Dubbo and the central west are home to more than 200 threatened animals and plants, their close proximity a surprise to many community members.
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The malleefowl, endangered due to habitat loss and predator attacks, lives to the north-east in the Goonoo State Conservation Area.
As threatened species battle on, work continues to secure their future.
Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) is shining a light on the animals and plants, and conservation efforts, on the eve of Thursday’s Threatened Species Day.
The occasion marks the date the last known Tasmanian Tiger died in captivity, underlining the importance of the work.
David Coote, OEH north west acting team leader of ecosystems and threatened species, reports his team was amazed at the level of interest in threatened species among people attending the Dubbo Sustainability Expo at the weekend.
“Many people are surprised to find that threatened species occur right here in our backyard,” he said.
Mr Coote highlighted work being done across the state to save threatened plants and animals, with landholders and volunteers assisting.
“In the Dubbo area for example did you know we have a plant called ziera obcordata that grows only in Wellington and Bathurst?” he said.
“It’s a flowering shrub with delicate white flowers and exists on private property where the owners work with OEH in efforts to bolster numbers of the endangered plant.”
The Dubbo OEH threatened species team also works with many other threatened plants and animals in western NSW, including the malleefowl and glossy black-cockatoo.
“Glossy black-cockatoos are distinctive large birds with vivid red panels on their tails, listed as vulnerable in NSW,” Mr Coote said.
“They call the Goonoo State Conservation Area home and OEH works with the Dubbo Field Naturalists to monitor this amazing species.
“Malleefowl are an endangered NSW bird and a target species of the NSW government’s $100 million Saving Our Species program that aims to maximise the number of threatened species that can be secured in the wild in NSW for 100 years.
“Malleefowl benefit from a landscape-wide community fox baiting program which has been ongoing in Goonoo for many years.
“Motion sensor cameras have also been set up at known malleefowl sites to assist in monitoring and pest control.”
Activities for Threatened Species Day in the local area include library displays at Dubbo and Wellington and a badge giveaway in local businesses.
