Making grant funds go futher
Paddock Tree funding boosted with Landholder co-investments
Capacity to Deliver - LP031-002
The issue
Funding is often difficult to secure, so when SE LLS offered funding for a Paddock tree project to the Yass Landcare group in 2019-20 they decided to make the dollars go as far as possible by requesting participating landholders to provide a co-investment into their paddock tree guard(s).
The solution
The Landholder co-investment allowed Yass Landcare Group to increase the number of trees which could be planted and protected from 160 trees which was the grant deliverable in 2020 to enabling over 432 paddock tree packages to be delivered.
A paddock tree package included a steel mesh tree guard, two heights were available either to protect against sheep grazing or a higher guard to protect against horse or cattle munching. A Box Gum grassy woodland Eucalyptus tree grown by the Yass Landcare nursery team plus weed matting and water crystals completed the paddock tree package.
The administration of this project was orchestrated by the YAN coordinator and Yass Landcare members who used tractors, wire cutters and lots of paddock space to cut and distribute the paddock tree steel guards to participating landholders.
The impact
Due to Landholder co-investment the number of paddock tree packages delivered across the Yass Valley region in 2020 was 432.
The success observed in 2020 resulted in SE LLS increasing its paddock tree grant offer in 2021. Yass Landcare had a goal to getting 1000 paddock tree packages into the ground by Winter 2021. This goal was achieved using the participant co-investment scheme and 600 paddock tree guard packages where distributed in 2021.
Paddock trees provide vital stepping stones for small birds and reptiles moving through the landscape as well as providing shelter to stock when they mature.
Learnings
Landholder co-investment in the paddock tree package was readily accepted by landholders and enabled more paddock trees to be planted across the region.
Team work over six months at the Yass Landcare nursery enabled the Eucalyptus trees to be grown in time for this project.
Greater use of machinery and power tools was used to roll out and cut tree guard mesh to create each paddock tree guard.
Key facts
- 2020 Paddock tree funding from SE LLS required 160 paddock tree packages, 432 were delivered with Landholder co-investments
- 2021 paddock tree funding required 400 paddock tree packages however Yass Landcare was able to deliver 600 tree guard packages which was made possible with Landholder co-investment.