OUR RECOVERY MODEL
“When you remove the threat of introduced species and return native animals to their natural habitat, they provide important ecosystem services and do the heavy lifting to rebuild biodiversity and soil health. It’s awesome to see nature healing itself, with our assistance”
Matt Singleton, Chief Operating Officer, Odonata Foundation
500-in-5 Species Recovery Model
Odonata’s work is underpinned by its science-backed 500-in-5 Species Recovery Model (500-in-5), currently applied to our core species.
This model rebuilds populations up to at least 500 animals across a minimum of five different locations. This ensures they are fit, feisty, genetically healthy, and are geographically dispersed, creating insurance population in the face of increasing natural disasters.
In implementing 500-in-5 we continue to deepen our understanding of species recovery and genetic rescue, whilst uncovering the powerful ecosystem function these unique species play in achieving landscape regeneration.
500-in-5 Species Recovery Model
Odonata’s work is underpinned by its science-backed 500-in-5 Species Recovery Model (500-in-5), currently applied to our core species.
This model rebuilds populations up to at least 500 animals across a minimum of five different locations. This ensures they are fit, feisty, genetically healthy, and are geographically dispersed, creating insurance population in the face of increasing natural disasters.
In implementing 500-in-5 we continue to deepen our understanding of species recovery and genetic rescue, whilst uncovering the powerful ecosystem function these unique species play in achieving landscape regeneration.
Science in action
If you’re keen to see our 500-in-5 Species Recovery Model in action, we have two cool case studies.
CASE STUDY
Southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby
An overview of Odonata’s southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby recovery program and aims over the next five years
Copy to go here
With less than 100 southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies (SBTRW) left in the wild, Odonata and its Recovery Team partners are working hard to genetically recover the species, establish new colonies and return them to the wild.
Odonata has now supported the establishment of new colonies at Mt Rothwell Safe Haven, Barbaloot Conservation Reserve and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and has supplemented the fragmented wild colony at Little River Gorge, with plans for future wild release into Gariwerd – Grampians National Park.
Here’s what we’ve achieved to date.
Wallabies take flight to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
On Friday 1st August, six critically endangered southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies were flown from Odonata’s Mt Rothwell Safe Haven to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in Canberra, in a bid to save the species.
Welcome to Barbaloot little buddy!
Barbaloot is part of Odonata’s Sanctuary Network, located in the Strathbogie Ranges and is now home to a new colony of wallabies (39 in total). This population joins Mt Rothwell and Tidbinbilla as one of three secured safe-haven sites in the broader metapopulation strategy.
Science in action
If you’re keen to see our 500-in-5 Species Recovery Model in action, we have two cool case studies.
Southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby
With less than 100 southern brush-tailed rock-wallabies (SBTRW) left in the wild, Odonata and its Recovery Team partners are working hard to genetically recover the species, establish new colonies and return them to the wild.
Odonata has now supported the establishment of new colonies at Mt Rothwell Safe Haven, Barbaloot Conservation Reserve and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and has supplemented the fragmented wild colony at Little River Gorge, with plans for future wild release into Gariwerd – Grampians National Park.
Here’s what we’ve achieved to date.
An overview of Odonata’s southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby recovery program and aims over the next five years
Copy to go here
Wallabies take flight to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
On Friday 1st August, six critically endangered southern brush-tailed rock wallabies were flown from Odonata’s Mt Rothwell Sanctuary to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in Canberra, in a bid to save the species.
Welcome to Barbaloot little buddy!
Barbaloot is part of Odonata’s Sanctuary Network, located in the Strathbogie Ranges and is now home to a new colony of wallabies (39 in total). This population joins Mt Rothwell and Tidbinbilla as one of three secured safe-haven sites in the broader metapopulation strategy.
Could have copy here or not? Can have more dirt issues as well.
xx
EBB
xx
Here’s what we’ve achieved to date.
Heading
Copy to go here
Background
Over the past two decades, Odonata’s Mt Rothwell Safe Haven has supported successful breeding programs that have halted the extinction trajectory of many of Australia’s endangered and declining native species – including the eastern barred bandicoot, southern brush-tailed rock-wallaby and eastern quoll.
This work has culminated in the development of proven protocols that enable animal populations to thrive and become genetically robust, in the face of predation, urban expansion, agricultural pressures, climate change, and increasingly frequent natural disasters such as fire and flood.
While the concept of sanctuaries is not new, scientific rigour has often been lacking in determining optimal population sizes and ensuring appropriate genetic diversity for long-term viability. As a result, many populations have repeatedly declined, exhibiting signs of genetic weakness due to insufficient outcrossing and poor population management.
In response, Odonata has developed the 500-in-5 Species and Ecosystem Recovery Model, alongside Cesar Australia. This science-backed approach draws on more than 20 years of applied conservation experience, alongside academic research and available data, to establish resilient, genetically diverse populations capable of thriving in dynamic and changing landscapes.
In addition, by supporting a fenced sanctuary network that significantly reduces the impact of foxes, rabbits, cats and other pest species, Odonata is developing a testing ground to illustrate the power and importance of species-led regeneration in tackling climate change and biodiversity loss.
Safe havens
Safe havens are widely used to mitigate the impacts of invasive predators on threatened species, yet their isolation often disrupts evolutionary processes and can leave them vulnerable to environmental change and stochastic events. We present a framework for integrating evolutionary principles into safe haven management, termed 500-in-5, which establishes a metapopulation of >500 breeding individuals distributed across five geographically separated safe havens spanning environmental gradients. Using genetic and demographic simulations for two threatened Australian mammals, we demonstrate how this approach can enhance adaptive potential and persistence. Spatially explicit population models predict that many existing safe havens are at risk of collapse within decades. However, genetic simulations show that selection on standing genetic variation can drive fitness gains within tens of generations, improving population resilience to novel conditions. Integrating these processes reveals that safe haven networks can promote adaptation and resilience, substantially improving long-term persistence and providing robust sources for reintroductions.