We are delighted to announce that our very own Dr Tonia Cochran OAM has been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia today in the Kings Birthday Honours List, for services to Conservation and the Environment.

Well done Tonia, we are all so very proud of you and thrilled you have had this public recognition for the work you do.

We contacted Tonia to congratulate her, she is currently leading a nature tour of Romania and she found a moment to send us a message.

"I am shocked, but delighted and humbled. I would like to give my heartfelt thanks for the recognition. I look forward to continuing to strive to continue to all I can to protect our natural values"

It's not often that a destination leaves us speechless, but the spectacular Kingdom of Bhutan has done just that! Inala’s first tour of Bhutan wrapped up in May and Tonia is still gathering the words to do justice to the stunning scenery and exceptional wildlife.

The birding is outstanding, and on our 15 day tour we saw over 300 bird species including highlights like Rufous-necked hornbill, Ibisbill, Satyr Tragopan, Himalayan Monal, Blood Pheasant, Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl, Bhutan and Blue-winged Laughingthrush, Beautiful Nuthatch, and Red-headed and Wards Trogons.

 
A real highlight was seeing a White-belied heron with two chicks, and another pair which constitutes around 9% of the total population of this critically endangered species. We also had great views of Red Panda. 

Tonia told us that the experience was "life-changing, and I’m sure all would agree on this trip. I can’t tell you how special it is. None of us wanted to leave." The full trip report with be up on our website soon, so be sure to keep an eye out.

All images: C. Tangbi

It's that time of year again, Tonia is heading across the globe to join the Global Birdfair in Rutland from July 11th-13th. You’ll find her alongside our friendly and knowledgeable team, Jill and Jude at our Inala stand in Swallow Marquee, Stand S45. We always love reconnecting with past guests, meeting those already booked on upcoming tours, and chatting with anyone curious to learn more about what we offer.

Tonia will be doing a lecture on the Plover Lecture Stage at 4pm on Friday 11th July

Her topic? The world’s only migratory parrots, three beautiful and endangered Australian species: the Orange-bellied Parrot, Swift Parrot, and Blue-winged Parrot. Learn about their extraordinary journeys between mainland Australia and Tasmania, their fascinating behaviours, and the serious challenges they face in the wild. We’d love to see you there!

On that note, we are delighted to share that Jill will be re-joining Inala as our Head of Inala UK.

We are getting excited to show you Inala's latest conservation property, Orana.

Led by Dr Cat Young and Dave Hamilton, we have had 5 trail cameras out over approximately 4 weeks and photographed 2111 animals (and many more of waving grass) of 17 species (birds and mammals). This property has over 100 frequenting bird species, and of course it's so important for us to protect this precious habitat.

Some highlights of those seen are the Tasmanian Devil and Painted Buttonquail.

Stay tuned for our next newsletter coming out later this week, and updates on our website.

In February Inala turned 31 years old! What better way to celebrate with a walk to the top on Inala?! Tonia and the entire Inala team of guides & office staff took a hike to the top together, spotting Forty-spotted Pardalotes, orchids and all sorts of natural spectacles along the way - including a friendly echidna! 

We want to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to Inala guests, friends and family, partners, collaborators and supporters.

Images: C. Gorman

The wait is over......you may have noticed a few snippets over the past few months alluding to the fact that we have a big surprise to share with you, and now everything is finalised, we can finally 'spill the beans'. In a nutshell, Inala has grown by another 165 acres....but the land is not on Bruny Island! About the middle of last year, I was offered a chance of a lifetime to secure a property just 15 minutes' drive from Hobart, Tasmania, and to continue the custodianship of the previous owners, who had done such a great job securing and conserving the land. As a result, the natural values of the place are amazing- over 100 species of birds, many mammals including Tasmanian Devil, Eastern-barred and Southern Brown Bandicoots and Tasmanian Bettong, seven species of lizards and at least five different species of Eucalypts have been found here and some are quite common! And to top this all, the top of the property enjoys 180 degree views over the Derwent River with great views of South Arm, Storm Bay and Bruny Island. While the property was bought primarily to protect it from urban development, it also perfectly complements the flora and fauna we have here and we will be extending our tour offerings to include tours of the the Orana property and reserves around Hobart. The land is part of a contiguous patch of forest that extends south from Truganini Reserve and westward over the ridgeline to the Channel Highway. We have decided to name the property 'Orana', an indigenous word meaning 'welcome', which is derived from the name of the street that leads up to the front gate, keeping in line with honouring indigenous names. So watch this space and we will update you with developments as they come through!

As a collaboration between the Inala Foundation and the Australian Garden History Society (AGHS), and with a generous grant from the Tasmanian Branch of the AGHS, work has been progressing steadily to develop a special area of the garden dedicated to Tasmanian paleoendemic plant species. These are ancient lineages confined to small areas of Tasmania and now threatened by climate change.

We are starting with the development of a large rock garden and the initial structures for a walk-through undercover shade house.

We will keep you updated as the work progresses and the plants are put in the ground..

We recently welcomed several scientists to the Inala Conservation Property, where they were catching (and releasing) Antechinus as part of an important research project.
Both Antechinus and Tasmanian Devils belong to the family Dasyuridae. The aim of this study is to find adenoviruses in a closely related Dasyurid species, that might then be used in vaccine development for Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD).

Inala is a location where Antechinus are thriving, especially within the Gondwana Garden where they are often spotted by visiting guests amongst the flower beds.  Dr Dave Hamilton from Tasmanian Land Conservancy and Dr Alex Kreiss from Menzies Institute for Medical Research, carefully set their traps early each morning and, over the weekend, caught seven individual antechinus, six females and one particularly chunky male! With only subtle differences between the Swamp Antechinus and the Dusky Antechinus, it took some careful cross-checking with ID guides before they confirmed that all seven were Swamp Antechinus.
They collected swab samples from each individual, along with fresh poo from most, and all the data has now been taken back to the lab at UTAS by Alex for further analysis. The team will be looking to see if any adenoviruses can be isolated.

We'll keep you posted on any exciting updates, but it's a lovely thought that these tiny creatures could help make a big difference for the devils.

Tucked beneath mossy rocks in the wet forests of southern Tasmania lives a tiny wonder, the Ammonite Snail (Ammoniropa vigens), just 3mm across. Found in only a few spots across greater Hobart, this delicate species has now been discovered in encouraging numbers at Orana, our newly protected property in Taroona.
 

During an early survey of the land with Ammonite experts Kevin Bonham and Bruno Bell, we were delighted to find a thriving population in a cool, sheltered gully of Jurassic Dolerite. It’s exactly the kind of habitat these rare snails need to survive.
 

We’re heartened by this discovery and excited to work alongside conservation partners to safeguard both the snail and its fragile home. Through thoughtful management and ongoing care, we’ll help ensure this little-known species continues to thrive at Orana.

Image: Bruno Bell.

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