Corowa District Landcare’s Grassy Woodlands Project
Corowa District Landcare’s Grassy Woodlands Project
The Grassy Woodlands Project is a partnership between Murray Local Land Services and local Landcare Groups
Capacity to Deliver -
LP019-006
The issue
Grassy Woodlands represent the original vegetation of most of the wheat-sheep belt in the Central Murray/Riverina Regions of NSW. Eucalypts dominate these woodlands, typically boxes and red gums with an open canopy, scattered shrub layer and diverse ground cover of grasses and herbs. In the Murray region over 90% of Grassy Woodlands has been cleared since European settlement. Areas that remain provide essential breeding and foraging habitat for many woodland fauna and threatened species such as the Superb Parrot, Squirrel Glider and Grey-crowned Babbler. High levels of clearing have resulted in habitat fragmentation, leaving small and isolated patches of vegetation. This impacts the ability of woodland fauna to move across the landscape and avoid predators safely.
The solution
The Murray LLS Biodiversity Management Plan identifies priority areas within the South West Slopes Biogeographical region for restoration and active management of this important vegetation formation. Remnant Grassy Woodland vegetation often only remains in small, isolated patches, often in poor condition. In 2016, Murray Local Land Services partnered with three local Landcare groups (Corowa District Landcare, Holbrook Landcare Network and West Hume Landcare) to support local landholders to protect and enhance remnant grassy woodland vegetation and revegetate new areas on their properties to improve connectivity between patches of vegetation through the Grassy Woodlands Project. The project aims to: improve the condition, extent and connectivity of Grassy Woodland patches in the south-west slopes region and to increase and protect habitat for grey-crowned babblers and other significant woodland birds.
The impact
Corowa District Landcare (CDL) through funding support from Murray Local Land Services delivered three rounds of the Grassy Woodlands Project from 2019 to 2022. CDL engaged with landholders in and around the Corowa/Federation Region and developed site-specific landholder management agreements, which outlined management actions to protect, manage, enhance and revegetate Grassy Woodlands on these sites, which included; installation of wildlife-friendly fencing, revegetation/enhancement activities, site preparation works and pest plant and animal control. Funding from the project supported fencing materials, direct seeding of local native species and/or tubestock plantings. The project has been a great success in the Corowa/Federation Region with many enthusiastic landholders interested in participating. The outcomes for Corowa District Landcare’s Grassy Woodlands Project over the three rounds include; 10 landholders involved, 130 hectares protected and managed under landholder agreements, 18 km of fencing, 167 km of direct seeding and over 12,000 seedlings planted to create new habitat and enhance native vegetation sites.
Key facts
- Grassy Woodland Conservation
- Native vegetation restoration and management
- Murray Local Land Services and Landcare Partnership
- Habitat for Woodland Birds