An event was held on the 9th September, to celebrate Threatened Species Day at the Reed Beds Wetland.
Neil Bull, the RGA Environment Manager presented the findings of the Bitterns Rice project to a broad regional audience.
In addition to Neil Bull’s presentation, Alison Borrell from the Murray Darling Wetlands Working Group spoke discussed how Australasian Bitterns use the Ramsar wetlands of the Barmah-Millewa forest.
The event included a demonstration of the Bittern in Rice projects thermal drone. Lachlan Feeney from Australian UAV preprogramed a flight path for the drone and showed the participants how the thermal camera can detect humans and car components based on the temperature difference from their surroundings. The drone picked up the faces (of the well rugged up audience) and the brakes and engines from the cars in the car park.
It is planned to use the drone as a trial to establish the most effective technology to monitor Australasian Bitterns in the Ramsar wetlands in the Mathoura area. The Ricegrowers’ Association is pleased to partner with Debbie Saunders from Wildlife Drones to work on these trials.