Biodiverse Island Breathes New Air for Its Species

Both a known biodiversity hotspot and a critically endangered ecological community, Australia’s Lord Howe Island is seeing a renaissance after many species spent decades struggling to survive.

“There’s a good reason it remains so beautiful and unspoiled, and that is because the islanders themselves have taken a strong sense of pride and stewardship in the environment. It’s part of our existence,” says Lord Howe Island ranger and reef tour operator Dean Hiscox.

Five years ago, a $15 million project rid the island of more than 300,000 mice, rats, and non-native owl species. The rodents were to blame for the loss of five species of bird, 13 invertebrates, and many other now-critically endangered species. Since the removal of the rodents, the ecological bounce-back on the island has been drastic. The Lord Howe Island Board cites their breeding success to have jumped from 2 per cent to 50 per cent over the past few years alone. Moreover, certain species presumed to be extinct have been found alive, still calling the island home. The island’s isolated, intact environment makes it an ideal location for scientists to study the natural world with little human degradation. “This island is a piece of paradise that needs to be looked after,” says Ian Sinclair, who works for a volunteer group that helps eradicate invasive plants on the island.