Sticky Beak Tour 2016

Posted on 8 July, 2016 by Connecting Country

On Sunday 26th June 2016, 30 enthusiastic participants joined our ‘Sticky Beak Tour’ of restoration projects on four local private properties. Connecting Country had assisted all four landholders to undertake on-ground works projects on these properties over recent years. All 30 participants on the tour have also been undertaking on-ground works projects with Connecting Country’s support. As such, it was a chance for everyone to gather and share their experiences in landscape restoration. Despite it being a chilly day, we were warmed by the stories from these four landholders, and by the very tasty soup served up at the Guildford Winery. To quote one participant;

The tour has really helped us to crystallize our plans for future plantings on (our) property. Discussion during the tour really helped us to weigh up the pros and cons of different approaches and being able to see things “in the flesh” really assists with the visualisation process. We now have a clear idea of what we want to do next and more confidence that the work can deliver the results we are looking for.

Brandie Strickland, who is undertaking a student placement at Connecting Country, has recorded the stories of the four landholder’s we visited.

Site 1- Cullen Gunn, Walmer

Cullen is an engaging gentleman from Hamilton. He and his family enjoy their delightful 280ha property in Walmer as often as they can (though not as often as Cullen would like). The property was originally grazed heavily; a practice Cullen hasn’t continued unless you count the 600 or so kangaroos. It is Cullen’s dream to make the property carbon neutral and very biodiverse. He has established several areas dedicated to farm forestry. And, in 2008, decided to try direct seeding to add some diversity around his forestry operation. Four rounds of direct seeding later – including the help of Connecting Country – what looked like a potential failure is now as “thick as hair” in parts. As a result, Cullen and his family has watched over 100 species of birds return to the property and sugar gliders inhabit his nest boxes.

Site 2- Chris Johnston, Green Gully

Chris’s property used to be grazed by cattle and was heavily cleared for firewood and other uses. Originally Chris worried that maybe there were more problems on the land than she could manage. However, given the history of the property over the past 10 years it “wasn’t really that bad”. With the help of Connecting Country, Chris is trialing an exclusion plot to see what grows naturally without grazing by kangaroos, rabbits and other animals. She is also revegetating the cleared gully areas, however has found kangaroos and cockatoos to be an issue as they shred the tree guards. She has been lucky enough to replace most tree guards second hand and is trialing protecting seedlings with smaller fenced areas using other gathered resources, like star pickets, at little to no cost. Chris is passionate about restoring the land and hopes to one day see it returned to the traditional owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung, for better land management.

Site 3- Mark and Helen Wakeham, Yapeen

Mark and Helen moved to their property 14 years ago. Despite Helen’s sometimes lengthy commute to Melbourne for work, both Helen and Mark are extremely happy with their little slice of the country. Like many of the surrounding properties, their property is currently grazed by cattle. However, over the years, the number of cattle has lessened as management costs have increased and the property has become more recreational: ‘not a farm, just fun’. The use of cattle on the property is now more of a management tool. Both Mark and Helen are very open to increasing biodiversity on their property and over the years have allowed a lot of conservation and revegetation work to be done. The North Central Catchment Management Authority fenced and direct seeded at the rear of the property to protect remnant Box Ironbark Woodland. More recently, Connecting Country has created a buffer zone along the roadside and gully with direct seeding which will provide a excellent link across the landscape.

Site 4- Mandy Jean, Guildford

Mandy and Brian own the Guildford vineyard. They acquired the property in 2004 and today, along with wonderful chef Zack Grumont, run a very successful business. If you walk around the vineyard you can see all the hard work that has gone into creating such a productive site. Mandy sees increasing biodiversity as critical to the vineyard’s success. The vineyard hosts up to 80 kangaroos over a year, hundreds of birds, bats and microbats and more insects than you can count. Kangaroos and birds, in particular, are very welcome as each benefits the vineyard in their own natural way. The birds reduce bug, disease and pest populations on the vines while the kangaroos provide a manure rich with nitrogen. With the help of Connecting Country, the vineyard is becoming more biodiverse with tubestock planted on the surrounding hills to enhance both beauty and environmental benefit. Mandy’s next project is a indigenous ‘insectarium’ to increase natural pest control.

Revegetation at the Guildford Vineyard

Bonnie with landholders

Lunch in cellar

Revegetation in Green Gully

Exclusion plot at Chris Johnson’s property.

Bonnie explains how direct seeding works

Acknowledgements

Our Sticky Beak Tour highlighted just a fraction of the work that landholders and community groups from across the Mount Alexander region have completed with Connecting Country over the past 8 years. We would like to thank all of them for their involvement – each project is a inspiring story of landscape restoration in this area. We would also like to thank:

Cullen, Chris, Mandy and Mark and Helen for being such excellent and inspiring hosts,
Geoff Park for his expert facilitation and photos,
Bonnie Humphries for sharing her project and botanical knowledge,
Zack Grumont and the Guildford Winery for a delicious lunch,
Brandie Strickland for the photos and write-up, and
the Australian Government for the funding as part of our Connecting Landscapes program.