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September 2024 President’s Report

Hello and welcome to the Spring edition of our newsletter.

The record hot (and windy!) August that we have just experienced, on top of the record dry growing season to date, has seen crops and pasture species alike race through the growth stages, and inspection of these would indicate late Spring rather than the beginning! Lets hope we get some decent rain in the very near future to make it feel like a proper Spring…

Well done to those who have followed through with their reveg plans, hopefully these intermittent showers are enough to keep your plants going.

Our group has been involved in a couple of events since our last newsletter. The first was another educational day led by our very own Nick, and Elia from Project Platypus, and was held at Pomonal PS.

The focus of this day was assessing and monitoring how the bush is recovering from the destructive Pomonal fire early in the year. By all reports those who attended had a great day (again!), so well done to Nick and Elia (again!).

The second event which was largely organised by Jayne and Kelly, was a screening of ‘Rachel’s Farm’ viewed on the new big screen TV at Maroona Rec Reserve. This evening was really well attended, and the movie was definitely catalyst for plenty of discussion afterwards.

For this season’s newsletter I thought I would summarise some of our learnings from various soil health events we have held over the last few years.

Healthy functioning topsoil has high water holding capacity, high water infiltration rates and isn’t reliant on high levels of water-soluble nutrients on an annual basis.

Healthy soils have high levels of biological activity comprising fungi, bacteria and invertebrates. A healthy functioning agricultural soil should be around1:1 fungi to bacteria. Typical farming systems (set stocking, superphosphate, urea, cultivation, burning etc) have led our soils to become very bacteria dominated. If fungicide is thrown into the mix clearly fungi at all levels is decimated.

The benefits of good fungi levels in soil are numerous! Faster breakdown of dead plant and animal matter, and greater resistance to compaction are obvious ones. At a higher scientific level, and largely related to Mycorrhizal Fungi there are things like nutrient transfer via root exudates and the liquid carbon pathway, quorum sensing and more!

The list of practices and products to use and avoid in order to promote development of healthy soil is far too great for our Landcare newsletter, but here are a few:

• Minimize cultivation, burning and herbicide use. When spraying herbicide always add a biological food source like fulvic acid (suits all biology) or fish hydrolysate (complex protein ideal for fungi) as a ‘buffer’.
• Promote holistic plant health to strengthen immunity and try and avoid using fungicide at all costs.
• Limit use of water-soluble granules (MAP, Urea etc) and look at other forms of nutrition like compost, manure etc. Use targeted foliar applications to address specific deficiencies.
• In a rotational grazing system maximise stock density on grazed areas with the aim of getting the longest rest period possible.
• Aim for 100% ground cover 100% of the time with as many living roots as possible all year round.
• Whether in crop or pasture try and avoid monocultures and include as many species as possible.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what we have learned in recent years via the hard work of our incredible Soil Heath Sub Committee!

Like always please spread the word, we are always looking for new members!

Happy Landcaring!

Jack

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Plant Regeneration After Fire – Seeking Signs of Green

Our small cluster schools – including students from Willaura, Maroona, Moyston, Pomonal, and Buangor Primary Schools – once more came together to learn all about fire ecology on a mild, spring-like day in August. The focus for the day was learning about how plants recovered after fire. Why? Because, as the students were quick to explain, without plants there’s no habitat or food for animals – our ecosystems and wildlife rely on plants to properly function and survive.

The day began with a traditional smoking ceremony, led by Tya, Allira and Wilem Lovett, who warmly welcomed everyone onto country, shared some of the history of the land and sang a song with us to get everyone ready for the day.

With our spirits lifted and energy high, students broke into age groups to begin one the three activities. With special guest Tammy Schoo from Parks Victoria the students learnt all about the way plants regenerate after fire – their strategies roughly broken into three key regeneration categories of re-shooters, re-sprouters and re-seeders. There were already examples of each popping up in burnt areas around the school, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of Australian plants, qualities that have been reflected by the Pomonal community and Pomonal Primary School in the aftermath of the fires.

The students were also treated to a walking tour along Wildflower Drive with Elia Pirtle from Project Platypus and some local volunteers from Jallukar Landcare. Students were challenged to identify a variety of native wildflowers that were only just starting to emerge from the soil – a tricky task considering that some of their mature characteristics such as flowers or form weren’t yet on show. Nevertheless, all age groups stepped up to the challenge without hesitation and were very successful at matching ID flags to their correct plant, with careful studying and consideration of the plants helping them succeed.

Sometimes it’s amazing what you can see once you start looking!

Students also went charcoal collecting with Nick Moll from Upper Hopkins Land Management Group, using what was collected to draw some of their favourite wildflowers or signs of life after fire. Students looked at the different kinds of charcoal they could find – from hard charcoal that seemed to have been strengthened by the fire and barely left a mark on paper to soft, crumbly pieces good for shading. Some students found pieces that drew in brown instead of black, explored how different shaped charcoal changed how they could use it to create an artwork and collected open seed pods, evidence of re-seeders that had dropped their seeds.

Students came away from the day with an understanding of how plants recovered after being burnt and how fire could both harm and heal the Australian bush.

Tying the day in with a fundraiser for homelessness and Jeans for Genes Day, it was a packed schedule, including a sausage sizzle and crazy cupcakes, cookies and yo-yos for everyone to enjoy. Thank you to all the principals, teachers and staff for their enthusiasm and assistance in making the day a success and to Pomonal Primary School for hosting! We look forward to our next Junior Landcare adventure in Term 4!

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Reducing the Risk of Extinction in Adamson’s Blown-grass

Glenelg Hopkins CMA were successful in securing funding through the Australian Government’s Saving Native Species (Priority Species) grants, a program that is designed to improve condition and trajectory of the listed priority species across the country.

Adamson’s Blown-grass, (Lachnagrostis adamsonii) is a short-lived grass endemic to south-west Victoria and is confined to inland saline habitats, that are severely threatened by drainage and de-salinisation activities, over-grazing, cropping and weed invasion.

A project scope was put together in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV) and Dr Austin Brown, a specialist consultant who did his PhD on Adamson’s Blown-grass. The Upper Hopkins Land Management Group are a key stakeholder in this project, given the groups range overlaps almost entirely with the current known distribution of the species.

Key activities in this project will include: surveying populations, conducting field surveys for potential new sites, enhancing the diversity and quality of the current seedbank collections by collecting seed from a broad range of populations and characterizing seed quality. It is anticipated that the results of these works will guide future works on the species including creating new populations and augmenting remnant populations.

The CMA is eager to work closely with the UHLMG to help identify potential new sites, either by helping with access to private sites, providing contacts for sites and also participating in field surveys. A field day will be held in Spring 2025 to help raise awareness of the species and encourage people to learn how to identify the species and its’ habitat, and best management practices for it, and other saline-dependent species.

Anyone who is interested in being involved in any activities associated with Adamson’s Blown-grass are more than welcome. Please contact Aggie Stevenson at the CMA on 0435 537 443 or a.stevenson@ghcma.vic.gov.au for more information.

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Managing Weeds Through Productive Use: The Australian Perspective on Gorse

James is a PhD researcher from the University of York, UK, is gathering diverse perspectives from Australia on gorse management. He is looking for responses from individual landowners, any land managers and all scales of organisations involved in land management in Australia to contribute to this research, as well as any with a general interest or involvement with gorse.

The data from this survey will be used to inform current perspectives on gorse and its management in its native UK and non-native Australia, and the feasibility of managing gorse through productive use in future.

The survey should take 20-30 minutes to complete, is anonymous unless you provide contact details, most questions are optional and it’s open to anyone in Australia involved with or interested in gorse.

Your response will help add to the broader understanding of how gorse is perceived and managed in Australia today on a range of scales. This is important when considering the feasibility and potential of using gorse in future to control its spread, and how this differs in its non-native Australia compared to native United Kingdom.

If you have any questions about this research, or wish to get in touch to discuss this project further, please contact James on james.westfield@york.ac.uk.

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100 Hectares of Restored Wetlands

The Wetland Restoration Program has been running for just over a year and we’re starting to see some results on the ground. In the past few months, we have collaborated with Western Victorian landholders to restore natural hydrology to their wetlands. Together, these sites add up to nearly 100 hectares of restored wetlands that are part of the mosaic of wetland habitat across our landscape.

World-wide, wetland habitat has rapidly declined in the past forty years. This is partly due to changes associated with climate change, and partly due to changing land use. Restoring wetlands in our region helps to slow the loss of wetlands and provide vital resources for aquatic organisms. For example, birds such as Brolga use wetlands for feeding and nesting.

At each wetland, we installed sandbags in the drainage outlet (once we had the appropriate approvals and permits in place). Sandbagging reduces the volume of water flowing out through the drain so that the wetland is deeper and inundated for longer, giving wetland vegetation a better chance at recovery. Re-establishing the native plant community is an important first step in resetting the wetland so that it can function for the benefit of biodiversity.

As you can see from the photos, each of the wetlands was dry when we put the sandbags in place. Previously, the wetlands were poor-performing pasture paddocks that were often waterlogged in winter and could only be grazed in summer months. In a few short years, we expect to see wetland vegetation bounce back and waterbirds begin to use the wetland habitat again.

Nature Glenelg Trust learned about these wetlands from the landholders who had recognised an opportunity for restoration and biodiversity conservation on their land. If you are a landholder with a so-so paddock that has a drained or modified wetland and you’re interested in learning more about wetland restoration, please get in touch: ayesha.burdett@ngt.org.au or 0429 021 500.

Examples of recent wetland restoration projects. The size of the sandbag structure is calculated to increase the wetland size without impacting neighbouring paddocks. Photos: Ayesha Burdett

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The Results are in on the Genetic Connectivity of Southern and Northern Brolga Populations

Study by: Abby Bryce and Skye Davis, Macquarie University. Article by: Abby Bryce, Macquarie University and Jan Barton, Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority.

We know that brolga make seasonal movements between breeding areas and flocking sites, but how genetically connected are the Southern and Northern Australian populations?

In the middle of last year brolga feathers from across the region were collected and sent off to Skye Davis at Macquarie University for genetic analysis. Abby Bryce then collated and analysed the data from Skye’s genetic analysis and the results are now in!

Cutting edge genetic analysis shows that brolgas in Western Victoria are genetically isolated from populations in NSW, Qld and NT. This holds true for both male and female brolgas.

What does this mean for brolga conservation in Western Victoria? The 2024 Victorian brolga survey observed only 879 birds, less than the 1000 birds needed for an effective population size. With such small numbers and genetic isolation from the Northern population they are at risk of losing genetic diversity and adaptive potential.

What can we do to help our Western Victorian brolgas? We need to keep trying to improve the management of seasonal wetlands/swamps, both big and small to provide brolga flocking and breeding habitat. We need to have healthy wetlands, that hold water long enough for the nest to be made, eggs laid and incubated and hatched chicks to grow up and fly at three months old. We need wetlands with plenty of frogs to help provide food for brolgas.

Map shows the genetic admixture of Brolga individuals across Australia. The light grey area represents their distribution, with each pie chart depicting an individual and colours indicating different genetic ancestries (Distribution data derived from BirdLife International and Handbook of the Birds of the World).

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Events, Events, Events! – See upcoming events, courses and webinars of interest below

Glenelg Hopkins Bioblitz

Join in the Great Southern Bioblitz in 2024 by participating in the Glenelg Hopkins Bioblitz! Our region has some amazing biodiversity but has few surveys compared to the rest of Victoria. Let’s fix that!

Held between September 20 – 23, the Great Southern Bioblitz is a worldwide campaign to get as much biodiversity across the Southern Hemisphere snapped and logged online.

As part of this, in 2024 we are encouraging people to get involved by participating in a bioblitz in the Glenelg Hopkins catchment area.

How do I get involved?

Participating in a bioblitz is easy – it’s just a matter of taking a photo of any and all biodiversity – plants, birds, fish, reptile, mammals – during the designated time period.

Then, uploading the image to a central database – in this case, the iNaturalist App.

The iNaturalist app is available for both Apple and Android phones. For all the information you need for this event click here.

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Bitterns on Farms Workshop – at Lake Bolac Golf Club

Did you miss the last Bitterns on Farms event in Dunkeld? Don’t worry there’s another one coming up on Sun the 15th of Sept from 9am-12pm!

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Skipton: In Good Times and In Bad: Adaptive Skills for Your Farming Future

A 2-day course in-person in Skipton on the 17th and 18th of September from 9am-3pm. The course will build on your cropping farm business skills, covering a number of relevant topics presented by Dr Kate Burke.

Places are limited, so registration is essential. Book your spot here: SKIPTON: ADAPTIVE SKILLS FOR YOUR FARMING FUTURE Tickets, Skipton Golf and Bowls Club, Skipton | TryBooking Australia, or contact Adam Buzza on 0447 525 457 for more information.

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Perennial Pasture Systems 15th Annual Conference; Ararat

Perennial Pasture Systems (PPS) is a regional, independent farmer-driven group; one of the activities that is conducted as part of their annual calendar of events is a full day conference.

The 15th Annual Conference will be held Tuesday, September 17th at the Ararat Town Hall. Each year the conference has a number of speaker sessions and a farm related tour, concluding with the Annual meeting and dinner with a guest speaker.

This year’s conference has a theme of “Crashing Through the Price Crash” focusing on the fundamentals of farm management during less-than-ideal market and weather circumstances. The conference will commence with sessions on soil and animal management with Jason Condon from Charles Sturt University and Steve Cotton from Dynamic Ag, followed by Dr Savin Chand from Federation University who will discuss long-term weather forecasting and extreme events which will help people get past the scary headlines and increase knowledge of weather risk management.

Patrick & Michael White from Rural Counselling Finical Services will provide their experience in helping producers avoid long-term damage to the farm businesses during financial downturns.
Lunch will follow with a lamb-based menu provided by Deb’s Diner with the food and conversation always a conference highlight.
A “speed dating” session will be conducted after lunch; not ‘Farmer wants a wife’ but ‘get to know your plants better’; hopefully some new relationships will be formed. Allister Moorehead, from Agricom in New Zealand, will be in charge of an informative and enlightening talk.

PPS member farmer, Scott Howell, whose family business at Amphitheatre was a finalist in the Weekly Times “Sheep Farmer of the Year” will give his perspective of farm strategies for future growth. This promises to be a high-quality presentation.

The conference tour will be looking at meat industry value adding and marketing with a visit to Ararat Meat Exports.
The day will finish back at the Ararat Town Hall with the Annual Conference Dinner and guest speaker. Paralympian Ellie Cole OAM has been confirmed as the Conference Dinner speaker. Ellie had her leg amputated at two years of age and swimming became part of her life, she went on to be Australia’s most successful female Paralympian with six gold, five silver and six bronze medals from four Games.

Conference costs –

• Conference only (includes seminar, conference book, morning tea, lunch & tour)
• PPS members – $60 + GST (membership includes anyone involved in member enterprise)
• Agricultural Students – $0
• Non-members – $90 + GST (new members can join on the day & receive member rate. PPS annual membership $66)
• Annual Dinner Cost – $60; drinks available at bar prices.

Tickets are available here.

The conference is open to anyone interested in agriculture to join its members at the 15th Annual Conference. Contact the PPS Project Manager at yadin061@tpg.com.au for further information.

Breakfast and Farm Dam Discussion with Clem Sturmfels

GRDC – Upcoming Webinars

• 11th of September GRDC Farm Business Strategic Planning: Moving the business to a pro-active planning mindset. Link: GRDC Farm Business Update National Livestream – Strategic planning: moving the business to a pro-active planning mindset – GRDC
• 18th of September GRDC Farm Business Industry Update: Small business CGT concessions and small business re-structure rollover. Link: GRDC Farm Business Update, online – Industry update: Small business CGT concessions & small business re-structure rollover – GRDC
• 19th of September GRDC Grains Research: Strategies for windrowing canola. Link: GRDC Grains Research Update, online – Strategies for windrowing canola – GRDC

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1,000 Rural Women Survey

As part of the documentary, CheekyMac Productions is aiming to survey more than 1000 remote, rural and regional women across Australia. It takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and covers the topics of natural disasters, health, domestic violence, racial prejudice, societal attitudes, Tall Poppy Syndrome, community life, leadership, and female role models.

This survey is a collaborative effort between Federation University’s Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre and CheekyMac Productions, commissioned by the Community Enterprise Foundation.

This research will not only inform the documentary, it is also expected to inform policy and be used to develop educational resources for Australian schools.

Survey link: 1000 Rural Women Survey

For more information about the documentary and survey, please visit: www.cheekymac.com/rural-daughters

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New Device for the Application of Herbicide to Woody Weeds Trialled in Victoria

A new device for safe application of herbicide to woody weeds is being trialled at a number of small sites in Victoria. A typical response is “why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?”

Instead if spraying, the device scrapes the stem of the weed and applies a small amount of herbicide to the exposed cambium layer. 

It is made from 20mm PVC pipe and fittings with a check valve that allows control over herbicide flow.

The device is easy to make from readily available materials.

The device offers the following benefits:

• Efficient herbicide use
• Protects non-target plants
• OK to use if windy
• Treats more surface than cut stem treatment
• Easy to see treated area without dye
• Strong herbicide contained
• Safer than sprays or brushes

Check out the video below to see how the device works.

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New Climate Predictor Tool for Australian Farmers

My Climate View is now available for anyone to use. My Climate View is a digital information product that provides commodity and location-specific climate predictions for Australian farmers for the next 50 years. It was developed in partnership with government, industry and the research sector.

The Climate Services for Agriculture (CSA) program is a collaboration between CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology as part of the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund (FDF).

My Climate View is the CSA program’s free digital product that has been designed for farmers, their advisers and land managers to better enable long-term decision-making to be more climate resilient. The tool brings together historic climate information for the past 60 years, seasonal outlooks and future projections for the 2030s, 2050s and 2070s.

My Climate View is unique among Australia’s agricultural weather and climate tools:

• Farmers and land managers anywhere in Australia can access climate information at a 5km2 grid for their location.
• Commodity specific climate information, covering 20 commodities being produced on 95 per cent of Australia’s farmland.
• Presents past and future climate information, all in one place.
• The tool is available to farmers now and supports them to build climate and drought resilience into the future.

You can access the tool here: My Climate View or learn more about it in the video below.

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To Clean or Not to Clean? Managing Dam Sediment

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New Summer Weed Control App Helps Growers Understand Costs

A new decision-support tool developed to help Australian grain growers weigh up the financial pros and cons of summer weed control has been launched today.

A $310,835 investment initiative of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) in partnership with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, the $ummer weeds decision support tool was officially launched at the 23rd Australasian Weeds Conference in Brisbane. 

This innovative app has been designed for use by growers ‘in paddocks’ across Australia’s broadacre cropping regions. 

The tool allows growers to enter soil type, soil water, grain price, fertiliser costs, weed control costs and the density of weeds to generate information on yield benefit and return on investment scenarios, when comparing immediate versus delayed weed control.

GRDC Weeds Manager, Sarah Morran said summer weeds cost growers in southern and western regions of Australia more than $350 million in lost yield annually.

“Summer fallow weed control has been identified as a major issue for the grains industry, which is why GRDC invested in a decision support tool to help growers determine the cost benefits of different weed management approaches,” Ms Morran said.

“We know from extensive research that there is clear evidence effective summer weed management can improve productivity and profitability.”

Ms Morran said in Australia’s southern and western cropping regions yield losses from summer weeds were estimated at around $23 per hectare and $13/ha respectively.

“In comparison, summer weed control can range from between $14/ha and $19/ha, so it is a critical consideration for growers in terms of assessing what is right economically for their farming situation,” she said.

“We know the returns from summer weed control can be highly variable due to seasonal variability, weed type and the following winter growing season.

“This new weed decision support tool aims to give growers and their advisers, a better  understanding of the economics, so they have the confidence to adopt and implement effective weed control strategies.”

CSIRO Principal Research Scientist Everard Edwards, who undertook the research to gather data to support the new tool, said it was particularly relevant to western and southern states, as well as dryland cropping systems in southern New South Wales. 

“In our validation trials in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and north-west Victoria, we found that the yield penalty for not controlling summer weeds in a timely manner could vary greatly – anywhere from less than 100kg/ha, up to 640kg/ha,” Dr Edwards said.

“By combining important factors such as soil type, soil water, wheat price, weed control cost, fertiliser price and weed load, the app can generate figures on the expected increase in yield potential due to water, the probability of gaining at least 0.2 tonnes per hectare in yield and the expected nitrogen benefit.

“In addition, it provides figures on the probability of at least 10kg/ha nitrogen benefit, the probability of gaining at least $20/ha due to extra water and nitrogen availability and the overall potential return on investment.”

Dr Edwards said a key feature of the app was its ability to work offline, and importantly, in the paddock.

“Critically for growers, this app uses an internal database to generate the figures, so mobile signal or internet connection aren’t required for it to work effectively,” he said.

“It is a genuine in-paddock decision support tool that growers can use to help understand differences between yields and seasonal probabilities.”

The $ummer weeds decision support tool can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

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Meet the New Members of Victoria’s Biosecurity Reference Group (BRG)

Meet the new members of Victoria’s Biosecurity Reference Group (BRG).

Members of the renewed and expanded BRG will help guide the implementation of Victoria’s Biosecurity Strategy, including where and how effort and resources will be invested.  

We welcome:

• Alina Hawkins, Livestock & Rural Transporters Association of Victoria
• Andrew Tyler, Tyler Farms – dairy farm 
• Callum Fletcher, Grains Research and Development Corporation
• Catherine Ainsworth, horse racing and entertainment industries
• Danyel Cucinotta, Victorian Farmers Federation, LT’s egg farm
• David Reid, Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria
• Georgina Gubbins, Maneroo Farms – red meat farm 
• Gerry Leach, Victorian Rabbit Action Network, and livestock and crop farm 
• Holly Cate, Mainstream Aquaculture Group
• Hugh Millar, veterinary industry
• Jane Carney, Landcare Victoria, and livestock farm 
• Jordan Crook, Victorian National Parks Association 
• Katherine Clift (Chair), Agriculture Victoria 
• Kelly Blake, Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
• Michael Craig, Carrigeen Pastoral Company – livestock and crop farm 
• Sonia Cooper, Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation

Members bring diverse expertise from across Victoria’s biosecurity system, including Traditional Owners, the agricultural sector, supply chains, community and environment. Visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/brg for more information on the BRG.

Thank you to the many people who applied. The selection panel undertook an extensive review process to ensure representation and experience from as wide a range of interests as possible.

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Conservationist Helps Farmers Protect ‘Paddock Trees’ and Restore Degraded Land

The single native tree, standing by itself in a paddock, is an iconic image of the Australian landscape. These lonely trees are a reminder of what once existed before vast swathes of the country were deforested. They provide shelter, habitat for insects, and act as stepping stones for wildlife as they move across the landscape, tree grower and conservationist Steve Murphy says.

“In a distant time, we’re going to lose them all because they’re not actually naturally regenerating,” Mr Murphy says, citing research conducted in the early 2000s by ecologists at the Australian National University. 

For Mr Murphy, protecting the space around these “paddock trees” so they can regenerate is part of a bigger picture. 

Replanting to mimic nature

As a nursery owner who was growing trees for farmers to plant on their properties, Mr Murphy became concerned with the quality of the revegetation efforts he was seeing.

“Farm plantations that had been put in perhaps 20 or 30 years ago were already collapsing … they were providing very little shelter, they were needing to be replanted,” he says.

“I started to ask, ‘How could we make these plantations become sustainable, to behave like a natural part of the bush, where they just sustain themselves?'”

Given Australia’s abysmal record as a world leader of deforestation, biodiversity loss and mammal extinction, Mr Murphy’s question is a pertinent one. 

What Mr Murphy settled on were a series of ideas landholders could follow to restore degraded land by planting wide corridors of endemic plants – from shrubs and grasses to tall trees – which would “mimic nature”.

The animals return

On the outskirts of Ballarat, volunteer group the Ballarat Region Treegrowers invited Mr Murphy to put his theory into action on a patch of bare, weedy land, owned by mining company Suvo Minerals.

The group wanted to demonstrate a forestry plantation that optimised biodiversity, secretary of Ballarat Region Treegrowers Gib Wettenhall says.

Called the ImLal Biorich Plantation, it includes a small percentage of tree species planted to later remove for timber or firewood – something Mr Murphy encourages as he believes it could entice landowners to designate larger areas of land to revegetation.

Since its inception in 2010, wildlife abundance has been tracked through yearly bird surveys and Mr Wettenhall says motion sensor cameras have also found phascogales, feathertail gliders, sugar gliders and the occasional koala using the restored landscape.

Mr Wettenhall’s small publishing press later released a book by Mr Murphy called Recreating the Country, which summarised the landscape restoration design principles he developed through his many years working in conservation – something he grew into after having trained as a geologist.

Biodiversity is key

Considering biodiversity when undertaking landscape restoration is crucial when attempting to tackle the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, says Patrick O’Connor, associate professor of environmental economics at Adelaide University.

Professor O’Connor has been researching market-based schemes that can optimise biodiversity conservation. Currently there is no national scheme in place, he says.

He warns that sometimes carbon storage is prioritised at the expense of biodiversity.

“If you’re trying to optimise carbon you may not plant that structural and diverse mix of species … that supports a much more complex, dynamic ecosystem,” he says.

“It’s often because you’re looking to sell the carbon to somebody else … so you’ll look for the cheapest place in the landscape to do that restoration.

“That won’t take the revegetation to places that are overcleared, where there are fertile soils, where the land values are high, where smaller revegetation patches can be very important in connecting up the landscape.”

‘As the years go by you get a bit more inspired’

One of the case studies featured in Mr Murphy’s book is merino sheep farmer Steve Donaldson. 

When Mr Donaldson took over his family’s 900-hectare farm at Inverleigh, near Geelong in regional Victoria, in the late 1990s, one problem loomed large: weeds.

“You’re constantly spending time to control [weeds] and I wanted to seek a permanent way of keeping it out,” Mr Donaldson says.

Initially, with help from Landcare, Mr Donaldson began fencing off areas of his land to revegetate with native species as a weed management strategy.

Mr Donaldson began sourcing plants from Mr Murphy who advised him on revegetation strategies.

“As the years go by you get a bit more inspired. I think what they’re saying might be good, so you take a few more chances and devote a bit more land,” Mr Donaldson says.

Twenty-five years after he started revegetation work, about 20 per cent of Mr Donaldson’s land is fenced off from stock and in the process of revegetating, he says.

“In recent years, I haven’t had to spray pesticides because I’ve got more flocks of birds around, which Steve said would happen,” Mr Donaldson says.

“So, this integrated pest management they talk about has become a factor as well, because I’m providing habitat.”

He says another unintended benefit has been financial. At a recent valuation of his property he was told the vegetation had increased the value of his farm by about 30 per cent.

Funding for revegetation can be inconsistent and hard to come by, Mr Donaldson says, and the work on his farm hasn’t progressed lineally but rather in fits and starts as money became available.

Current revegetation works on his farm are funded and coordinated by the Corangamite Catchment Management Authority. 

Less tangible but equally important to Mr Donaldson is the meaning growing forests and protecting native grasslands have given him.

“You think over your lifetime, ‘Well, yeah, I have done something, and it looks nice, it’s lovely to be here,'” he says.

“I just wanted to be able to see something at the end of my days that I’m really proud of, and you’ve got to be a bit innovative don’t you.”

Fostering the return of nature requires steely resolve, and Mr Murphy remains hopeful. 

“In the big picture I see an Australian landscape where high-quality vegetation corridors have been re-established allowing wildlife to migrate as they have done for millions of years, and in that landscape I also see paddock trees re-established,” Mr Murphy says.

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Safe EC Levels For Livestock

EC values for each species of livestock denotes the level at which production decline begins:  

Beef Cattle: 6,200 EC μS/cm

Lactating Ewes and Weaners: 6,000 EC μS/cm

Dry Sheep: 9,300 EC μS/cm

Horses: 6,200 EC μS/cm

Pigs: 3,100 EC μS/cm

Poultry: 3,100 EC μS/cm 

Charts colour-coded: Green = Safe, Yellow = Unsafe for some species, Red = Unsafe for all livestock

Upper Mount Emu Creek Sites

Fiery Creek Sites

Hopkins River Sites

Happy Landcaring!