Endangered woodlands and wetlands on private properties are being protected thanks to funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme.
Goulburn Broken CMA Senior Landscape Planner Jenny Wilson said the projects were managed by the CMA and delivered by local community natural resource management groups and Trust for Nature.
“Trust for Nature received $80,000 to work with landholders to put covenants on their properties to permanently protect 75ha of box-gum grassy woodlands and seasonal herbaceous wetlands,” Dr Wilson said.
Box-gum grassy woodlands typically include white and yellow box and Blakely’s red gum. Seasonal herbaceous wetlands are fed by rainwater; when dry they look grassy but after rain are full of sedges and wildflowers.
“These are nationally significant ecosystems,” Dr Wilson said. “They are usually found in the most productive soils and are critically endangered, which is why it’s important to work with landowners to protect any remaining areas. Protecting and improving them helps provide food and shelter for wildlife and helps land management by reducing erosion and nutrient run-off.”
Other funded projects include:
- $35,000 for the Euroa Arboretum
- $5,000 for Mansfield-based Up 2 Us Landcare
- $20,000 for Goulburn Murray Landcare Network’s Pilot Focus Landscapes in the Agricultural Floodplains Project
- $30,000 for the Longwood Plains Conservation Management Network
“The groups are using the funds to work with landholders, the community and Traditional owners to identify and protect wetlands and woodlands on their properties and host field days and workshops and other activities that promote the benefits of permanent protection of nationally significant wetlands and woodlands,” Dr Wilson said.
The South West Goulburn, Upper Goulburn and Up2US Landcare networks and the Strathbogie Conservation Management Network are sharing in $42,000 of funding to deliver revegetation and remnant protection through the Australian Government Biodiversity Fund project ‘Creating biodiverse carbon landscapes and linking key habitat elements’.
The groups are working with landholders to create and link corridors of vegetation between waterways and roadsides and existing native vegetation areas.
The next round of successful grants will be announced early next year.