Forests are managed for a wide range of important reasons – to protect and enhance biodiversity, reduce bushfire risk, create opportunities for tourism and recreation and make use of forest products like firewood to name a few.

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) have a profound impact on natural ecosystems, agriculture and cultural values.

The Otways Marine Ecosystem Resilience (OMER) initiative is establishing up-to-date ecological baselines on current threats and ecosystem conditions for intertidal and subtidal ecosystems along the Otway coast.

This Aboriginal-led project investigated the contemporary and pre-invasion distribution, community ecology, and soil ecology of murnong across Eastern Maar territories. 

Ecological Baselines Shaping a Shared Vision for Cape Otways’ Vegetation & Wildlife

The Australian Government’s ‘Wild Otways Initiative’ is a three-year $6M commitment to achieving on-ground outcomes that will improve the protection and management of threatened species in the Otways, Victoria.

All science needs to be collaborative. But in ecology, we take our lead from the ecosystems we study, where all components of the natural environment are interlinked and contribute to each other’s survival.  

We have embarked on creating the woodlands of the future by planting over 100,000 tree seedlings over the last few years, across 100 Ha of affected woodland areas at Cape Otway.

Working with partner organisations, including the Country Fire Authority, the Conservation Ecology Centre has led a 5-year program to re-establish a fire regime on the Cape Otway.

We want to hear about it. Call the threatened species hotline on 0-iSPOTTED1 (0477 688 331)

The leafy greenhood orchid is an extraordinary colony forming plant. There are several populations around Victoria, occurring in both coastal and alpine habitats, although nowhere in between. On Cape Otway, several greenhood colonies survive the exposed coastal conditions.

In 2017 Otway Ark, a native mammal recovery program, was rolled out across the Otway landscape by Parks Victoria.

The Otways Ecological Research Network is a group of conservation researchers and land managers working to improve conservation outcomes in the Otways by facilitating collaborative research and ensuring that all outcomes are communicated to relevant stakeholders.