallee Emu-wren population recovery at translocation source sites in Hattah-Kulkyne and Murray Sunset National Parks (NP); and
• Assess the genetic composition of the global Mallee Emu-wren population to inform future reintroductions and in-situ management.