Ashleigh,+Bella+K,+Sophie+M+and+Sophie+McC

= =  Ashleigh, Bella k, Sophie M and  Sophie McC 1. For number one we were given a place to research in the Kinglake area and my group was given Cathedral Ranges. We also had to find a map with all of the affected areas that were affected by the Black Saturday bushfires.

2. We have a map that was done over the period of time we had to do this task. Included in the map are the animals below and a couple more species of plants and animals. media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&hl=en&ie=UTF8&vpsrc=0&msid=214104430719247714884.0004aa0767b0ca843e5f5&ll=-37.380044,145.756602&spn=0.043514,0.044031&output=embed" width="425" height="350"

__** 3. **** T **** h **** r **** e **** e ** ** E ** ** n **** d a n g e r e d S p e c i e s **__ ** Greater Stick- Nest Rat ** The Greater Stick- Nest Rat was once widespread across the south western and south central Australia, form Shark Bay as far as south western NSW. The Stick- Nest Rat is a small rodent with fluffy yellowish- brown fur. Communities of up to 20 animals live in the nest, safe from the dingoes and eagles that were once their major predators. The introduction of sheep and cattle as well as foxes and cats had an immediate impact on both the animals and their nests.

** Northern Hairy- Nosed Wombat ** The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat is the most endangered of Australia’s three wombat species. Once found south as far as the Victorian border, now reduced to one population of around 113 located at Epping Forest National Park in eastern Queensland. The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat was only identified as a new species in 1937. The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat recovery plan is one of the best and most active in Australia. Work occurs in two parts: protection and monitoring of the population on ground at Epping Forest and a research programme at Rockhampton Zoo. At Epping Forest a dingo proof fence has been created and is constantly maintained by a volunteer caretaker that also conducts fire management and weed control. The Wombat Research Centre at Rockhampton is developing reproductive and farming techniques on the Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat for application to its endangered cousin, the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat.

** Numbat ** The Numbat is a small mammal with a long fluffy tail and black and gold stripes on its back. A fully grown female Numbat is not much bigger than a man’s hand. The diet of the Numbat consists entirely of termites. Termites are only active during daylight hours; the Numbat is Australia’s only strictly daytime mammal. A long time ago, the Numbat once existed right across southern Australia, including desert regions. European red foxes were introduced into the Australian bush in 1871 and immediately had an overwhelming impact on many native animals, particularly small to medium-sized mammals like the Numbat, which live on the ground and partially in the trees. By the time it had reached the year of 1910, the Numbat had sadly disappeared from all of south-eastern Australia and were confined to a few small pockets in the south-west of Western Australia. In 1982, with less than 200 individual animals left, the Numbat was named the world’s most endangered species. Numbats still exist in the wild in Western Australia and with a lot of help from different Sanctuaries and the Department of Conversa tion and Land Management, increasing populations of the Numbat have been established in protected areas of South Australia and NSW.

4.**__During the bush fires__** Cathedrals Ranges was valuable because the grass was all fresh and new plus all of the trees where grown and the weather was warm, so it was open to catch light.

**__ Since the bush fires __** the park ranges at the Cathedral Ranges waited for the forest to take its time to grow and recover. Plants and animals rely on each other mainly for food and shelter. Leaves, bark, branches and other burnt objects often fall to the ground, creating new hollows that provide habitats for insects and smaller animals. This process speeds up as green shoots and grass starts to reappear.

5. Before and After
=== There is no doubt that the Black Saturday bush fires was the worst natural disaster Australia has seen since the Ash Wednesday bush fires. 173 people died, 414 were people were injured and over a million animals were affected as well. === === We are very fortunate to have such wonderful people and facilities to help the animals to recover from this tragic event. Healesville Sanctuary has been helping these animals get back to a full recovery. === === Healesville Sanctuary is a zoo but it is also a breading program for animals. The team at Healesville do everything they can to support the animals. The VET team worked 24 everyday to give these poor animals health care. === === One of the animals that Healesville were worried about Victoria's state bird emblem, The Helmeted Honeyeater. This bird is critically endangered. You can see why Healesville have been doing all they can protect it. === media type="youtube" key="Z5ORxA72iZk" height="345" width="560"

__** 6. What Would The Lorax Do **__ The Lorax is a character from the Dr. Seuss book 'The Lorax'. The Lorax speaks for the trees. If the black Saturday bushfires effected the home of the Lorax he would be furious. "I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues." the Lorax would say. The Lorax would protest for the trees and the animals that lived there. The Lorax would not just complain about the trees he would have complained about the smoke. "There is so much smogulous smoke - my poor swomee swans, why they can't sing a note! No one can sing who has smog in his throat. And so - please pardon my cough- they cannot live here, so I'm sending them off." The Lorax would protest. The Lorax is friendly, compassionate and loving. He stays true to his word. He would have been devastated if the black Saturday bushfires burned through his land. But he would do anything to help the animals and the environment. "Yes I am the Lorax and I speak for the trees!"

__ **//BIBLIOGRAPH//** **//Y//** __
 * //Faunal Emblem Threatened: The animal victims of Black Saturday// //n.d., Help save Leadbeater\'s Possum Victoria\'s Endangered State Faunal Emblem!, accessed 15 August 2011, .// ||


 * //Memorable Quotes for The Lorax// n.d., The internet movie database, accessed 15 August 2011, . ||


 * // Natural recovery following 2009 bushfires n.d., Department of sustainability and environment, accessed 15 August 2011, . //

//Black Saturday Bushfires 13 August 2011, Wikipedia, accessed 23 August 2011, .//
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//Helmeted Honeyeater n.d., Wild Zoo, accessed 25 August 2011, .//
 * // Bushfire effects n.d., Wild zoo, accessed 23 August 2011, . // ||