Norfolk Island is an external Australian territory located about 1700km north-east of Sydney. The Island group consists of Norfolk, Nepean, Phillip and other smaller islets and sea stacks. The group is an internationally important biodiversity hotspot and well within the top five priority islands identified for restoration globally. About a quarter of the island’s 180 plants species are endemics, and a number of these are endangered or critically endangered. The island’s birdlife also includes endemics including the endangered Tasman parakeet. The islands are also critical for seabird conservation and both the main island and offshore Phillip Island are individually identified by Birdlife International as internationally important bird areas. Key challenges to conservation of these values notably include management of the impacts of introduced rodents, the crimson rosella, cats, Argentine ants, Asian house geckos and broader natural resource management issues. There are, however, a plethora of opportunities to improve outcomes for the island’s biodiversity assets, whilst fostering the social and economic sustainability of the island’s community.
Norfolk Island Workshop at Island Arks Symposium III
February 14th, 2013.
The purpose of this workshop is to use the collective expertise, knowledge and experience of Symposium delegates to explore these opportunities in more detail, develop novel approaches, and to suggest management interventions. This workshop is a real opportunity for delegates to make a meaningful contribution to the conservation of one of Australia’s most important island groups.
Who should attend the Norfolk Island workshop
The workshop is open to all Island Arks Symposium III delegates with an interest in Norfolk Island regardless of expertise or experience. There are great opportunities for delegates to make contributions to this project by contributing their expertise in the areas of threatened bird and plant recovery planning and implementation, exotic species (including rats, ants, birds) control and/or eradication and/or impact mitigation on islands, community capacity building and entrepreneurship in conservation. Interested delegates can contact Derek Ball for further information or to register their attendance at this workshop.
Read the Norfolk Island Region Threatened Species Recovery Plan (PDF 2.2 MB).
Remember to check back here for further information as it becomes available.