CITIZEN scientists are becoming increasingly frustrated with the disconnect between the animal surveys they conduct, and those carried out by Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW).

North Coast Environment Council spokesperson Susie Russell, cited the case of two endangered Greater Gliders and two Yellow-bellied Gliders, also endangered, recently seen in Gladstone State Forest, south of Bellingen.

“Both of these animals are well and truly on the path to extinction and depend on older forests with a connected canopy,” Ms Russell said.

“They also don’t tolerate heat and need the shade of a multi-layered forest with tall trees and mid-storey.”

The gliders were found through a citizen science effort in the Gladstone-Viewmont forests.

These are currently being intensively logged despite, says Ms Russell, being a corridor integral to the movement of koalas through what will soon be the Great Koala National Park (GKNP).

“It is yet another failure of the Minns’ Government that not only have the GKNP boundaries not been announced yet, but logging continues to strip out habitat that will make parts of the park less viable to support species like Greater and Yellow-bellied Gliders in the future.

“What is particularly galling, is that the Gladstone-Viewmont State Forests are part of an area deemed by Forestry Corporation to have low densities of Greater Gliders and hence don’t trigger a pre-logging nocturnal search.”

Lyn Orrego, from the Nambucca Valley Conservation Association (NVCA), said, “You would think that where these endangered animals are more rare, on the coast, that they should be included in the requirement to look for them at night.

“Our more than rare gliders along the North Coast are not being found nor protected.

“It takes citizen science efforts to bring this to the attention of the public.”

Ms Orrego said local conservationists want coastal gliders to be afforded night-time surveys like other gliders in NSW.

“Yes there are fewer gliders left in coastal forests, but this makes them more precious.

“As nocturnal animals, it’s a no-brainer that they must be looked for at night,” she said.

“NVCA is writing to the EPA, who have the power to include the coastal gliders in the special rules made last year for the other gliders in NSW”.

“Failing that, there is an existing rule requiring searches for gliders generally that the Forestry Corporation insists they will not do at night and that the EPA could enforce.”

FCNSW was contacted for comment.

By Andrew VIVIAN