Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Planting a roadside flightpath in Bunnaloo
Secretary of Green Gully Landcare, Joan Ferguson, has seen birds flying along the plantations on her family property. And she's also watched Peregrine Falcons hovering over the thriving new understorey growth on her farm, seeking the Willy Wagtails and Thornbills now living there.
So she's confident the eight kilometres of flightpaths planted over the past decade by Green Gully Landcare Association in the Bunnaloo district in southwest New South Wales are attracting the birds.
"Our original aim was to increase roadside biodiversity in areas which had very few trees," Joan said. "We've found that a 45 to 50 per cent survival rate has to be considered a success."
Funding
In 2003 the Association, which has been active for more than a decade, received $4,000 from the Australian Government to replant trees and shrubs lost in poor conditions.
Activities and achievements
"We planted in three different areas to add to our flightpath corridor linking the Perricoota State Forest to the Gulpa Island State Forest, both parts of the Ramsar-listed wetlands and Red Gum forests along the River Murray," Joan said.
One species targeted by the flightpath project is the Superb Parrot, declared vulnerable largely as a result of loss of habitat.
"We found that when we started talking about the Superb Parrot, people who'd never had much interest in trees or birds started taking notice and some even began bird-watching," Joan said.
"There's community support for our annual community tree-planting day and we're finding more neighbouring landholders are planting trees and shrubs on their own farms."
Joan said that the Association tried to ensure it focused on planting species native to the region.
"I spend a lot of time sourcing a range of these plants," she said. "We only plant a low percentage of eucalypts and try not to have them closer together than 30 metres.
"I've found around 28 different species, at least half of which are local under-storey plants like Hedgy Saltbush, Native Blackthorn and Needlewoods as well as long living local acacias.
"One way I gauge our success is by the fact that we now have a greater diversity of local native shrubs and trees growing in our region."
More information
- Joan Ferguson, Secretary of Green Gully Landcare: joangferg@bigpond.com
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