It really was an On Farm Bush Bonanza.

How exciting it was to have 17 farmers and very interested people at the Biodiversity Bush Bonanza at Steve and Cheryl Matthews farm ‘Pinevale’ in Lockhart to watch these wonderful landholders receive the coveted and extremely well-deserved sign for a Conservation Area.

People don’t often associate farming and bushland together, but it is now becoming a ‘real thing’ in the farming landscapes where land managers like Steve and Cheryl enter agreements with the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. The land managers section off part of their property to manage ecosystems and habitats for Australia’s threatened native plant and animal species.

Mason Crane from NSW BCT was there to present the sign to Steve and helped us discover in more detail through camera traps the type of wildlife now calling ‘Pinevale’ home. None of which would have been possible without the correct habitat being planted 16 years ago between existing trees.

Learning about biodiversity and how it can be integrated into the farming landscape to not only benefit the land itself but also the animals who live there and the wellbeing of the landholders themselves is a perfect outcome.

Using part of the property (less than 100 ha of 1000ha) that was largely a creek line to plant trees, shrubs and grasses has been of great benefit to Steve and Cheryl. The creek line in very wet years often overflowed and flooded the shearing shed causing damage and inconvenience.

Steve said ‘We didn’t sacrifice the area because I didn’t crop it anyway. We enhanced it. The planting just means there is less erosion on the farm and I get to strategically graze it.’

That creek line no longer overflows as the vegetation in it slows the flow and water stays more in the creek itself providing moisture for the remnant vegetation and new trees that have been planted.

Direct seeding of trees has been a great success with large shrubs and bushes now a much-needed part of the landscape to protect and feed the local woodland birds who are suffering in most parts of southern NSW from a lack of endemic habitat.

This revegetation process started over 16 years ago and now the fruits of Steve and Cheryl’s efforts are becoming obvious. Threatened native species are being recorded on night cameras and seen in thermal night vision binoculars.  What a credit to these great people.

There is something super special about seeing a threatened species take up residence on the property you have looked after. Whether it is a bird, a lizard or a mammal it triggers a lot of happy hormones. Being able to share the experience with others and telling them about the process of successfully revegetating a piece of Australian Natural history is nothing short of amazing.

This process of collecting seed, selecting endemic species and direct seeding in the Riverina was assisted by Natasha Lappin (Murray Local Land Services Seed Services). Tash assisted with the planting all those years ago and came back to the field day to see what a fantastic success the planting has been. She was also able to connect with others who would like to replicate the process on their own property.

Thank you to all who attended the night to learn about the possibilities for restoring habitat locally to protect our native wildlife and ecosystems in a farming landscape. Congratulations Steve and Cheryl.

Kathy Tenison Murrumbidgee Landcare