Don Stewart Biodiversity Park 
Development Proposal

Project Outline - second draft

copyright 2020 Nancy Jones 

Record Brook Valley - Stewart Tree

Protected rare environment and Biodiversity Park,
Online Park,  Research and Content Creation                                                                                            
The riparian area where Record Brook meets the land abounds with rare and endangered flora and fauna, some ancient species with links to Gondwana times.  At 85 meters tall, the worlds tallest Karri, the Stewart Tree, towers over pre Jurassic animals, fish, fungi and flora that have survived in this hidden valley for millions of  years.  Ice ages have passed yet in this safe space they still live side by side with our modern marsupials, a testament to the resilience of nature.

 

Over a year and half data has already been collected through over 84 field trips on the Stewart Tree Transect.  Ready for development into content for the On-Line park.

Part A
A highly protected park encompassing  The Stewart Tree and Record Brook 
catchment area as described in the study. Protection of the pristine area by construction of a raised walkway to a safe viewing platform at the Stewart Tree.

Part B
An online park and Technology Centre showcases Record Brook Valley and reveals its inhabitants to the world.  

These combine to form a Tourist Attraction and a Science Hub around this Stewart Tree and Record Brook prehistoric Valley.  Providing new jobs for the Manjimup area.  It will increase tourism, create a new virtual tourism business, attract science buffs and create much needed spinoff sources of income for the community.  

Practically there are already teams of scientists doing work on numbats and previously the Woylie project, with extensive experience in placing cameras and data collection for these rare animals. 

DBCA with Gondwana Link created and managed the Valley of the Giants tourist walk. I believe this same team could work together to transform the Stewart Tree and Online Park into a World Class Attraction. 

Considerations
Protection:
Tourists:  
Put in a raised walkway to a viewing platform where tourists and visitors can photograph the Stewart Tree and see the surrounding environment.  This will protect the precious thicket, understory and rare and endangered animals from disturbance and trampling. Also this is a safety issue as the terrain is very steep on one side and involves crossing the winter running Record Brook.  Viewing points where images from cameras on the ground allow secret viewing of the mini ancient world.  Positioning  based on data evidence provided by the study.

A secondary walking trail with the logging history sites as well as the old railway lines and bridges would allow on the ground access in less critical areas of the habitat and the opportunity to experience the coolness and vibrancy of a healthy living forest. 
The workers for building and maintaining walkways and viewing platforms are already in the area. This ensures local jobs and reliable quotes from experienced operators. 

Feral Predators:
Roll out the local feral eradication programs already established in Manjimup.  Include monitoring to detect any new feral invasions as quickly as possible so threat can be eradicated.  The Woylie Sanctuary had a very successful program.  
Exclusion fencing would not be practical due to the number of roads which would make the area smaller than the required range for several of the rare marsupial species, putting their survival at risk. There would be a need for security or detection around the Valley area once the cameras that will feed the on-line park are installed.

 

Operational Aims:
The physical park should operate on principles of highest environmental standards. Placing most of the infrastructure in Manjimup rather than at the tree site to not stress the fragile environment. Water being the biggest issue.  Proposal consider hire transportable buildings from Manjimup similar to the mining industry at the location for three reasons:

1. Allows quick start up and avoids high initial cost of expensive            infrastructure buildings.

2. Allows for change and modification in line with best practise as the project     develops.

3. Provides immediate long term jobs in provision of transportables and maintenance of them. Uses tried and tested mining camp model.

Buffer Zone:
The recent regrowth area immediately surrounding the Record Brook Valley is highly flammable.  A safety road for access and other emergencies needs be considered in Safety Assessments.  Thinning the new regrowth and planting fire retardent scientific experimental areas within works towards creating a safe and beautiful park support precinct as well as providing data on the efficacy of these experiments and practical viewing of the ongoing results. Combining the reality and online capabilities of this unique park. 

The Online Park:
The Online Park will be fully wired with cameras to record everything. Creating a scientific resource and opportunities for research, stories and collaborations
It’s a biological wonderland, but under threat as one of the worlds biodiversity hot spots.  Full of things to discover and film and wonder about as the website demonstrates.

Cameras of all sorts capture the hidden life in the impenetrable thickets.  Slow motion, stop motion, motion triggered cameras at strategic places determined by science, using  animal handlers, environmental scientists, biologists and botanists.

The study has identified many suitable animal subjects. Spiders, Quokkas, Echidna, Phascogayles and Quenda. They all live here. There is evidence of a highly threatened Numbat or Woylie yet to be confirmed.  The fungi are the most impressive subjects to record as their fantastic shapes quickly grown and decay.

The Online Park creates a digital library of scientific data to be used, to be shared, to be repurposed, to be sold or even used as art. (see websites for CSIRO the Art Gallery and the WA Museum as examples of education and interaction)

There is a constant supply of new images to attract visitors.
The online park can provide dedicated educational resources teachers can easily access for dynamic classroom resources. The data sets can be mined and used by children as part of classroom exercises.  This is a quickly expanding area that would attract a lot of traffic.

The online park can do marketing and can create a compelling image for Western Australia and an enthusiastic audience following from anywhere in the world. The uniqueness of the plants in Southwestern Australia will provide content not available from any other source. This is a marketing dream with one of the worlds giant trees, quokkas, and at the discovery of a new micro Jurassic landscape.   
 

The online park can post interviews, podcasts, webinars, meetings and special stories online on any platform.

The online park can initiate the development of content for sale, education and entertainment.

The online park can enter into collaborations with international organisations on research and discovery.  WA has a well established history of working successfully with Northern Hemisphere projects, allowing them to progress at a higher speed as the work continues twenty four hours a day

The online park can be contracted by overseas organisation to provide specific data sets.

Further studies and scientific collaborations could be designed to study the valley with its intact ancient pure water system. Measurements on the effect of rehydration methods and regeneration will provide important data.

Rainfall, moisture, humidity can all be measured and compared to see if what is being done in the regenerative area of the park is working.

I believe this is a fantastic opportunity to create content and aspirational jobs that will run far into the future.  Creating  an International park with world standards and audience which is integrated into the local community is a first.

As the park develops it will become a big ticket international science destination.  Even more so if this ancient valley can be rehydrated and used as a model and inspiration for fighting climate change.  Using the best and most advanced ideas and testing them for veracity.  Viewing stations outside the protected zones could provide tourists direct access to camera streaming, scientific displays, tours seminars as well as areas suitable for direct interaction.

This project alines with the push for a science hub at the high school withTAFE and University and creates ways to deal with climate change specific to the Manjimup community which can be shared with the world.

 

This  has the potential to become an aspirational project that brings the town together.  Interest in the Stewart Tree since its rediscovery is huge. The patience and participation of the Manjimup community in keeping this beautiful place safe from the general public shows they are heavily invested in wanting it preserved for everyone to enjoy.

 

The time critical element is protection.  Currently the area is very close to pristine. The environment around the tree has not been trampled much in the last year and a half.  Protection to preserve this potential state icon is needed urgently.

Wouldn't it be nice for Manjimup to be a world leader in climate change research and development?  

Copyright Nancy Jones 2020