Fences are crucial in the battle to use a Barrington Tops wildlife sanctuary to save threatened species from further decline and extinction.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Aussie Ark has raised millions of dollars to save threatened species since 2010, when it was initially known as Devil Ark.
"Almost all of the funds [donated to Aussie Ark] have gone to fire and weed management and feral pest eradication," Aussie Ark president Tim Faulkner said.
"The big one is fencing. Fencing will become more and more prevalent."
Mr Faulkner said fencing brings connotations, for some, of animals in captivity.
He asked the sceptics to consider Aussie Ark like Lord Howe Island.
"Lord Howe Island is surrounded by a sea of ocean. That sea stops the feral pests, spread of fire and disease," he said.
Aussie Ark has 2000 hectares of fenced, predator-proof sanctuaries in the Barrington Tops for animals like the Tasmanian devil, eastern quoll, long-nosed potoroo and brush-tailed rock wallaby.
It's also planning a koala sanctuary. And it's advancing plans to acquire another 7000 hectares. If another $15 million can be raised, 20,000 hectares of wildlife sanctuaries can be protected at Barrington Tops.
Mr Faulkner said it was worth comparing Aussie Ark's sanctuary to the "150,000 hectares next to us" at Barrington Tops.
This land, he said, was an "ecological ghost town" for small native mammals because of feral foxes and cats.
This is why the sanctuaries at Aussie Ark must be fenced.
He said it must be remembered that Australia has the "worst mammal extinction rate on Earth".
Aussie Ark is addressing this crisis by protecting the most vulnerable species.
Establishing habitat that enabled small mammals to survive provided "so much benefit to the broader ecology".
The organisation is determined to change the trajectory of declining species. The success of an initial project to save the Tasmanian devil from extinction sowed the seed for expansion.
More recently the organisation drew international attention when Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio pledged $1 million through the US-based organisation Global Wildlife Conservation, following the devastating bushfires in Australia.
Mr Faulkner said the not-for-profit Aussie Ark was a "dedicated outcome-based organisation interested in results".
"Some organisations are more focused on research, doing a lot of observing and monitoring, but not taking much action.
"A more holistic model and approach is needed, including public/private partnerships, as a way forward."
He said Aussie Ark was a "conservation organisation" as opposed to a research organisation.
"We want projects that have a beginning, an end and an outcome," he said.
"Our operations are very lean."
Good fences, then, make good outcomes.
Do you know you can subscribe to get full access to all Maitland Mercury stories? Subscribing supports us in our local news coverage. To subscribe, click here.