A prickly new project: get involved with Prickly Plants for Wildlife
Posted on 25 January, 2018 by Tanya Loos
Trees are great, but small birds and marsupials need shrubby habitat to find food, build nests and shelter from predators. We’re very happy to announce that Connecting Country has obtained funding for a new project called Prickly Plants for Wildlife.
This project will supply eligible landholders with valuable understorey plants that will enhance existing native vegetation, and provide habitat for many small birds such as Diamond Firetails, Superb Fairy-wrens, Scarlet Robins and Brown Thornbills.
This charming nest was built by a pair of Mistletoebirds at Bonnie’s property, in a hedge wattle. The white fluff is from an old couch!
Prickly plant species include Bushy Needlewood (Hakea decurrens), Tree Violet (Melicytus dentatus), Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa), and acacias such as Hedge Wattle (Acacia paradoxa) and Spreading Wattle (Acacia genistifolia). These plants are depleted or missing from our local area, and we would like to lend a helping hand to see these plants back in the landscape and on local properties.
Requirements for eligibility
- Property with at least 3 ha of native vegetation: We need a project area of a minimum of three hectares containing some remnant vegetation, such as scattered eucalypt trees, or land that is in transition to native species after the removal of grazing. This project is not suited to revegetation of cleared paddocks.
- Commitment to project management: Eligible landholders will receive a site visit, management advice and a property habitat management plan. We will also supply some financial support, and then it is over to you! Planting, watering, pest control and maintenance will be carried out by the landholder, with the help of local contractors. You will be in charge of managing contractors on your property. Of course we will be on deck for any information or questions as needed.
How to apply
All interested landholders are encouraged to fill in the expression of interest form (link below) and email it to bonnie@connectingcountry.org.au. Or to find out more about your eligibility, call Bonnie at Connecting Country on 5472 1594. If your proposed project does not fit with the requirements for Prickly Plants for Wildlife project, we will keep you on file for future opportunities.
Expression-Of-Interest-Form-Prickly-Plants
A Brown Thornbill in the safety of a prickly Hedge Wattle. Photo by Geoff Park
Expressions of interest close Monday 19 February 2018.
I have 72 ac bordered on 3 sides by national park and state forest it may be suitable for this project
Hi Barry! Thanks for your comment. I have forwarded your email to our project officer Bonnie Humphreys. She will be in touch soon. warm regards,
Tanya
HI,
I would be interested in some more info and planting.
We have 2000ac with treed lots
Hi Pete, we will email you directly on Monday, regards, Tanya