Frequently asked questions

We prefer to undertake non-invasive wildlife survey methods without affecting their natural behaviour. A combination of visual surveys, cameras, acoustic song meters, spotlighting, track/scat analysis and habitat analysis provides significant benefits to help understand fauna populations and habitat potential without requiring trapping or handling of animals. Additionally these less invasive methods can often be more cost effective and provide options for clients to learn how to undertake ongoing monitoring themselves.

Should there be a specific target species or conservation need requiring trapping and animal handling we can work with clients and specialist field biologists to develop a survey program to meet required outcomes.

Our in-house team specialises in consulting services related to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity. However there may be other complimentary services necessary to develop a thorough understanding of broad ranging site characteristics and deliver holistic management actions. To ensure all client requirements are achieved we may engage third party consultants such arborists, landscape architects, surveyors, engineers and registered training organisations. All consultants are required to align with Enspyre’s ecocentric objectives.

Our skills training packages can be tailored to the needs of the client from general knowledge and basic equipment and operational skills to supervisor assessments required for practical components of accredited courses offered by RTO’s. Our training and hands on guidance helps to build real world skills to complement theory obtained through formal courses and RTO’s.

Should accreditation be required we can work with accredited RTO providers and assist clients to meet practical competency requirements for successful completion of these courses.

In general we do not recommend planned burning for fuel reduction in isolation of other ecological management considerations. Fuel reduction benefits are typically short lived and to achieve ongoing benefits has significant potential for detrimental outcomes for flora and fauna and may even lead to increased fuel loads with dense post-fire regeneration. Without consideration of ecological factors fuel reduction burns rarely achieve effective long term benefits, especially within modified/degraded vegetation or peri-urban areas.

Thorough investigation of ecological characteristics, risk and impacts of planned burns and bushfire is required before implementing fire as a management tool. The environmental impacts may outweigh the benefits with other solutions achieving better risk management and ecological outcomes.

Our focus is on the ecological benefits of planned burns, carefully applied methodologies to ensure ecological values are protected, simple strategies for low impact cool mosaic burns, reducing weedy biomass and promoting indigenous species, preventing localised extinction of fire dependent indigenous species and promoting diverse natural vegetation structures resilient to the impacts of bushfire.

We can develop strategies to ensure that fuel loads in bushland areas are not out of balance with the natural structures associated with healthy ecological vegetation communities.

Cultural burning is intrinsically linked to social, cultural and environmental outcomes for traditional owners. Their inter-generational ecological knowledge and spiritual connection to country is an essential requirement to heal and maintain healthy ecosystems.

Modern understanding of fire ecology and burning practices needs to learn from the living knowledge of traditional owners and adapt fire management practices to find a new balance.

Enspyre fire management practices aim to learn from indigenous wisdom and ensure that any application of fire is about caring for country and applying the right fire at the right time. We have experience with modern fire management techniques and working within regulatory frameworks to successfully restore ecological balance in degraded bushland and peri-urban settings. Many modern complexities associated with planned burning were not present during the long history of cultural burns and as such new practices and science need to be incorporated into cultural burning knowledge. Invasive weeds, erosion, fragmentation, urbanisation, infrastructure/assets, land clearing and incorrect historical application/absence of fire all need to be considered to develop a holistic fire management plan.

Enspyre can assist land managers to consider a diverse range of fire management complexities including working in partnership with traditional owners within contemporary regulatory frameworks to build a collaborative and adaptive approach with restoration and protection of country as the priority.

We are a small consulting team which enables us to work closely with clients to understand their needs for analysis of ecological data with realistic management recommendations. Our decades of experience successfully delivering on-ground ecological outcomes enables us to advise on effective service delivery models, but we do not have operational resources, plant and equipment to deliver these service on contract delivery basis. We can provide recommendations for specialist service delivery contractors if needed.

Our team has extensive experience working on-ground to assess ecological characteristics, apply complex land management principals and maintain services in diverse and multifunctional landscapes. Our practical knowledge is supported by a range of formal qualifications, trade certificates and ongoing learning through industry associations.

• Bachelor Environmental Science (Environmental Management)

• Bachelor Environmental Science (Conservation Ecology)

• Diploma Natural Resource Management

• Certificate III Tourism

• National Accredited Qualifications for fire fighting, crew leading, sector command and planning and conducting complex burns.

• Trade qualifications in chainsaw and plant operation, agricultural chemical use, procurement and finance, project management and leadership.