HVRS is supported by a nationally unique partnership between the Turner Family Foundation and the University of Queensland. Activities include academic research in conservation, ecology, and reproductive technology for wildlife, conservation research on the threatened Condamine earless dragon, experimental habitat restoration to create corridors for koalas, experimental fire ecology to promote wildlife and native grasses, and a property-wide fauna monitoring scheme that includes bird data in the eBird app. HVRS is a founding member of the Little Liverpool Range Initiative, which protects and restores regional native vegetation corridors. HVRS also hosts undergraduate and postgraduate students in teaching across wildlife biology, ecology and environmental management, and provides a high school student outreach programme, supported by a captive wildlife population in a bespoke wildlife facility on property.

Website

https://hiddenvalewildlife.uq.edu.au/

Organisation type

• University Research Station

Number of research staff

Up to 20 research staff

Address

617 Grandchester Mount Mort Road, Grandchester, Queensland

Strengths and capabilities

• Conservation and research breeding of wildlife.
• Bird, mammal and other wildlife monitoring with trapping, camera-trapping, imaging, acoustic monitoring, eDNA.
• Research student grants and training.
• Seminar and workshop support.

Facilities and major equipment

• 4600 ha property including 3100 ha Nature Refuge with vehicle tracks, mountain bike tracks, walking trails.
• Wildlife holding and breeding facility with six outdoor aviaries (24 x 6 x 7m), which can be separated into smaller pens (12 x 6 x 7m), an outdoor pen (25 x 15 x 3m), ten small mammal enclosures (2.5 x 4 x 2m), three outdoor aviaries (2.5 x 2.5 x 2m), three holding pens: 7 x 7 x 3m, 5.5 x 3.5 x 3m, 5.5 x 3.5 x 3m.
• Cold room and husbandry preparation area.
• Veterinary clinic with anaesthetic and ultrasound machines, photographic compound microscope.
• Two light and temperature controlled laboratories.
• Lecture theatre.
• Research vehicle (4WD Hilux).

Achievements of the centre

• Zoo and Aquarium Association small organisation Conservation Award 2023 (koala conservation project). Wrapping up 2023 ZAA Conference and the award winners.
• Condamine Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis condaminensis) conservation project.
• Supported 45 student research projects 2023–2025.
• Enabled Queensland Smithsonian Fellowship award in wildlife reproductive technology (Andres Gambini Fellows fly for seabirds and wildlife conservation research | Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), Queensland).

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Environment and nature