In October 2024, the first expedition of the renewed Bush Blitz partnership took place on Nanda Country, near the town of Kalbarri, more than 6 hours’ drive north of Perth.
A team of 16 scientists, mostly from the Western Australian Herbarium and the Western Australian Museum, travelled to the Bush Blitz base camp in Kalbarri to discover some of the plants and animals living in the area. During the 10-day expedition, the team visited Kalbarri National Park, managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) and Eurardy Nature Reserve, managed by Bush Heritage.
Assisted by Nanda Traditional Owners and staff from DBCA, Bush Heritage and BHP, the team recorded and collected bees, beetles, flies, frogs, plants, reptiles, spiders, true bugs and wasps. Locals were able to see some of what had been found at a community event held in Kalbarri.
Hundreds of different species of insects, spiders and plants were recorded or collected, including at least 10 plant species that are conservation-listed.
Scientists will now spend many hours in the lab identifying the specimens, including any that are new to science – they are confident there will be many.
