Island restoration

South Georgia Surveys supports habitat restoration projects through its contributions to pre- and post-baiting surveys of wildlife and habitats. Efforts are currently directed at the Beaver Island Group Restoration Project. The project started in 2007 and is currently on-going (August 2009) to remove rats and foxes from 8 tussac islands in the Beaver Island archipelago in the southwest sector of the Falkland Islands. 

August 2007 baiting team on Channel Islands, Beaver Island Group

This initiative, set up by the islands' owners in an effort to restore tussac island wildlife habitats to their original pristine state, has attracted funding from the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Overseas Territories Environment Programme OTEP. The project is supported locally by Falklands Conservation, the Falkland Islands Government Environmental Planning Department and the RSPB's South Atlantic Invasive Species Programme.

The pre- and post-eradication surveys of the islands earmarked for restoration are conducted by South Georgia Surveys with support from the Antarctic Research Trust. Such surveys demonstrate the benefits to wildlife resulting from the removal of non-native invasive species such as rats.

For more news about the Beaver Island Group Restoration Project check the following websites: Falklands Conservation and the Overseas Territories Conservation Forum.

And to learn more about the threats rats pose to wildlife and for some sound advice for boat-owners on how to 'rat-proof' your boat and keep it rat-free, have a look at these two Alaskan websites:
www.stoprats.org  www.alaskamaritime.fws.gov/whatwedo/bioprojects/restorebiodiversity/shipaid.htm