Toyota

Program objective: To improve the nesting habitat of Little Penguins

This project enables Toyota employee volunteers to work alongside Senior Rangers and the Research Team to improve the homes and land habitat of Phillip Island Nature Park's Little Penguin colony. It involves building penguin homes from timber materials, installing them into selected penguin habitat and assisting in the re-vegetation of that area.

The penguin homes provide an improved environment for the penguins to breed, hatch and raise their chicks adding a significant benefit to the overall health of the penguin colony.

The project was developed in response to penguins beginning to colonise the carpark and being killed by cars and buses visiting the penguin parade. The project aims to encourage penguins away from traffic areas and into safe areas previously occupied by guest houses and holiday homes.

Toyota employees have participated in the project during 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Program objective: To improve the sustainability of penguin colonies

This research project will have international application as its helps to determine factors affecting the long term population levels of penguin colonies.

It will be the first time such as study will have been undertaken and will focus on four separate penguin colonies living on the Direction Islands off the east coast of Wilson's Promontory, Victoria. Using satellite technology, our researchers will track individual penguins to gain data into their foraging distances for food to determine what extent food zones and food sources are a limiting factor in penguin colony size.

The satellite devices will be attached individually to a total of 12 penguins across each of the four colonies and will provide extremely accurate tracking data. This is a key advantage of the satellite technology compared with radio transmitters that are harder to monitor and are less reliable.

Subsequent study will then determine dietary components and behaviour differences between the sexes. Analysis from these 'test colonies' will then enable researchers to target the most influential factors affecting penguin colony health. This may have applications in terms of influencing government environment policy on issues such as commercial fishing licences and the establishment of further marine park zones. The improved knowledge of diet and behaviour will also allow for better rehabilitation of sick and injured sea birds throughout Australia.

Upon completion, this study will need to be accepted by the Phillip Island Nature Park's Scientific Advisory Committee who in turn will recommend it to Deakin and Monash University for endorsement. It will then be published in appropriate University and Scientific Journals as well as being presented at an annual penguin conference and posted on the Nature Park's website.

This project will be conducted over a period of three years and will be led by Dr Peter Dann, Research Manager for the Phillip Island Nature Park and will be supported by Deakin University biology lecturers and a PhD student from Monash University.

Toyota employees and their families have participated in Project Penguin Homes in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Toyota representatives from the Environment Team at the Altona Plant have also presented to students about Toyotas environmental initiatives as part of the Coastal Ambassadors program.