Transforming Wollemi farmland into a nature reserve

At the edge of Wollemi National Park in the Blue Mountains families, scientists, businesses and international student volunteers have been transforming former farmland into a wildlife nature reserve.

The not-for-profit Australian Ecosystems Foundation Incorporated has been managing the 800-hectare Wollemi Nature Reserve more than eight years.

The Reserve is strategically placed, forming a wildlife corridor between Wollemi and Garden of Stones National Parks.

"The property has a variety of habitats ranging from open grassland and woodland to closed forest, with dense understorey and amazing riverbank areas," said President Trevor Evans.

"We're trying to re-establish habitats to bring biodiversity back to what it was before farming activities started some 150 years ago."

Funding

In 2003 the Foundation received more than $25,000 from the Australian Government. Further assistance has come from the Hawkesbury Nepean Catchment Management Authority (CMA) and private donors including Don and Lee Stammer, owners of the reserve property. The Foundation aims to 'make a difference and save endangered species.' With a core membership of around 300, it is made up of scientists, farmers, representatives of local Indigenous clans, businesses and family groups.

"We have active members from the surrounding district, from Sydney and from the United States," President Trevor Evans said.

"Each year we host around 80 to 100 international student volunteers from the United States, who stay for two weeks and help us with our work.

Activities

"All up they've planted some 5,500 trees at Wollemi Nature Reserve this last year.

"We've already counted nearly 160 bird species including the endangered Regent Honeyeater as well as Powerful Owls and Peregrine Falcons.

"Tiger Quolls, wombats, possums and other common native species make their home here and we would love to bring back other species that were once prevalent."

Based on a management plan developed several years ago, the Foundation has been taking a systematic approach to managing the property.

A first step was de-stocking, so that native grasses and small understorey shrubs like casuarinas and wattles would grow back.

To do this some 300 hectares of farmland and bush, including a three kilometre-stretch of the Wollemi River, were protected by fencing. Work then began on removing weeds, rabbits and foxes from this protected area.

"This is going to be a long-term project, but we are committed to saving and re-generating native ecosystems," Trevor said.

More information

• Australian Ecosystems Foundation Incorporated: www.ausecosystems.org.au

Australian Government NRM Team
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
1800 552 008 (toll-free)

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Caring for our Country is an Australian Government initiative jointly administered by the Australian Government departments of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts