I was lucky enough to be invited along and learnt more about our native wildlife than I ever have.

I did not know half the animals I saw even existed. It was a real wake up call and makes you grateful Arid Recovery is out there protecting them.

Arid Recovery is an ecosystem restoration program dedicated to restoring Australia’s arid lands. There have been four species of locally extinct mammals so far reintroduced.

Established in 1997, the program is run on 123km²-fenced reserve, just 20km north of Roxby Downs where feral cats, rabbits and foxes have been removed.

It is completely protected, and four species of locally extinct mammals have so far been re-introduced.

Five Western Barred Bandicoots recently released into the reserve, are also successfully breeding.

Arid Recovery ecologist Helen Crisp took me and two other participants along to the event.

Showing us holes and burrows and pointing out tracks belonging to bilbies and countless other animals.

We travelled in a four-wheel-drive, and despite one close call, did not get bogged. We left at about 5.30pm with a tub full of small mammals and reptiles caught the day before for processing.

This is where the animals are measured, weighed and overall checked over so the results can be recorded for comparisons.

We used two types of traps, Elliott and Pitfall traps.

Elliott traps are small aluminum boxes with a foot pedal inside. Rolled oats and peanut butter, which Helen said also attracts rascally kangaroos, are placed inside so when animals enter, the door shuts behind them.

The Elliott traps were checked each morning then closed so no animals were caught on hot days, we re-baited and re-opened them for the evening.

They mainly caught mammals such as Spinifex Hopping Mice, Bolam’s Mice, Plains Rats and House Mice.

Pitfall traps are a PVC pipe buried so the opening is level with the ground. They are placed two metres apart with a mesh fence between pits. The animals run and hit the fence, then scurry along it until they fall inside.