Replanting Resilience: The Yass Landcare Paddock Tree Project
This community-driven project is restoring native paddock trees across the Yass Valley, enhancing biodiversity, supporting farm productivity, and building climate resilience—one tree at a time.
Capacity building - LEP23-014-LLC15-1
The issue
Open farmland in the Yass Valley has seen a steady decline in native paddock trees—critical elements of healthy agricultural and ecological systems. These trees provide habitat, shade, and connectivity across fragmented landscapes, yet their natural regeneration is limited due to grazing pressure, aging tree populations, and climate change. Without intervention, many areas risk losing biodiversity, soil stability, and long-term productivity.
The solution
The Yass Landcare Paddock Tree Project, initiated in 2019, supports landholders to restore paddock trees across farms. The program provides climate-ready native tubestock, sturdy mesh guards, and expert advice. The Yass Landcare Paddock Tree Project offers a practical, scalable model for restoring native vegetation in working landscapes. By supplying climate-ready native tubestock, durable mesh tree guards, and on-ground guidance, the project empowers landholders to take part in landscape regeneration without needing to become ecological experts themselves nor invest in larger scale revegetation projects. It’s simple for landholders of any size to get involved.
A landholder co-contribution model builds ownership and value, while volunteer-led working bees—championed by a local project leader—assemble guards in advance, removing a major barrier to participation. This shared-effort approach builds community connection and ensures that even time-poor or physically limited landholders can contribute to and benefit from the project.
The impact
To date, 1,963 paddock trees have been planted by 74 landholders over five rounds. These plantings improve habitat for species such as the Superb Parrot and microbats, reconnect vegetation corridors, and support farm biodiversity. The project has also increased local awareness of ecological restoration and demonstrated a scalable, community-driven model. Landholder enthusiasm has more than doubled initial planting targets, reinforcing strong community ownership and environmental outcomes.
Key facts
- 1,963 paddock trees planted across the Yass Valley
- 74 landholders participated in five project rounds
- Plantings support species such as the Superb Parrot and native pollinators
- Climate-ready seedlings grown locally in YAN nurseries
- Landholder co-contributions more than doubled original planting targets