Secretary’s Notes

It’s that time of year again, end of the financial year. The years are going so quick. Remember to renew your membership by June 30.
Just $20 single and $30 family, you can pay via our website or direct debit as below under the membership form. Please fill in this form and post or email it in if there are any changes to your details. Donations are also welcome and any donation $2 or over is tax deductible. And if you know of any companies looking to make end of financial year donations or would like to become corporate members by donating $55 or more, give them a copy of the form below. We would be happy to advertise them in our newsletters. Memberships and donations are a vital way of helping our volunteer carers and rescuers in helping look after our sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife.


WRIN is going ahead by making October ‘Wildlife Awareness Month’. We have a few events in the planning phase and we would also like to hear of any ideas you may have that we can consider. Ring or email us your ideas.

We have 3 pairs of men’s waders available for free. If anyone is interested please contact Brenda.

April General Meeting

Received donations and Grants totaling $4,368.

Correspondence with COGB regarding grant application for $2,000 to cover Insurance costs. This has been approved and payment received.

Meeting minutes by Jo from the meeting with MRWN. Subjects covered:

What are the benefits of a strategic alliance amongst wildlife groups?
Who would be involved?
What is envisaged as an appropriate structure?
What resources can be pooled?
What are the benefits of aligning a Wildlife Awareness Month?
Should we align a Celebration of World Kangaroo Day?
Signage for seasonal wildlife movements.
Ways in which we have each been able to successfully work with other organisations.
Community education.
What are the steps needed to establish this umbrella organisation

PAYMENTS:

Ian Slattery, Darting Fees, $585
Snake handler course final payment $2,094
Sausages for Bunnings Sausage Sizzle $429.29
Telstra Directory charges, $316.66. This fee was discussed and decided to cancel next year due to a lack of people using the directory now
Post Office Box Fee, $165.
Hall hire for 3 months, $120
BSF stall, $55
Merchandise – Stubby Holders $179, Business Cards $58.98, Pens $129.79
8 reimbursements paid, a total of $2,510
Telstra bills, 2 x $82.90
Maldon Market fees, 2 x $16.50

BUSINESS ARISING:

Fundraising event with Star Cinema was discussed. Preferred date was 29^th October to correspond with Wildlife Awareness Month and World Kangaroo Day. Brenda to apply.

Brenda advised the Term Deposit investment ends mid-May and asked if everyone was happy to transfer $5,000 to $10,000 from the Term Deposit to the working account before reinvesting. Bank account totals were advised; working account $6,157.80, Public Account $2,439.43 and Term Deposit $151,695.16. All agreed.

Kim Sabien-Stratton asked that her donation was to be used towards the fire victims. A variety of bandaging was purchased

FUNDRAISING:

Maldon Market, February $151, March $102.50 & April $83.50
Annual donation tin $139.70
BSF $137.30
Bunnings Kangaroo Flat sausage sizzle $1,190.41
Nature in the Mall $127.25

WRIN currently has donation tins displayed at Golden City Mitre 10, CEPA & Fountain Health Foods. Suggestions were made of other stores we could ask to display donation tins, such as Kangaroo Flat IGA Liquor Store, Eaglehawk Newsagency, Totally Reptiles and Bendigo Banks.

“Central Victorian Bat Alliance (CVBA)”

CVBA reconvened in May following an April break due to a busy month of community outreach events and introduction of our new Bat-Buddy Program, a rostered patrol around the Grey-headed Flying-fox Colony and surrounds to check on bat and habitat well being. You do not need to be vaccinated to be a Bat Buddy as bat handling is not part of the role.

Victoria had an incredibly busy, stressful Victorian pup season with over 400 pups in care due mainly to heat stress.

With most pups cared for by foster carers in metro Melbourne support is growing for a soft release facility in Central Victoria although the idea has not yet progressed past conversational stage. CVBA attended the 20yr anniversary of Friends of Bats and Bush Care Soft Release Program celebrations at Yarra Bend Grey-headed Flying-fox Colony on 17th May; an honor to support our batty friends and their great work enabling Flying-foxes to return to their wild lives.

CVBA met Deb Ladd, author/illustrator of Flick the Flying-fox, and are advocating to independent bookstores to stock this great children’s book in Bendigo (see pic of Deb and her book).

The Australasian Bat Society & amp; Australian Mammal Society joint conference 6th-9th July is your opportunity to hear research and conservation efforts for mammals, both flying and non- flying. The conference has sold-out but there is an online component at https://www.ausbats.org.au/conference-2026.html.

Key CVBA projects for the next year include:

• Barbed wire removal in public places
• Mapping key determinants of bat wellbeing
• Bat-Buddy Program
• Advocating for Net Swap Program in Bendigo https://engage.vic.gov.au/net-swap-program.

All are welcome to CVBA meetings, 3rd Friday monthly, Kangaroo Flat Library 1-3pm. For details please contact Julie at secretary.cvballiance@gmail.com. Thank you all for your rescue and care of all wildlife.

Cheers Julie.

Wildlife

The Sugar Glider

The world’s smallest gliding marsupial, the sugar glider, is a captivating creature found across Eastern and Northern Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. These nocturnal acrobats are renowned for their ability to soar through the forest canopy, utilizing a unique membrane that stretches between their wrists and ankles. Beyond their aerial prowess, sugar gliders exhibit a complex social life, intricate communication methods, and a crucial role in their ecosystem.

Sugar gliders, scientifically known as Petaurus breviceps, are small marsupials, typically weighing between 80 and 150 grams and measuring 24 to 30 centimetres in length, including their tail. Their soft, grey fur provides excellent camouflage within the trees. The most defining feature is the patagium, a gliding membrane extending from their forelegs to hind legs. This membrane allows them to glide distances of up to 50 meters, effectively navigating the forest and escaping predators. While in the air, a sugar glider can change direction and adjust its landing by moving its tail and shifting its limbs. Tiny changes in how the patagium is stretched help them bank, turn, and slow down so that they land on trunks and branches with impressive control. Their large eyes provide excellent night vision, and their sensitive paws enable them to grip branches with ease. They possess a prehensile tail, used for balance and as a fifth limb during climbing. Some individuals can even use the tail to help carry nesting material.

They inhabit a variety of forest types, including eucalyptus forests, rainforests, and woodlands. Their preference is for forests with mature trees offering plentiful food sources and suitable nesting sites. They are arboreal animals, rarely descending to the ground. They build nests in tree hollows, often utilizing pre-existing cavities created by other animals or natural formations. The availability of suitable tree hollows is a critical factor influencing their distribution and population density.

Sugar gliders are omnivores, with a diet primarily consisting of sap from eucalyptus and acacia trees, along with insects, pollen, and nectar. They have a particular fondness for the sugary sap, which gives them their name. They are also known to consume fruits, flowers, and the occasional small insect or spider. Their foraging behaviour is largely nocturnal, venturing out under the cover of darkness to locate food sources. They use their keen sense of smell to detect sap flows and insect activity. They are efficient foragers, often traveling several kilometres each night in search of sustenance.

During times when food is plentiful, sugar gliders can build up fat reserves at the base of the tail. This extra energy storage helps them get through lean periods when nectar, sap, or insects are harder to find, and the tail may look thicker when reserves are high. They are also able to enter torpor, a short term state in which their body temperature and metabolic rate drop. This allows them to conserve energy during cold weather or times when food is scarce, and helps them survive challenging periods in the wild. In the wild, sugar gliders rarely visit open water sources. Instead, they obtain most of their moisture from sap, nectar, fruit, and insects. This diet based water supply fits well with their tree dwelling lifestyle, since it lets them stay high in the canopy.

Sugar gliders are highly social animals, living in colonies that typically consist of 6 to 10 individuals, though larger groups have been observed. These colonies are often family based, with a breeding pair and offspring. They exhibit complex social hierarchies, with individuals vying for dominance and access to resources. Communication is achieved through a variety of vocalizations, including barks, chirps, clicks, hisses, squeaks and buzzing sounds. These sounds can signal alarm, contact calls between group members, or mild dispute noises when there is competition over food or space. They also use scent marking to establish territories and communicate with other members of the colony. Adult males have visible scent glands on the top of the head and on the chest. Allogrooming, or mutual grooming, plays a crucial role in maintaining social bonds and reinforcing group cohesion. Members of a colony mark branches, sleeping areas, and even each other with scent from their glands. This creates a shared group smell that helps them recognize family or colony members and distinguish them from outsiders.

Sugar gliders typically breed during the warmer months, with females capable of producing up to three litters per year. Gestation lasts approximately 15 to 18 days, resulting in the birth of one to three joeys. These joeys remain in the mother’s pouch for approximately 40 to 50 days, feeding on milk. After leaving the pouch, the joeys are carried on their mother’s back until they are fully weaned and independent. Sexual maturity is reached at approximately 8 to 12 months of age. The average lifespan of a sugar glider in the wild is approximately 6 to 8 years.

Sugar gliders play a vital role in their ecosystems as pollinators and seed dispersers. By feeding on nectar and pollen, they contribute to the reproduction of various plant species. Their foraging behaviour also helps to disperse seeds, promoting plant diversity and regeneration. As insectivores, they help to control insect populations, preventing outbreaks that could damage vegetation. They are also prey for larger predators, such as owls, snakes, and Quolls, contributing to the food web dynamics of their ecosystems. Their gliding ability, nocturnal habits, and preference for staying in the canopy are all useful defences.

Sugar gliders often share their habitat with other arboreal mammals, such as possums. They compete with these animals for resources, such as food and nesting sites. However, they also exhibit some degree of tolerance, often coexisting within the same trees. They also interact with birds, insects, and reptiles, forming complex relationships within the forest ecosystem. Their presence or absence can significantly impact the structure and function of their habitat.

Sugar glider populations are facing increasing threats from habitat loss, fragmentation, and climate change. Deforestation, urbanization, and agricultural expansion are destroying their forest habitat, reducing their food sources and nesting sites. Climate change is also altering their ecosystems, impacting the availability of food and water. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect sugar glider populations and ensure their long term survival. These efforts include habitat preservation, reforestation, and sustainable land management practices. Responsible pet ownership and avoiding the illegal wildlife trade are also essential to protect these vulnerable creatures.

Animals.net