Middle Island Maremma Project

Middle Island Maremma Project
Warrnambool Great Ocean Road
2015-16
Here is the problem!
Middle Island Warrnambool was once in deep water just off the mainland, but still protected
from the mainland by water that flowed between the island and mainland.
The building of the Warrnambool Breakwater and Viaduct Road in the late 1890’s started the
process of siltation of Lady Bay and surrounds. This process continues today and has resulted in
Middle Island now becoming exposed to foxes, or people, walking to the island on low tide
through Summer.
Deakin University started surveying the Little Penguin colony in 1999 with an estimated
population of 800. Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group were involved in penguin
monitoring from this time with the population numbers facing a steady decline after constant
fox encroachment, as well as people damaging penguin habitat. In 2005 the population was
estimated at under 10, with no breeding birds found.
What to do? Something had to change!
A member of the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group (Dave Williams) was working with a
local chicken farmer (Swampy Marsh) whilst completing his degree at Deakin Warrnambool
campus. At a morning tea break one day Dave and Swampy were discussing the front page of
the local newspaper that had an image of over 300 birds killed on Middle Island by foxes.
Swampy quipped “they should put a couple of maremmas on that island – that would sort out
the foxes”.
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From that quip began a long effort to look how this could be done – dogs on an island that was
home to a penguin breeding colony had never been done before and certainly not protecting
native fauna.
Approvals Needed
Middle Island is crown land and managed by Warrnambool City Council (WCC). Initial approvals
for the trail of maremmas on the island was required by WCC. Further approvals from Parks
Victoria, Dept Environment as well as animal ethics oversight by RSCPA.
Ultimately WCC took the decision to approval the trail of Oddball (Swampy’s dog). This was a
brave decision that required a great leap of faith in advise from Council staff, Coastcare
volunteers and the local community. One concern was the dogs would escape from the island
and attack people. To disprove this, a maremma was brought into the council meeting to hear
the debate – the trail was approved and Oddball was sent to Middle Island.
The trail was a success as no foxes encroached the island, breeding pairs were observed and the
dogs appeared to have no effect on the behaviours of the Little penguins.
The trail was turned into a full time project and continues to this day. Since the maremmas have
been placed on the island there has been no evidence of foxes encroaching on the island and no
penguins killed because of foxes.
There Have Been Challenges
This is a world first use of maremma dogs to guard native fauna – there is no rules/guide book to
follow, it has been learn as we go. Some of these challenges have included dogs leaving the
island, dogs playing with penguins that resulted in 10 being stressed and dying, funding and
resources to operate the project and people going to the island unauthorised.
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One thing has been consistent – the Warrnambool community has supported the protection of
their special Middle Island.
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village Involvement
In 2013 Warrnambool City Council were considering their role in the management of the
maremma dogs. The dogs had been operated as a environmental expense and whilst effective in
its delivery of the service, the council were looking to broaden the role of the project to include
an education and tourism outcome.
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (FHMV) operates as the city’s maritime museum and outdoor
heritage precinct overlooking Lady Bay. The dogs care was transferred to FHMV allowing the
project to continue and the Middle Island penguins to be protected by their maremma friends.
Education and Tours
A key element in the Middle Island project is to use the maremma dogs to gain the attention of
the community in the broader environmental issues of the city. Meet the Maremma sessions are
operated year round that allow locals and tourists to learn about the Middle Island project.
All proceeds from Meet the Maremma programs and associated merchandising goes towards
the car of the maremma dogs.
Full details of the Middle Island Maremma Project can be found at
www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long have Little penguins populated the island? Why are they such an important part
of the island’s wildlife population?
The Little Penguin once bred in many places along the southern Australian coastline, and were
an important food source for the indigenous people, the where also eaten by the early
Europeans and American sealers and whalers in the early 1800’s. The early British settlers also
introduced large numbers of rats, dogs and cats, many of which became wild, these would
predate on the little penguins (and many
other native species).
Middle Island has been a disturbed
environment for many years. Early
European settlers to the district
established Warrnambool’s first fully
manned lighthouse station on the island
in 1855. There are early mentions,
although very small mentions, of the
annoyance of birdlife on the island in Lighthouse Keepers records. No mention is made of the
species ‘annoying’ the 2 lighthousekeepers families that lived on the island but one suspects it
would be similar species that are found there now.
The position of the light was not overly successful as wrecks continued and the light was not
visible in big swells. Resupplying the island was also difficult through winter but this points
towards the changes in the landscape since the Breakwater and Viaduct area was built in the
early 1900’s.
The light was moved, along with all buildings to its current location overlooking Lady Bay in
1871. The lighthouse and buildings are now central to the Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village that are
the off island home for the maremma dogs. The foundations of the original lighthouse can be
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seen in the middle of Middle Island, along with a small supply barge that can be seen in the
shallows at low tide.
More contemporary appreciation of the Little
Penguin colony was highlighted when the
Victorian Penguin Study Group undertook
banding of penguins on Middle Island the 1970s,
although earlier anecdotal reports suggest the
early 1950’s.
The island provides breeding habitat for a
number of bird species other than Little
Penguins, such as Short-tailed Shearwaters,
Black-face Cormorants and Sooty
Oystercatchers. Presumably the seabirds play a
role in increasing soil nutrient levels on the
island by feeding at sea during the day then
defecating on the island at night.
2. Are there any distinctive habits or behaviours of the little penguins that children may find
interesting?
When Little Penguins are breeding on land, they live in burrows dug out of the sand, soil, in
crevices, in man-made structures or in vegetation. The spend a lot of time in their burrows
during the breeding season, trying to attract a mate, incubating eggs, guarding chicks and
feeding chicks. While they are in their burrows, populations of penguin fleas build up in the
burrows. Penguin fleas can be very numerous in burrows and can even give humans a nasty
itchy bite.
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Little penguins are great swimmers, being birds
they look like they are flying through the water,
as they come closer to land they ride the ways
in like a surfer and project themselves up onto
the land like a small torpedo, usually landing on
their feet, when they come up on to the land
they have a cute way of walking, they waddle
from side to side with their heads down
jumping over and up onto the rocks. The Little
penguin’s usually follow the same pathway to
their burrow each night, at Middle Island they
have created penguin ‘highways’ having eroded
the soft sandstone into paths and channels.
3. How did the red fox come to the island, or
has it always been there?
Middle Island was once an offshore island completely surrounded by water. However,
construction of infrastructure that modified the natural water flow of the Warrnambool port has
led to deposition of sand and silt, which eventually created a new beach between the mainland
and Middle Island. This build up has gradually increased accessibility for people and foxes over
the years.
The red fox hasn’t always been on the island, it’s not native to Australia. Foxes are believed to
access the island by walking over at low tide, however there has even been a report of a fox
swimming over at high tide.
Australian native mammals are mostly marsupials, however when European settlers arrived in
the late 1700’s they brought with them many placental mammals such as cattle, sheep, pigs,
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cats, dogs and rats. In the mid 1800’s they
introduced into Australia rabbits. Not having any
predators rabbits breed very quickly into plague
proportions, to help control rabbits the red fox
was introduced as well. The British also liked to
go fox hunting as a sport.
Foxes are widespread across Australia although
it is essentially absent from Tasmania (except for
the few introductions), the top end, North Qld and the Kimberley regions.
4. When did the red fox first become a threat to the existence of the penguins on the island?
The first widely reported fox kill was in 1993, when the Penguin Study Group found 50 penguin
and shearwaters killed on the island. This incident was followed by kills in 1995, 1997, 1999 and
every single year thereafter until 2006.
The highest kill find was 234 in 2004 although it is unknown if this was in one evening or over
several days.
5. What were the fewest penguins documented and when?
The fewest penguins recorded was in the 2004-2005 breeding season when Deakin University
researcher Rebecca Overeem undertook an arrival count and recorded only 4 penguins
returning to the island.
6. What were some of the strategies considered and implemented to protect the penguins?
Did some fail?
Warrnambool City Council implemented a number of fox control measures over many years
including den fumigation and shooting, however these had not been effective at preventing fox
predation of the penguin colony.
Foxes are an ongoing management issue for the city. The area leading to the island has
extensive coastal vegetation and a popular park area with associated wetlands. These
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form the ideal habitat for the fox to explore a wide range that includes residents back
yards, the coast and of course Middle Island.
7. Why the Maremma Guardian Dogs ? (They aren’t sheep dogs) What is special about this
breed?
Maremma Guardian Dogs were bred in
Italy and have been used to protect
agricultural stock from predators for
several hundred years. The dogs have a
natural instinct to bond with a particular
territory (including the animals which live
in it) and they will chase away anything
that is perceived as a threat or unusual to
the territory.
8. When were the Maremma first considered as an option? What had to happen for this to
take place? When did the dogs first come to the rescue of the penguins?
The Maremma Project was initiated when a local free range poultry farmer Alan ‘Swampy’
Marsh suggested that the Warrnambool City Council use Maremma guardian dogs to guard the
penguins from foxes. (Mr Marsh has used maremma dogs to protect his poultry from attacks
from foxes and feral dogs for many years )
Warrnambool City Council are the land managers for this piece of the coastline and therefore
using the maremma dogs required their approval. Before this was provided a range of specialist
reports were provided from Parks Victoria, State Government Dept of Environment, RSPCA and
Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee.
A four-week trial of the technique commenced in 2006 supported by a project plan and agreed
key success factors for the trial.
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This trial turned into a 12 month project,
and since that time the Maremma
Guardian dogs have worked to protect
our Middle Island Little Penguin colony.
9. How many dogs are currently on the
island? What are their names and
ages?
The program currently uses two dogs
which live on the island for several days a week during the penguin breeding season.
Their names are Eudy and Tula and they are the 6th and 7th dogs to be used in the
project.
10. How do they protect the penguins from the red fox? How do the dogs and penguins
interact?
Whilst originally the dogs were permitted to
roam over the island as the program has
developed we have moved to only have the
dogs on the enclosed boardwalk area.
This provides us with some assurance they
will stay on duty, as well as protecting them
from unauthorised visits to the island from
people. This balance has allowed us to
maintain a fox free record since the dogs
have gone to the island along with fewer
‘exploring escapes ‘ by the dogs.
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The maremma dogs have a strong protective behaviour and will scare off any intruders on the
island by barking and if a fox is close enough chasing the fox away. There is no evidence our dogs
have had to confront a fox on the island however if they did they do have the ability to kill a fox.
The dog’s go to the island for several days at a time
before being returned to the mainland so as not to
become bored on the island and to rest them from
the harsh conditions on the island. There are strict
animal welfare protection protocols which are
followed to make sure the dogs are safe, happy and
are not exploited in any cruel manner.
11. Do the dogs receive special training?
The dogs are bonded to the land as early as possible. The general way we do this is to take the
new pups to the island with us through one summer to meet the existing dogs. These young
pups don’t stay on the island for their first summer but begin the bonding process. Maremma’s
can be nervous around water and while this initial fear of water helps keep them on the island,
this is quickly overcome and they general walk to the island through the water and sometimes
waves (although they don’t like waves much).
When training to protect chicken they are slowly
introduced to the chickens under supervision.
Young maremma are like most puppies in that
they want to play often. This playing can be a bit
rough for chickens so we introduce them by
placing them in a cage in the middle of the
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paddock first. After the initial curiosity of seeing them through the cage we let them out to
interact with the dogs. They quickly learn that these are normal animals for their areas and will
protect them.
Penguins are the same – really they are “Chooks in Dinner Suits”.
We slowly allow them to see the penguins and also see them arrive at dusk. The dogs learn this
is normal and quickly understand to protect these. They do like chasing other birds and love to
scare away pigeons or catch them if they can. We have also found a dead rat they we first saw
on the island during a summer tour. The next day when I did the tour I found the dead rat that
appeared to have been “played with.”
12. How are the dogs cared for while on the island? What do they eat? Where do they sleep?
During the off-season (which is what months?) where do the dogs go?
Like all parts of the project the care of the dogs is a partnership between many groups.
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (www.flagstaffhill.com) have been tasked with caring for the dogs
since 2013. Our main ‘dog handler’ is Phil Root who is also the village gardener.
When on the island the dogs generally stay on the land side of the island as they generally feel
this is the location of most threats. There is a shelter on the southern side of the island but I
have not observed them sleeping in the shelter. On the north side of the island we place shade
cloth over the walkway in three places to allow the dogs some shade from the summer sun.
When off the island the dogs live at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. This includes their breaks
through the summer period, and the off island nonbreeding period which tends to be between September
and March but can vary depending on the penguin
colony behaviour.
This site has been part of the learning cycle of the
project as it places the dogs in an area that has visitors.
This public location is part of the further public
engagement that the project started in 2013 when the
dogs were placed in the care of Flagstaff Hill Maritime
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Village (Warrnambool’s largest paid entry tourist attraction)
We have been observing the dogs behaviours whilst in this area that overlooks the bay area.
Whilst they are active in barking at any gusts that walks to the edge of the fenced space they
have not been seen to be aggressive or stressed in the area.
To further give the dogs are break from people we have a farm north of Warrnambool that we
are allowed to take the dogs. This again shows the community support for the project as the use
of the farm is donated and they couple that live on the island feed and care for the dogs. This
further support allows us to cover Phils or my leave through the year.
13. How have the dogs allowed the penguins to repopulate? About how many penguins are
on the island now? How do volunteers/conservationists count them?
Once every two weeks during the breeding season, a group of Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare
Group volunteers, with a volunteer co-ordinator, cross to the island just before dusk. The
volunteers are trained in how to look for
penguins and how not to disturb them as they
come onto land and head to their burrows. There
are a number of specific sites that volunteers
monitor to gain an estimate of the number of
penguins are on the island. Each group of
volunteers have a walkie talkie and when the first
penguin is sighted the count continues for one
hour.
The penguins are monitored by visual sighting by the volunteers. When volunteers are at their
sites they must be quiet and not move around, as the penguins will spook and turn around if
they become frightened. If they become frightened they may not go back to their burrows that
night, so their chicks may not get feed.
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The penguins come up onto the land just after nightfall, this is the time that they are most
vulnerable to attack in the ocean from seals and sharks which patrol just offshore looking for a
meal.
There have been no recorded instances of fox predation on the island since the dogs were
introduced in 2006. This has allowed the number of penguins on the island to increase over the
years. The peak penguin arrival count in the 2013-2014 breeding season provided an estimate of
approximately 100 penguins. Volunteers count the number of penguins arriving on the island
during the nightly penguin parade through the breeding season to gain an estimate of the total
number of penguins on the island.
On daytime visits to the island, trained volunteers also check the penguins for micro-chips. If a,
bird does not have a micro-chip then one is inserted very carefully behind the head. By having
penguins micro-chipped, we can record their life history over many years:
 To see if they return to island or go to another colony
 To see if the breed successfully
 To record weight/health
 To gauge life length
This gives us an idea of how successful the colony is, sometimes we fill find penguins that were
micro-chipped at other colonies, however penguins generally return to their birth colony.
14. How many volunteers have come together to save the penguins? What are the different
jobs they are responsible for? Does the group rely on donations to keep the project going?
What is the official name of the project?
The project is called the “Middle Island Maremma Project”
The project has several principle cost areas.
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 Penguin Monitoring
Donations to the Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group help our volunteers to continue
monitoring the penguin colony. Volunteers count the number of penguins arriving on the island
during the nightly penguin parade. Some volunteers also undertake more detailed monitoring of
the health of the colony by recording, weighing and microchipping penguins. The project relies
on the efforts of about 200 volunteers. (Kristie King)
 Care of the Maremma Dogs
This area is the most cash intensive area of the project given the paid staff that care for the
dogs. Dog care is a 365 day of the year effort although the summer breeding season is the most
intensive time given the daily trips to Middle Island. A yearly roster of the dogs location and staff
allocated to the care of the dogs is kept by Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. Actual time on the
island is determined through liaising with the Penguin monitors.
 Infrastructure and Environmental Works
This can include maintenance to the boardwalk, fencing or shelter for the dogs as well as
replacing rusting gate hinges and locks given the harsh environment we work in.
There are many people and organisations that contribute to the project.
Organisations include:
 Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group
(Volunteer and Cash Support)
 Warrnambool City Council (Cash and Inkind
Support)
 Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village (Cash and
Inkind Support)
 Deakin University Warrnambool (Cash and
Inkind Support)
 Deakin University Animal Ethics Committee
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 Local Businesses – Inkind Product Support
 Philip Island National Park (Penguin Colony)
 Middle Island Steering Committee
 Parks Victoria ( the Government agency which owns Middle Island)
 Department of Environment and Primary Industry, Victoria. ( the State Government
agency responsible for overseeing environmental works and native animal protection)
 Royal Society for the Protection of Animals ( the peak animal care and protection
organization responsible for monitoring the humane and ethical treatment of animals)
Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Group (WCLG) has a Middle Island project co-ordinator
(Kristie King) who sits on the Middle Island Steering Committee and the board of WCLG.
WCLG contracts a Volunteer Co-ordinator each year to oversee the running of the breeding and
arrival counts (currently Lauren Kivisalu).
Data collected from the arrival and breeding counts are correlated
and sent to the Phillip Island penguin colony which is the peak
penguin conservation organization in Victoria
A core group of volunteers have had long term commitments to the
project and take leading roles at breeding and arrival counts of the
penguins (currently John Sutherland, Melanie Wells, Vince
Haberfield) and assist the Volunteer Co-ordinator when volunteers are on the island.
Funding for the project is required at various levels. The Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare
group has been successful gaining a number of grants focused on the environmental works of
the project. Grants are competitive and fluctuate depending upon government policies. Public
donations have also been consistent across the project.
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Warrnambool City Council has borne the majority of the financial costs of the project. The
project is continually reviewed and again is subject to differing council priorities threatening the
annual funding of the project.
Public programs will increasingly be the main source of cash funding for the project. This
includes the Summer Tour program, yearly Meet the Maremma Schools and Groups programs as
well as merchandising the project. (Yes we also now have a Maremma costume that will
perform at public and private events for a fee going towards the projects costs)
The making of the new Australian movie “Oddball” (due for release in 2015) provides a great
opportunity to maximise the merchandise funding for the project, but also creates a challenge
to balance this interest in the Island and Dogs without damaging the success of the penguin
recovery recorded to date.
15. What efforts are in place to protect the penguins going forward?
Whilst the Middle Island Maremma Project
Committee have developed an annual working plan
we have now established a Middle Island Maremma
Project Strategic Plan. This plan is seen as important
to establish a longer term framework for the future
of the project.
The development of the Oddball Movie project has
also created the opportunity to benefit from this
public and government interest in the project. The
Figure 1 - Kids preparing to cross to the island as part of
the summer Meet the Maremma’s Tours.
Strategic Plan will provide the opportunity to lock in funding partners across a longer term and
an opportune time review the core goals and success factors for the project.
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WCLG has made a commitment for the continuation of the volunteer program to monitor the
health and growth of the penguin colony. WCLG’s Middle Island Penguin Monitoring Program
(MIPMP) has for the last few years contracted a Volunteer Co-ordinator to ensure that the
project moves forward into the future.
The Middle Island Maremma Project Strategic Plan will lock in Warrnambool City Council to the
core aims of the project to protect the Little Penguin colony of Middle Island.
The document will also be used to secure longer term funding from private businesses.
As part of the plan a Tourism and Business Plan has been established to also manage the
expected opportunities and demands that Oddball the movie will create.
16. How can kids help?
 School Programs Developed and Operated
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village operate the public programs around the project. New school
programs have been developed to use the dogs as a key
attractor of interest in the Middle Island story, but also
wider sustainability and environmental themes. This
includes the on site visit to Flagstaff Hill to meet the dogs
along with walks around Stingray Bay to observe the island
using binoculars.
Students are encouraged to explore their own environment
and create projects about introduced pests and the local
waste stream that may impact on their enjoyment of their
own habitat.
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We are very keen for students to create the initial interest in sustainability through the
excitement of meeting or experiencing our Maremma’s. Dogs have an amazing ability to create
interest as many children have a connection to their own dogs. As conditions generally mean we
can’t take kids to the island we link the project back to their own learning environments such as
classrooms or home.
 Teacher Resources
A new range of teacher resources is being developed and loaded to the education section of
www.flagstaffhill.com This helps the teacher plan their visit and complete in class activities both
pre and post the site visit.
 Remote Site Visit
Future projects are being planned that will allow students to complete online teleconference
style classes where they can remote visit Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village
and do a class where they meet the maremmas and discuss the same
topics that a site visit would generate.
All fees charged for these programs go to the core costs of caring for the
dogs so that that they can perform the protection role.
Kids can encourage their teacher to use the project in their school
programs, visit either remotely or on site.
They may even consider Adopting A Maremma that for a small cost can
pay for the feeding of Maremma for one week.
Contact Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village to gain more information or go to www.flagstaffhill.com
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Project Supporters
This project is a unique partnership
between a passionate community
group, Warrnambool City Council and
the broader Warrnambool community.
Whilst many project start with initial
passion, many start to fall away as core
volunteers start to tire of the constant
effort to keep the project going.
This project could not have been in operation since 2006 without the passion and dedication of
many volunteers, Warrnambool City Council Councillors and Staff, sponsorship from the local
business community, and the wider Warrnambool community.
Current
 Deakin University Warrnambool
Scientific oversight and reporting, including in kind support through student support for
penguin monitoring.
 Petstock Warrnambool
Suppliers of food and grooming for the two working dogs.
 Lava Street Vet Clinic
Supplying vet care to the working dogs
 Webcams
Telstra
Former and Foundation Supporters
 Powercor, BHP Billiton, Phillip Island Penguin Foundation, Victorian Government
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