Feds fine find

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
FEDERAL Environment Minister Tony Burke visited the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeaters last week for a unique tour to hear from local experts on the protection of the endangered bird species.
Mr Burke was heading to the high country to talk to cattle farmers, but on his way he stopped with La Trobe MP Laura Smyth to visit the dedicated volunteer group.
Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater members, park officials and scientists accompanied Mr Burke and Ms Smyth through Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve on Wednesday 6 April to the feeding stations where they were lucky to spot at least eight of the endangered birds.
Mr Burke told the Mail it was his first time at the Yellingbo site, and said it was important “not just to hear the technical detail of it but to see the passion of the people who are doing the work.”
“I think one of the most telling things is, even after the long period of drought and where there’ve been some pretty tough conditions imposed, over time the numbers have been growing,” he said.
Mr Burke said he did come across people who worked incredibly hard fighting a losing battle, but it was “nice to see an environmental battle that’s being won”.
FHHE president Arthur Carew said it was a slow process and the birds still relied on being fed at various feeding stations.
“We’ve just driven three kilometres with about 55 birds in this area – that’s a lot of territory for them to be in,” he said.
“Sometimes they can be more active but the stations we went to are probably the most active.”
Mr Burke said the 10-minute wait before the birds came down was “part of the deal” with endangered species.
“I didn’t expect to see any birds, let alone the numbers we saw today,” he said.
Ms Smyth said she supported urgent action on carbon pollution because she believed climate change would have a negative impact on the habitat of birds and other endangered species.
“I share the concerns of local conservation and landcare groups about the future of the rare species which make up our Victorian state emblems,” she said.