MohungaFacts

Home	Key Facts about the Mohunga Restoration Project
What’s Happening?	The residents of Mohunga have for many years carried out predator control and replanting on a limited and individual basis. For the past three years a more combined, concerted effort has been established. Rat control, using bait stations, has been extended in many of the valleys. Grids of stations are now being established in the mature bush areas where rodent numbers are highest and predated species, plant and animal, are most at risk. Latest Update The old bridal track along the main ridgeline has been reopened to enable better access. Cat traps have been set up along this route also.
What’s the objective?	A predator free peninsular with a biodiversity akin to what it would have been in pre human times.
Why are we controlling pests?	We have initiated the control of rats and cats and begun baseline surveys of the biota of the peninsular. We aim to reduce predator populations to enable the regeneration of all remnant species and the reintroduction of flora and fauna once present on the peninsular.
How is it happening?	To gauge the effectiveness of these controls a grid of tracking tunnels and bird count sites has been established to monitor populations. More surveys are planned to monitor other remnant populations such as frogs, petrels, bats, lizards, invertebrates and plant species. A report on the biodiversity of the peninsular and recommendations for development has been completed. This forms the basis for future initiatives.
Who are the Trustees?	The Mohunga Restoration Group Inc. is made up of the land owners of the Mohunga Peninsular and anyone keen to become involved.
What are the benefits?	Controlling pests and planting over an ever increasing area of the peninsular has had immediate effects to the easily observed flora and fauna. Populations of invertebrates sky rocket. Bird counts have also improved. The increased survival of seedlings and the germination of bird stratified seeds is also evident. Eradicating, rather than controlling pests would have the most effect on enhancing the recovery of biodiversity recovery values on the peninsular. While other GBI initiatives are progressing Mohunga could act as a staging ground for reintroduced species and a safe haven in case of pest invasion elsewhere.
What’s next?	Our aim is to create an oasis containing a large range of iconic species using the best technology that is available. To this end excluding pests using a barrier such as a pest proof fence rather than controlling them through trapping and poisoning ad infinitum must be the more ideal scenario. A peninsular is ideally suited to create such an ‘island’ as, for a relatively short fence of 2.3 km, we can protect a large area of around 600 hectares.