Welcome to the most recent annual project report for the Coorong Lakes project. This document details the various monitoring activities undertaken as part of the management plan and offers insights into the outcomes and findings at each of the monitoring sites within the property.
This report has been developed by Wilderlands Lead Ecologist, Deanna Marshall.
Wilderlands acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Coorong Lakes Project, the Ngarrindjeri people, and pay our respects to their elders past and present.
We recognise and respect their deep ongoing connection to land, water and culture and will continue to stand alongside Ngarrindjeri as we embark on a shared journey of discovery at the Coorong Lakes Project.
We extend our sincere thanks to our collaborators, Cassinia Environmental and the Ngarrindjeri community.
Wilderlands would like to acknowledge and thank the following amazing organisations and
volunteers that contributed to the collection of biodiversity data and assisted with land
management works during 2025 including A Rocha SA, Adam Pella, Andrew & Josh Schatz, Andrew Pellizzari, Greg Ogle, NOSSA (Native Orchid Society of South Australia), Peter Morison, Robert & Margaret Mrongovius, South Australian Seed Conservation Centre Staff & volunteers, and The Wilderness School, staff & students.
To begin this report we take a quick look at the recent spring monitoring that took place at the Coorong Lakes project, located south of Meningie in South Australia, at the south-east edge of the extensive Coorong Lakes system.
Watch this mini-documentary detailing the recent spring monitoring at the Coorong Lakes
The 200 hectare reserve has been owned and managed by Cassinia Environmental since 2019 as a conservation reserve in partnership with the Ngarrindjeri people and is permanently protected under a South Australian Heritage Agreement.
The Coorong Lakes Project complements the internationally important wetland systems of Lake Alexandrina, Lake Albert, and the Coorong Lagoons, with the diversity of ecosystems making a significant contribution to the importance of this area.
Rising above low-lying saline wetland communities of samphire and melaleuca shrublands are sandy dune systems of mallee and heathy woodlands, host to a rich diversity of native plants and animals.
The project is home to a rich diversity of native birds with a total of 85 species identified, with the addition of Little Eagle (vulnerable), Brown Thornbill, Brown Falcon, Caspian Tern, Red-rumped Parrot & Straw-necked Ibis. To date, six threatened bird species have been recorded on the property.
The number of species is considerably high given that the surrounding landscape has been heavily impacted by land clearing and grazing and species such as the Purple-gaped Honeyeater, Black-eared Cuckoo, Shy Heathwren and Elegant Parrot are not particularly common.
In recent years monitoring has recorded three Wedge-tailed Eagle nests (with a photo of one of these nests below). These apex predators require large territories with diverse prey species so the presence of their nests, and our observations of pairs on site, indicate a healthy ecosystem.
The native plant diversity in the Coorong Lakes Project reached a total of 249 species, with the addition of Shiny Ground-berry, Slender Devil’s Twine, Black-anther Flax-lily, Rufous Midge-Orchid, Mallee Midge-Orchid, Cypress Daisy-bush, Kangaroo Apple (Oondoroo), Coast Bonefruit, Porcupine Grass and Hair Sedge. To date, ten threatened flora species have been recorded on the property.
It was, however, the native orchid diversity that was the standout. Since 2023, we have now recorded a total of 38 native species of orchid including the world’s largest known populations (on private land) of the nationally endangered Metallic Sun-orchid (Thelymitra epipactoides) – one of Australia’s largest and most impressive sun-orchids.
Watch this video to learn more about the monitoring that led to this finding.
How Wilderlands monitor the flora at the Coorong Lakes
Flora monitoring was undertaken across all ten monitoring sites at the Coorong Lakes with each site permanently marked with two star pickets, one at the 0m point and one at the 50m point on the midline transect.
These were surveyed in spring and will be resurveyed by Wilderlands every year at this stage with these star pickets also doubling as photo monitoring points and photographs taken providing a visual representation of the condition of the vegetation at each site.
These monitoring points were established at the Coorong Lakes Project and have been utilised by Wilderlands as part of the ecological monitoring program. This program aims to monitor environmental change and contribute to our understanding of biodiversity management at the property scale.
Click the sections below to see the results from each site.
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and is an active revegetation site.
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Fauna Monitoring
Bird Monitoring
BirdLife Australia pioneered the Bird Atlas method, which involves the recording of bird species and the count of individual birds within a 2-hectare area during a 20-minute observation period. This approach has been adopted by individuals across the country, culminating in the creation of the nation’s most extensive biological database. For the Coorong Lakes Project, bird species and numbers were recorded 50m either side of a 200m transect (2ha) over 20 minutes at each of the 10 sites, during both winter and spring. Data were entered into the Birdata app. Additionally, incidental species lists for the property were compiled during visits and also entered into the Birdata app.
Bird Richness and Abundance
In total, 396 birds of 44 species were recorded within the monitoring sites throughout 2025. Furthermore, 12 additional bird species were recorded outside of the designated monitoring sites and periods.
This cumulative effort resulted in the identification of 86 bird species for the Coorong Lakes Project since monitoring began, of which 85 bird species were native.
The New Holland Honeyeater was the most numerous and widespread bird in the Wilderlands Coorong Lakes Project during the 2025 monitoring season. During winter, 149 birds of 29 species were recorded in ten monitoring sites. Among these, the most frequently reported bird species during the winter season included New Holland Honeyeater and Blue-winged Parrot.
During spring, 247 birds of 36 species were recorded in the ten monitoring sites. Among these, the most frequently reported bird species during the spring season were Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater and Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoo.
Bird Richness and Abundance by Site
During winter, Site 9 had the highest species richness and the highest species abundance. During spring, Sites 2 and 9 had the highest species richness, while Sites 2, 9 and 10 had the highest species abundance. In winter, New Holland Honey-eater was the most abundant bird recorded in 5 out of the 10 monitoring sites. In spring, Wattlebird and Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater were the most abundant birds, recorded in 8 out of the 10 monitoring sites.
Since Wilderlands began the bird monitoring in 2023, the results indicate a decline in the abundance of birds recorded on site during winter 2025. Although it is too early to hypothesise, it will be interesting to observe data trends over the longer term.
Rainfall
Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) records from the Meningie weather station (No. 24518) indicate that 2024 experienced below-average rainfall. Such conditions may have influenced resource availability, with potential flow on effects on bird abundance observed during the winter of 2025. Longer-term bird monitoring data are required to assess the relationship between rainfall variability, resource availability and bird population responses. Observations made in 2025 highlighted dieback in many species, particularly Desert Banksia and Sheoak
Western Pygmy Possum – Nest Box Monitoring
Nineteen Western Pygmy Possum (WPP) nest boxes were periodically checked throughout 2025, but no evidence of WPP was found in any of the boxes.
This is in stark contrast to the previous year. The presence of huntsman spiders and ants in some boxes may have deterred WPP from using them.
Additionally, there may have been a reduction in nectar flows of Banksia and Mallee that may have contributed to the absence of WPP in the nest boxes, or across the site in general.
Remote Cameras
Remote cameras were deployed at Sites 2 & 9. Over an average of 169 trap nights, Western Grey Kangaroo were the most frequently recorded species.
These silent, unobtrusive devices enable observation of wildlife without human disturbance, enhancing our understanding of the ecosystem’s inhabitants
Operating continuously, they use heat and motion sensors to detect animals, automatically capturing images and videos upon movement.
These findings are then integrated with on-site surveys for a comprehensive ecosystem analysis.
Protect precious biodiversity at the Coorong Lakes project. Forever. One square metre at a time.
The Coorong Lakes project is located in the heart of Meningie, South Australia, and encompasses a sprawling 200 hectares.
This conservation area is under the ownership and management of Cassinia Environmental in collaboration with the Ngarrindjeri people, serving as a dedicated nature reserve. This property plays a pivotal role in enhancing the regional ecosystem, notably complementing the adjacent Lake Alexandrina, Lake Albert, and Coorong Lagoon systems which is where the Murray River meets the sea.
The property is host to a rich diversity of native plants and animals, including the rare Cleland’s Beard-heath (Leucopogon clelandii) and the rare and elusive Elegant Parrot (Neophema elegans), and Wilderlands support aims to enhance the abundance of native wildlife to see this ecosystem flourish.
Wilderlands are committed to permanently protect and actively manage this property and have been fortunate to partner with incredible organisations like Adelaide Festival, al.ive body and many more businesses who are helping to preserve this project and bring their supporters on the journey.
Connect with our team to discover how you can join Wilderlands and protect this project today.
