 The Need for Action
The Black-eared Miner is one of Australia's most endangered birds. In early 1996, a mere handful of birds in half a dozen rapidly dwindling colonies in north-west Victoria were all that were known to the Black-eared Miner Recovery Team. The species looked doomed to extinction. Then late in 1996 a Birds Australia volunteer reported sighting Black-eared Miners in the region of Gluepot Station, 64 km north of Waikerie and the Murray River in South Australia.
At the same time, the Recovery Team learnt that the owner of Gluepot Station had applied to the Government authorities for approval to burn areas of the extensive mallee to increase fodder for his sheep. This sent the alarm bells ringing because we knew that Black-eared Miners only thrive in old-growth mallee that has not been burnt for 50 years or more. Similarly, researchers have shown that nationally threatened Malleefowl breed most successfully in mallee that has not been burnt for at least 40 years.
The Recovery Team immediately commissioned further surveys by volunteers who confirmed that not only were Black-eared Miners and Malleefowl present in good numbers, but robust populations of four other nationally threatened birds occurred on Gluepot Station. The owner of the property indicated that he was happy to sell what was a marginal pastoral lease, but he was also happy to burn the mallee and continue farming for a few more years.
 Supporters Response
At that time, no non-government organisation in the nation, let alone Birds Australia, had ever before purchased anything like a 54,390 ha (134,000 acres) property measuring 37 x 14 km as a conservation reserve. Birds Australia's Council, with an eye to fiscal responsibility, was going to take some persuading. Detailed assessments of Gluepot's significance in the landscape, its vegetation communities and its birds helped convince the Council that this property must be reserved. The experience accumulated from a combined total of 75 years of Birds Australia's volunteers managing Bird Observatories around the nation suggested that Gluepot Station could also be managed by volunteers. A bequest from Helen Laybourne-Smith which had doubled in size with investment to $90,000 was the clincher. The effort to raise $360,000 began. We were staggered at our members' and supporters' generosity. Over 2,400 people and organisations helped buy Gluepot Station in just ten weeks. Moreover, Founders pledged over $30,000 per year for the next five years to assist with management.
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