Vaughn's Dam Reserve Habitat Restoration
Vaughn's Dam Reserve Habitat Restoration
Weddin Landcare are working with Local Land Services and community volunteers to restore an important remnant of Box-Gum Grassy Woodland in the heart of Grenfell.
Community Participation -
LP048-005
The issue
Vaughn's Dam Reserve is a unique, natural community space within the township of Grenfell that contains an important remnant of critically endangered Box-Gum Grassy Woodland. Historically, the area (around 8.7Ha) was bequeathed to the Grenfell community by pioneer, Robert Vaughn, over a century ago and has since become a Travelling Stock Reserve. Several issues were impacting the site including inappropriate recreational use, rubbish dumping, invasive species (weeds and pest animals) and past clearing.
The solution
Weddin Landcare saw an opportunity to protect and enhance this important remnant while educating the community and demonstrating best practice for restoring and managing grassy woodland. To achieve this, Weddin Landcare approached Central West Local Land Services who agreed to allow Weddin Landcare to co-manage Vaughn's Dam Reserve, an arrangement that is being formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding.
Weddin Landcare successfully applied for a WIRES - Landcare Wildlife Relief and Recovery Grant to help fund on-ground works to restore components of the Box-Gum Grassy Woodland. Volunteers were called upon to assist with a series of working bees to help complete project activities.
Neighbours of the Reserve and other community members have been consulted about the works at Vaughn's Dam Reserve and Weddin Landcare have held several events at the Reserve to encourage and educate both school and adult groups about Box-Gum Grassy Woodlands, native plant identification and habitat restoration techniques.
The impact
Through the WIRES - Landcare Wildlife Relief and Recovery Grant, around 250kg of rubbish was removed from the site, a firebreak was established, twenty nest boxes for wildlife were installed and around 500 tree and shrubs have been planted to revegetate sections of the Reserve. Weddin Landcare has also conducted an ecological burn and conducted numerous working bees to remove invasive weeds to encourage native groundcovers to regenerate.
Through the on-ground works and educational activities conducted at Vaughn's Dam Reserve, the Grenfell community has begun to reconnect with the Reserve. Volunteer opportunities have provided community members with valuable skills and knowledge as well as a sense of achievement, having been involved in a meaningful project to restore this important ecosystem for the benefit of native wildlife and the Grenfell community.
Key facts
- Weddin Landcare formed a partnership with Central West Local Land Services to co-manage Vaughn's Dam Reserve in Grenfell.
- Weddin Landcare have gained external funding and sought help from volunteers to conduct on-ground works to restore the Box-Gum Grassy Woodland remnant.
- A key component of the project has been to involve the community in works and decisions to increase awareness and foster ownership of the site.