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www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | Issue 64 | May 2016 | Trust for Nature CON SERVATION B ULLETIN 1 FROM THE CEO Victoria Marles Chief Executive Officer As we all know, Trust for Nature works in Victoria; this work, however, is part of a global approach to nature conservation. This edition of the Conservation Bulletin pans outwards to demonstrate the global impact of the conservation work being done here in Victoria by our covenantors and staff – and of course, by the supporters who make our protection work possible. It will probably not surprise you to learn that many of our staff, particularly the regional staff, have Trust for Nature covenants on their properties, giving them an insight into the responsibilities, challenges and satisfactions that come with managing a property for conservation. In this issue our Conservation Science Coordinator, Dr Doug Robinson, recounts his family’s journey over more than 20 years managing a covenanted property near Violet Town, and shares some of the lessons learned along the way which have proved invaluable in guiding their management. We know that covenants are important at a local level, not just for the native plants and animals that may live on the property, but also because of the connectivity they can provide between patches of native vegetation. Landscape connectivity is one of the key directions in our Statewide Conservation Plan, as it enables species to move between areas and playing a critical role in maintaining genetic diversity among species. Covenants play a vital role in decreasing the space between protected areas, and contributing to the creation of wildlife corridors at a local and state level. However, covenants are vitally important at a global level as well. We look at the important role individual covenants play in meeting Australia’s global responsibilities to protect ecosystems, not just as part of the National Reserve System, but as part of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature network of global protected areas. As well as contributing to Australia’s biodiversity targets, covenants and other permanently protected areas are vital tools to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Forests Alive have recently provided us with an assessment of the carbon stocks on areas protected by Trust for Nature, either through conservation covenant or through properties which the Trust owns and manages. This is measured through “CO2 equivalents”, a measurement to describe how much global warming a given type and amount of greenhouse gas may cause, using the functionally equivalent amount or concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) as a reference. Altogether, even a conservative estimate of the CO2 equivalent of tree carbon stores reveals that Trust for Nature is responsible for protecting a carbon sink containing the CO2 equivalent of over 12 million tonnes – which, as a comparison, is more than the total amount CO2 equivalents emitted by the Australiancommercial services and construction sector in 2013. Every landowner with a Trust for Nature covenant over their property is helping mitigate the effects of climate change for our future generations. While many people are aware of the high rates of carbon sequestration which occurs as a result of new plantings, there is as yet little public awareness of the role of older forests in sequestering carbon. Yet we know that older forests continue to sequester carbon as long as they are alive, and that the biodiversity found in natural forests confers resilience on the ecosystem, which in turn contributes to improving the security of the carbon stock. A growing body of evidence suggests that protecting intact native forest carbon stocks is the most effective climate mitigation action. We look forward to seeing more research into the links between natural forests and climate mitigation. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy reading the insights on page 11. Trust for Nature’s Chairman, Max Ervin, and Victoria with covenantors Byron Jones and Rosina Tauschmann on their High Camp property in April. INDEX From the CEO............................................................................. 2 Recently covenanted..................................................................14 News from the Trust.................................................................... 3 Support Trust for Nature............................................................16 Threatened species projects....................................................... 4 Women in Conservation Breakfast 2016 wrap-up......................16 Lessons learnt in land management............................................ 8 Bequests and gifting shares.......................................................17 Your covenant in the global picture............................................10 Covenanted properties for sale..................................................18 Carbon stock on covenanted land.............................................11 Help us protect Victoria’s threatened ecosystems..................... 20 Grazing exclosures.....................................................................12 Conservation and kangaroo control: a vexed issue....................13 Cover: A thunderstorm approaches a covenanted property in the Indigo Valley, north eastern Victoria. Photo: Will Ford. www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | impact report 2015 3 how far we’ve come with your support trustfornature.org.au/impact-report-2015/ NEWS FROM THE TRUST WELCOME TO OUR NEW TRUSTEES Trust for Nature is very pleased to welcome our newest Trustees of the Board, who joined us in December 2015: Gayle Austen is a communications specialist with extensive experience in strategic communications and public engagement. As a former journalist specialising in both environment and rural affairs, and having grown up in a farming family, she has a strong interest in the way agribusiness can positively contribute to the conservation of the environment it relies upon. Gayle has held executive positions at several large corporate companies, as well as senior roles in journalism across Australia, China and the UK, and is currently the Principal of Gayle Austen Corporate Communications. Dr Charles Meredith has over 30 years’ experience in ecological and environmental consulting and has published 22 papers. His considerable experience in the natural environment across Victoria has given him unique insights into the need for conservation of private land; that ecological systems do not recognise the boundaries between public and private land, and the conservation of both are equally important. Charles holds a PhD in Zoology/Earth Sciences, a Bachelor of Science (Botany, Genetics), and is a Fellow of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand. Amanda Noble has long been passionate about sustainable land management balanced with active conservation of habitat and wildlife. Her experience extends across risk management, investment management, strategy and operational areas including new business integration. She has worked in both the public and private sectors, predominantly in finance for the past 15 years, with significant trust management experience. Amanda is currently Chief Risk Officer with Trustee Partners and is a qualified solicitor. Cas Bennetto is a passionate advocate for the preservation of Victoria’s native plants and wildlife, and believes their protection through covenants is essential. Cas has extensive experience in executive management positions across corporate and professional services, not-for-profits, government, the arts and tertiary sectors. She holds a Master of Arts (Organisational Communication) and graduated from the Harvard Club of Australia’s Not for Profit Leadership Program. She is currently CEO of the Kimberley Foundation Australia. We look forward to their valuable expertise in helping Trust for Nature achieve our vision. STATE GOVERNMENT BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND LEGISLATION REVIEWS Over the past year, Trust for Nature has been actively involved in the development of the Victorian Government’s recently released draft Biodiversity Strategy Protecting Victoria’s Environment - Biodiversity 2036 as a member of the Stakeholder Group, Private Land Working Group and Science Reference Group. We are encouraged by the draft strategy’s commitment towards increased support for permanent protection on private land, private land conservation, landholder stewardship and effective management of protected areas on private land as well as public land. We will be providing formal feedback on the draft and continue our active involvement with the next stage of the process. Complementing the Biodiversity Strategy, the Victorian Government has also released a consultation draft review of the native vegetation clearing regulations and a discussion paper on the review of the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. Trust for Nature has also been actively engaged in the preparation of these two documents and will be making formal submissions on each review from the perspective of a conservation organisation whose focus is working with landholders to improve conservation on private land. You can find out more about the strategy and legislation reviews at http://haveyoursay.delwp.vic.gov.au/biodiversity-plan LAUNCH OF NEW STANDARDS FOR ECOLOGICAL PLANNING The Society for Ecological Restoration Australasia (SERA) launched the first ever National Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration in Australia in March this year. Trust for Nature was one of twelve expert partners assisting with the development of the new Standards, which identify the principles underpinning restoration philosophies and methods, and outline the steps required to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate a restoration project to increase the likelihood of its success. The new Standards provide a blueprint of principles and standards that will aid voluntary as well as regulatory organisations in their efforts to encourage, measure and audit ecologically appropriate environmental repair in all land and water ecosystems of Australia. Our staff across the state are looking forward to using the Standards to help guide our work and measure restoration success across our own properties and conservation covenants for years to come. To learn more, visit www.seraustralasia.com 4 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin THREATENED SPECIES PROJECTS Many threatened species of plants and animals in Victoria critically depend on private land habitat for their ongoing survival. Trust for Nature’s Statewide Conservation Plan identified, for the first time in Victoria, which threatened species occur principally on private land, and should therefore be a focus of our ongoing conservation efforts, including 148 threatened flora and 88 fauna species. Based on this research, Trust for Nature has been actively seeking funds enabling us to assist with the survival of some of these species; here are some of our new threatened species projects being funded through the Victorian Government’s Threatened Species Protection Initiative. Velvet Daisy-bush (Olearia pannosa subsp. cardiophylla) The FFG listed, vulnerable Velvet Daisybush exists in many small populations across Victoria on both public and private land, in particular the areas of Greater Geelong, Golden Plains, Surf Coast, Greater Bendigo and Campaspe. This project will survey all currently known populations across four broad population areas in the state. Velvet Daisy-bush. Photo: Chris Clarke. Abundance, health and current threats will be identified, and herbivore exclusion zones, rabbit and weed control will be undertaken in the most threatened populations. Research, in partnership with the Arthur Rylah Institute, will monitor plant growth, flowering and seed set, and before and after pest control analysis. Trust for Nature will also be working with groups such as the Friends of Brisbane Ranges to undertake survey activities. Importantly, private landholders are encouraged to permanently protect their land for conservation where populations of the Velvet Daisy-bush occur. New Holland Mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) This project aims to ensure the survival of the nationally threatened New Holland Mouse by improving habitat management and securing new populations, primarily in the Gippsland Plains’ Providence Ponds Reserve and nearby private land; now one of only three known extant populations in Victoria. Very little is known of the occurrence of this species on private land. One of our priorities is to survey for new populations on four private properties with potential habitat adjacent to the Reserve. New Holland Mouse. Photo: Robyn Edwards. A lack of knowledge in the management of the species’ habitat has been identified as a major threat, particularly in response to fire. We will establish ongoing monitoring of the Providence Ponds population post fire, and develop a vegetation monitoring methodology, to determine the vegetation requirements of the New Holland Mouse and identify the vegetation triggers for ecological burning. Predation by feral animals is also a critical threat, especially after fire. Cat and fox populations will be assessed with motion sensing camera surveys, forming the basis for a strategic control program for the coming years. Goldfields Orchids Seven threatened orchid species in the Goldfields Bioregion will benefit from a range of conservation activities on covenanted private land. These orchid species are: Stuart Mill Spiderorchid (Caladenia cretacea), Red Cross Spider-orchid (Caladenia cruciformis), Woodland Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum validum), Candy Spiderorchid (Caladenia versicolor), Robust Stuart Mill Spider Orchid. Greenhood (Pterostylis valida), McIvor Photo: Reiner Richter. Spider-Orchid (Caladenia audasii), and Bendigo Spider-orchid (Caladenia sp aff fragrantissima). Each of these species is listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and requires immediate intervention to persist in the wild. To remove the pressures of herbivore grazing we will be constructing herbivore exclusion zones. We will also be identifying potential reintroduction sites, and reintroducing already propagated seedlings onto covenanted and fenced properties. Working closely with landholders and community groups on recovery activities is an important part of the project, such as population surveys, and identifying high priority sites for future covenants and orchid conservation work. The information gathered from this project will provide valuable data for many agencies in Australia on the populations of these threatened orchids. Hooded Robins (Melanodryas cucullata) and Squirrel Gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) Trust for Nature will be working with private landholders around the ChilternMt Pilot National Park in the North East of the state to increase the connectivity of protected habitat for Hooded Robins and Squirrel Gliders through our Private Land Action for Threatened Species project. The edges of vegetation in this area are favoured habitat for the threatened Hooded Robin; we will be seeking sighting feedback from landholders to gain a better understanding of their movements, population health and conservation requirements. Also prime Top: Hooded Robin. Photo: habitat for Squirrel Gliders, we will be Chris Tzaros. Bottom:Squirrel helping landholders in the area remove Gliders.Photo: Will Ford. top-line barbed wire fencing and replace it with plain wire; barbed wire is a significant threat to Gliders, as they often become entangled and unable to free themselves. Critical to this project is building positive relationships with landholders in the area and assisting them with conservation land management, as both of these species habitat occur primarily on private land. These properties are important buffers surrounding the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, and will guide the future potential for larger, long-term protection initiatives to connect habitat remnants in the area. www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | Helmeted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops cassidix) Mornington Peninsula flora One of Trust for Nature’s priority projects is to conserve and rehabilitate habitat for the critically endangered Helmeted Honeyeater, our state’s bird emblem and the only avian species endemic to Victoria. Trust for Nature has an extensive history with the conservation of this species. We helped to Helmeted Honeyeater. Photo: purchase Logan’s Swamp, which Ben Cullen. now forms a large portion of the Yellingbo population habitat area. More recently our work includes the purchase of a Yellingbo conservation property, thanks to the generosity of public donors in the past 12 months. This protection, restoration and ongoing management of their preferred habitat in the outer eastern ranges of Melbourne is essential to the survival of the species. Birds have been recorded nesting and foraging on sites that have been revegetated and are now protected; evidence that our conservation efforts are working, and will benefit future releases of the birds into the area. Swamp Everlasting. Photo: Russell Best. In partnership with Parks Victoria, the Australian Native Orchid Society, the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, and the Southern Peninsula Flora and Fauna Association, this project is a collaborative approach to achieving on-ground outcomes for several threatened plant species in high priority plant communities of the Mornington Peninsula area, such as Coastal Moonah Woodland. Threatened flora species include Leafy Greenhood (Pterostylis cucullata subsp. cucllata), Coast Helmet-orchid (Corybas despectans), Venus Hair Fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris), Late Helmet-orchid (Corybas sp. aff. diemenicus), Coast Tobacco (Nicotiana maritima), French Island Spider-orchid (Caladenia insularis), and Swamp Everlasting (Xerochrysum palustre). Activities will include population surveys, weed control, erecting herbivore exclusion zones, property fencing, seed collection, and working with private landowners on conservation management plans. With this additional funding from the State Government, we will be carrying out further conservation management activities alongside our partner organisations including the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Zoos Victoria, Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, Yarra Ranges Shire and Yarra 4 Life. Threatened species recorded on covenanted properties Over the past five years, individual threatened species recorded on private land protected by a conservation covenant include more than: 165 plants 61 birds 5 14 mammals 8 reptiles 7 frogs Trust for Nature gratefully acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government through funding from their Threatened Species Protection Initiative program. 6 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin Top habitat on private land The table below shows the top 50 threatened native fauna species whose modelled habitat occurs primarily on private land, based on the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s Species Distribution Models. These models were used to inform the prioritisation of threatened fauna for conservation on private land in Trust for Nature’s Statewide Conservation Plan. The results highlight the importance of private land for the conservation of all of these threatened species. Nearly one-third of the priority fauna species identified in our Statewide Conservation Plan are listed as nationally threatened, and more than two-thirds are listed as threatened under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act). Additional strategic permanent protection and ongoing management of these species’ remaining habitat on private land is therefore critical to their future chances of survival. Plains-wanderer 98% Eastern Barred Bandicoot 97% Striped Legless Lizard 96% Grassland Earless Dragon 95% Fat-tailed Dunnart 91% Tussock Skink 91% Banded Lapwing 89% Australian Pratincole 89% Helmeted Honeyeater 89% Brolga 89% Curl Snake 88% Grey-crowned Babbler 88% Bush Stone-curlew 87% Grey Falcon 86% Australasian Shoveler 85% Woodland Blind Snake 85% Bearded Dragon 84% Hardhead 83% Giant Bullfrog 83% Squirrel Glider 82% Black Falcon 82% Corangamite Water Skink 82% Diamond Firetail 81% Red-chested Button-quail 80% Orange-bellied Parrot 80% Growling Grass Frog 80% Intermediate Egret 80% Eastern Great Egret 80% Whiskered Tern 79% Tessellated Gecko 78% Baillons Crake 78% Royal Spoonbill 78% Swift Parrot 78% Inland Dotterel 78% Gull-billed Tern 78% Regent Honeyeater 77% Lathams Snipe 77% Australian Bustard 77% Southern Pigmy Perch 77% Inland Broad-nosed Bat 76% Little Button-quail 76% Glossy Ibis 76% Yarra Pigmy Perch 75% Ground Cuckoo-shrike 74% Broad-shelled Turtle 73% Murray Short-necked Turtle 73% Little Egret 73% Glossy Grass Skink 72% Australasian Bittern 72% Grey-headed Flying Fox 71% The full list of priority threatened species can be found in our Statewide Conservation Plan, available to download from our website. SUBMIT YOUR SPECIES RECORDS Our conservation landowners are a great asset when it comes to recording species sightings. After all, you know your land best and you have your eyes on it the most. We rely on your recorded sightings species (particularly threatened species) to inform our conservation management plans. If you have a covenanted property and would like to send through your species records, please get in touch with us! Contact your local Trust for Nature staff member, or email us directly at [email protected] or call (03) 8631 5888 and we’ll direct you to your closest Stewardship Officer. Critically endangered Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana). Photo: Michael Williams / itsawildlife.com.au www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | 7 8 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin LESSONS LEARNT IN LAND MANAGEMENT Trust for Nature’s Conservation Science Coordinator, Dr Doug Robinson, takes us on his family’s journey of protecting and rehabilitating their covenanted property in Violet Town, two hours north of Melbourne. THE BEGINNINGS My partner and I bought our 84 hectare property north of Violet Town with friends in the early 1990s to work on woodland bird conservation, particularly conservation of the endangered Greycrowned Babbler. The property was typical of the box-ironbark country found throughout Victoria – a grazed sheep paddock with a few scattered large trees and a couple of patches of regrowth Grey Box, Red Box, Green Mallee and Wattles. Most of the property had lost its topsoil due to over-grazing by rabbits and stock. Tunnel and gully erosion, combined with dryland salinity were also major threats. Due to these issues, the previous owners had extensively mechanically ripped much of the property, sowing the envirtonmental weed Canary-grass (Phalaris) sp. as a technique to help hold the soil and reduce impacts of dryland salinity. Nevertheless, the property itself was strategically placed within the largest cluster of habitat remaining in the local Landcare area with high quality, old growth woodland habitat in the bordering roadsides. As a result, the local district was a relative haven for woodland birds and other wildlife, with threatened species such as the Grey-crowned Babbler, Bush Stone-curlew, Lace Goanna, Hooded Robin, Swift Parrot and Squirrel Glider calling it home. As keen naturalists, we were smitten! As conservationists, we saw the challenge as a personal way we could contribute to helping protect some of these declining species. THE HUMAN JOURNEY: ASKING FOR HELP IS A GOOD THING When we began the initial land management of our property, we focussed on revegetation of the open paddocks, smallscale weed control and shooting rabbits. We applied for soil erosion and salinity grants from the local Department of Primary Industries (DEPI). We also joined the Land for Wildlife program which gave us access to their expertise on managing our property as wildlife habitat. With increasing time spent on the property, and now also with a young family, our next important phase of management was learning to tackle the major threats to the land in the right order, at the right scale and as efficiently as possible. After spending years pulling out Paterson’s Curse across the property, we applied for a local Landcare grant for a contractor to spray our neighbour’s invasive patches; ever since, our land has remained almost “Pato-free”. DEPI’s BushTender funding enabled us to buy a much-needed quad bike and spray unit so that we could access weed infestations and rabbit warrens easily, keeping pest plants and animals under control. The BushTender grant also enabled us undertake revegetation at larger scale, supporting direct-seeding of an understorey into many hectares of open paddock. Aware that the next landowners could undo our conservation work by stock grazing or cropping our few areas of fertile soil, we decided to protect our property with a conservation covenant. This has safeguarded the land from future subdivision, cultivation and grazing by stock, and ensures the land is always managed for nature conservation. We consider this conservation covenant on our property title to be a powerful form of succession planning for ourselves, our family and for the environment. THE CONSERVATION JOURNEY When we first bought the property, a predominant theme in conservation science was the impacts of habitat loss and habitat fragmentation on ecosystems and species in terms of health, functionality and survival. This theme was especially true for woodland birds, with many studies documenting widespread declines of species across much of their former range in southeastern Australia. The response to these findings was focussed on addressing further habitat loss and trying to restore habitat extent and connectivity. Like many other landowners and local community groups, our initial focus was to increase the extent of habitat by re-establishing vegetation, by natural regeneration or by planting and direct seeding. Looking east from our front gate, the improvement to native vegetation from 1995 to now is clearly visible. Paradoxically, however, while habitat extent on our property has improved over time, habitat condition of the remnant patches of woodland has declined. Two factors have driven this decline: a rapidly drying climate causing plant growth and abundance to substantially decrease – including once common ground plants such as lilies, rice-flowers, hibbertias and bluebells – and the loss of some large trees due to lack of moisture and over-abundant loads of native mistletoes; and kangaroo populations www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | booming inside ours and our neighbours’ properties, resulting in large decreases in the cover and abundance of palatable shrubs, native herbs and native grasses. It took a long time and multiple grazing enclosure plots to convince us that an over-abundance of kangaroos really was the major cause of the decline in vegetation condition across our property. Using established methods to estimate the number of kangaroos on both ours and neighbours’ properties, we calculated that both properties were supporting six times the population capacity of kangaroos than they should be to allow regeneration of native grasses and shrubs - almost 300 in 230ha rather than a sustainable population of about 40. For 15 years we tried to address this issue through active control by shooting under permit and small-scale exclosures, but continued to watch the condition of the bush decline without being able to achieve an effective reduction in kangaroo numbers. It wasn’t until the construction of a kangaroo-proof fence around ours and our neighbours’ properties and entering into the State Government’s pet food trial for kangaroo control with two of our neighbours that things took a turn for the better. Less than a year later we are beginning to see signs of recovery, with native shrubs appearing in some open areas and the reappearance of plant species palatable to kangaroos that were being detrimentally affected by their grazing, including Kangaroo Grass, bitter-peas and Buloke. ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE The longer we have lived on our property, the more it has become clear that climate change is pushing the bush to its limits. Many of our Red Box, which are at the edge of their natural range here, have already died and we expect to lose them as a local species over time. We have also documented substantial shifts in flowering times and seed set times for many of the widespread native species on the property, with consequences for the insects and other animals that rely on them. Like many other Australians we have tried to take some straightforward steps to reducing our impact on the planet; living off-grid; growing some of our own food; revegetating and restoring as much native vegetation as possible; using public transport to the extent we can in the country; and changing our superannuation funds to ensure we do not invest in coal. LESSONS LEARNT The kangaroo issue is especially salient. It was difficult, as people who love nature, to accept the reality that kangaroos were seriously degrading the bush, and that we had probably set its health back by ten years by using less effective means. That said, looking back at old photos of the land, many improvements are evident. The lessons we have learnt along the way, and found invaluable in guiding our land management, have been: 1. Establish photo points Take photos of the same area over time to monitor change. 2. Try grazing animal exclosures We have built many of these, most with just a few star pickets with netting or a hinge joint around them. They let us see the level of grazing inside and out and see what species emerge inside that are being grazed on outside. 3. Keep a property diary Going back to the early 1990s, we have annual records of rainfall, natural history observation and management work done on the property. From these records, we know that the number of rabbit warrens and quantity of Paterson’s Curse have decreased by more than 90% compared to when we first bought the land. We also have a sense of the relative status of species over time and changes in flowering time or migration dates for our plants and animals which helps inform our thinking when our memory gets rusty! 4. Connect to conservation programs As covenantors, we have access to Trust for Nature’s expertise and assistance. We also became Land for Wildlife members, and received a comprehensive manual full of guidance and a regular newsletter with practical scientific information and management advice. Being members of our local Landcare group has helped us with support for erosion work, weed work and revegetation, as well as taking part in some of the group’s research projects such as soil tests and groundwater measurements. And, of course, Friends of the Grey-crowned Babbler have had a close association with our property and can celebrate the fact that twenty-five years later, babblers now nest here. In terms of helping the bush tackle climate change, our philosophy is that we urgently need to reduce every other threat affecting the bush and its wildlife to give it the best chance possible to survive. In addition to the ongoing kangaroo management and weed control, these management activities include: • Two rabbit control programs per year • Systematic fox control • Removal of all barbed wire from our six kilometres of boundary fencing to remove the threat to Squirrel and Sugar Gliders • spreading thousands of branches across bare slopes to provide cover and reduce soil erosion • Shooting Noisy Miners under permit • Small grazing exclosures around individual plants that are rare on our property and sensitive to any grazing pressure, such as hoveas, templetonias, indigoferas, glycines, and Cane Spear-grass (Austrostipa breviglumis) • Removal of some mistletoe clumps from large trees that are showing visible signs of dieback and moisture stress. Our next major project is to begin ecological thinning of patches of dense eucalypt regrowth to increase the amount of fallen wood on the ground and improve growth rates of the remaining trees. We also hope to install many nest boxes in the next couple of years to provide additional habitat for hollow-dependent wildlife. 9 Grey-crowned Babblers (Pomatostomus temporalis). Photo: Chris Clarke 10 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin YOUR COVENANT IN THE GLOBAL PICTURE Each parcel of private land under covenant is contributing to a local, national and global network of protected areas for conservation. Across Victoria, hundreds of landowners have now entered into voluntary conservation covenants on their land, helping to conserve our natural heritage and native plants and animals forever. Each of these 1,300 covenants represents a unique decision and unique story for these landowners. It also represents a substantial ethical and legal commitment by those landowners to ensure that their parcel of land will be managed for conservation, forever! Imagine – in a state where 80% of native vegetation has been lost on private land already, with a continued estimated 4,000ha of native vegetation removed every year – willing landowners are prepared to enter into binding agreements on their land to help ensure that their vision for what remains of Victoria’s natural heritage is protected in perpetuity. What some covenantors may not realise is how their unique covenant also forms part of the national and global networks of protected areas. Since 1992, Australia has been a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, along with 195 other nations around the globe. As part of this Convention, Australia has a binding responsibility to meet various agreed biodiversity targets, including targets relating to the formal protection of ecosystems. The most recent revision of these targets, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, was completed in 2010 and commits signatory nations under Goal 11 to: By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascape. This goal clearly has many strands to it, but its fundamental purpose is deliver an established system of ‘protected areas’. ‘Protected areas’ do not simply mean areas fenced off from grazing by stock or areas not being actively farmed or used. ‘Protected areas’, in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity, are defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as: A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. • Private conservation reserves owned and managed by a range of organisations for the primary objective of nature conservation • Private protected areas owned by landowners and protected under a conservation covenant, and • Indigenous Protected Areas. Most conservation covenants therefore help contribute to Australia’s National Reserve System, and to the global network of protected areas, along with better-known iconic reserves and national parks such as Wilson’s Promontory, Kakadu, Uluru, Yellowstone in the US and the Serengeti in Africa. And while the size and natural richness of individual covenants in Victoria cannot match these iconic reserves, it is worthwhile reflecting on the recognised conservation value of all of these protected areas - both big and small - and the fact that all of these parcels of land are being protected in perpetuity for the primary purpose of nature conservation. In Victoria, where two thirds of the land area is privately owned and threatened ecosystems occur principally on this private land, private protected areas have a critical role to play in the conservation of Victoria’s natural heritage. Most representations of Victoria’s reserve system only show our public reserves. If private protected areas are included as well, as seen below, and we consider the ratio of private protected areas to public protected areas across Victoria, one can see that the reserve system is much more extensive. However, in many districts, private protected areas represent a higher proportion of protected areas than public reserves, and the private protected areas network has the crucial capacity to grow. Every new landowner deciding to protect part of their property under covenant is another contribution towards building Victoria’s reserve system, the National Reserve System and the global system of protected areas. From little things, big things grow – thanks to all of our covenantors. Public reserves Covenanted private land Covenanted Trust for Nature reserves Dudley, 2008, Guidelines for Applying Protected Area Management Categories, IUCN In Australia, this definition applies to four categories of land, all of which then contribute to the federal National Reserve System – Australia’s system of protected areas. These four categories of land are: • Public protected areas (including national parks, wilderness areas and conservation reserves) Victoria’s public reserves and covenanted private land combined. www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | 11 CARBON STOCK ON COVENANTED LAND In February this year, Trust for Nature engaged leading independent carbon assessor, Forests Alive, to calculate the carbon stocks on covenanted land throughout Victoria. The results are substantial and incredibly positive for conservation and mitigating the effects of climate change. There is a significant body of literature indicating that the protection of existing intact forest ecosystems is the most effective climate mitigation action in the forest sector; followed by restoring damaged and degraded natural forests, and lastly planting biodiverse natural forests. The report has highlighted the potential size of carbon stocks in forest vegetation that is now being conserved by landholders choosing to protect their land with a conservation covenant, and by Trust for Nature’s own land reserves. Measurement of the CO2 equivalents used the conservative methodology of FullCAM, the Federal Government’s land use carbon model. The Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs) measured in this report included Dry Forests, Heathy Woodlands, Herb-rich Woodlands, Lower Slopes or Hills Woodlands, Lowland Forests, Mallee, Plains Grasslands and Chenopod Shrublands, Plains Woodlands and Forests, Rainforests, Riparian Scrubs or Swampy Scrubs and Woodlands, Riverine Grassy Woodlands or Forests, and Wet or Damp Forests. CO2 equivalents Total tree carbon store on Vic covenanted land on emitte b r a million tonnes 9 c 12 To read the full report, visit our website trustfornature.org.au. d n stoc o b r k ca million tonnes By protecting native vegetation and restoring degraded ecosystems, covenantors and Trust for Nature are building and protecting a green carbon store which contains over 12 million tonnes of carbon. We will be continuing to work on the carbon value of our covenants and the economic and government framework opportunities this presents. CO2 equivalents services & construction sector in 20131 Private land with a Trust for Nature conservation covenant = 50,000 hectares 9.7 million tonnes Trust for Nature covenanted conservation reserves = 45,000 hectares 2.3 million tonnes 1 CO2 equivalents CO2 equivalents Australian Government, 2013. National Inventory by Economic Sector 2013; Australia’s National Greenhouse Accounts. 12 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin GRAZING EXCLOSURES Fencing off areas can be an effective way to protect areas of vegetation and determine species of flora that will naturally thrive in that location. Grazing exclosures can be particularly useful in combatting grazing from kangaroos, wallabies, deer and rabbits. Here are some examples of grazing exclosures used on conservation covenanted properties. Pamela and John Land wanted to create a herbivore free area for newly planted endangered Whipstick Westringia (Westringia crassifolia) on their covenanted property, north of Bendigo, in an area heavily grazed by Swamp Wallabies, Grey Kangaroos and rabbits. Although terribly dry conditions were challenging for the success of the plantings, several have grown and flowered, and the exclusion zone has been beneficial for the regeneration of other native plants such as Twiggy Bush Pea (Pultenaea largiflorens), Spreading Wattle (Acacia genistifolia), Inland Pigface (Carpobrotus modestus), the near threatened Broom Bitter Pea (Daviesia genistifolia), and native grasses. In an area heavily overpopulated by kangaroos, Trust for Nature’s Neds Corner Station reserve has the challenge of vast areas of land. However, even fencing off just several hectares has had some excellent results.” This large 490ha exclosure, along with several much smaller ones across the property, has informed our conservation management and protected a variety of threatened plant species. With a solid wire fence to discourage kangaroos, rabbits and other herbivores from overgrazing, these vulnerable FFG listed Darling Lilies (Crinum flaccidum), previously struggling to survive on the property, were able to thrive earlier this year. Find advice on land management techniques on our website: trustfornature.org.au/land-ownersupport/land-management-advice/improving-biodiversity/ Or get in touch with your Trust for Nature Regional Manager for advice on creating grazing exclosures on your property: trustfornature.org.au/about-us/our-staff/ www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | 13 CONSERVATION AND KANGAROO CONTROL: A VEXED ISSUE Jonathan and Susan Hayman live on a covenanted property in the Goulburn Broken region, east of Bonnie Doon. After purchasing their new property through Trust for Nature’s Revolving Fund, their eagerness and passion to manage their land for conservation is inspiring to witness. And, like most rural landowners, particularly those committed to conservation, they’re facing some of the challenges of balancing their love of nature with the tough decisions that positive land management can bring. Jonathan tells their story. In the late spring of 2015, Susan and I purchased a 65 hectare property in central Victoria of rolling grassland and open forests through Trust for Nature’s Revolving Fund. According to the Statewide Ecological Vegetation Classes (EVCs), coverage on the property supported Grassy Dry Forests on the upper slopes and hilltops, and Valley Grassy Forest in the lower slopes and drainage lines. The property has never been fertilised or cultivated, and stock have been absent for twelve years. GEMS IN THE VEGETATION Late last year we employed a botanist specialising in grasslands to carry out extensive research into the vegetation across our Kangaroo- and Wallaby-grassed property. The results were heartening: a total of 184 vascular plant taxa were recorded, comprising 64 naturalised or exotic taxa and 120 indigenous plants. Three flora species of great significance were also found during the assessment, and given the quality of the remnant vegetation, it’s likely more could be found with further research to be carried out in 2016 and beyond. Patches of endangered Plump Swamp Wallaby-grass (Amphibromus pithogastrus) were recorded. A handful of uncommon Slender Tick Trefoil (Desmodium varians) were observed in the north east of the property; a species with little data but known to inhabit inland parts of east Victoria, mainly in woodland and open forests. The other significant species we found was the vulnerable Arching Flax Lily (Dianella sp. aff. longifolia (Benambra)). hand weeding is an ongoing task. And with the excellent advice of the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), erosion control is being managed successfully. The issue of kangaroo numbers and their management presented us with an entirely different problem. It appeared to us that the kangaroo numbers were well out of kilter, with mobs of eighty or more regularly sighted feeding on the grasses, especially the Wallaby-grass, and water at the dams. From our observations walking around the property it appeared that the kangaroos, and to a lesser extent rabbits, were eating areas of grassland down to stubble, giving the grasses no chance to recover. It has become apparent that kangaroo numbers are out of control in our area, and so we have embarked on determining exactly how big the population is, the areas they are affecting, and how best to manage the problem. So far we have constructed two 25 metre exclusion zones in an attempt to gain a greater perception of kangaroo damage to the grasses. The same issue of kangaroo overpopulation also applies to the two neighbouring large grazing properties. We are in discussion with our neighbours to find a solution for us to work together on controlling the issue of kangaroo over-grazing. In only 6 months of ownership, our property has presented its challenges. But the discoveries, beauty of the land, and shared goals of others who care about Victoria’s nature are making the journey so rewarding. Susan and I are looking forward to many years of achievement for conservation on our land. LAND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES When we took over the property, there were a number of significant problems for us to tackle. These included the control of weeds, large rabbit and kangaroo numbers and erosion control. These issues had to be addressed immediately or there would be a possibility that the vulnerable native vegetation, particularly the grasslands, could suffer greatly, and our restoration efforts go partly unrewarded. Already we were witnessing areas of our grasslands being eaten down to stubble. The problems with rabbits and weeds have been reasonably easy to control. With ongoing poisoning, rabbit numbers have decreased and been held in check. The continual spraying and Susan Hayman working on revegetation on the property in 2015, using pink tree guards which are effective against kangaroo and rabbit grazing, and mitigate wind stress and water evaporation. So far revegetation has been at least 75% successful. 14 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin RECENTLY COVENANTED Currently there are 1,338 Trust for Nature conservation covenants on private land protecting more than 60,770 hectares of the state (as at April 2015). Since the last edition of the Bulletin, there have been 14 new covenants registered, described below. The people who have chosen to protect these parts of Victoria are now part of the solution. To make a donation to support our work with private landowners, please visit: www.trustfornature.org.au PORT PHILLIP & WESTERNPORT NORTH CENTRAL 0.61ha 94.49ha PATE, EMERALD HOLT, FENTONS CREEK This covenant is located in the Highlands – Southern Fall bioregion and is part of the Yarra Cardinia Catchments focal landscape. The property directly adjoins the Emerald Quarry Reserve, which protects what is thought to be the largest known population of the FFG listed White Star-bush. The land itself is a remnant of Shrubby Foothill Forest. The overstorey is dominated by Messmate Stringybarks, some of which are old and large, providing habitat for arboreal wildlife. The regenerating understorey is dominated by colonising plants such as Bracken and Hop Goodenia, as well as typical species within Shrubby Foothill Forest such as Yellow Rice-flower, Common Heath and flat peas. This covenant is located in the Goldfields bioregion and is part of the Victorian Midlands focal landscape. This property contains depleted Hillcrest Herb-rich Woodland, , and areas of derived native grassland belonging to the critically endangered White Box-Yellow BoxBlakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland ecological community. It also features a high quality patch of vulnerable remnant Grassy Woodland, belonging to the nationally endangered Grey Box Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands of SouthEastern Australia ecological community. The Grassy Woodland supports a large population of young to ageing Buloke, which have been largely lost from the surrounding landscape. Some beautiful mature Grey Box and Yellow Gum are also present throughout the property. The eastern metamorphic ridge has retained some magnificent large old Yellow Box and a relatively intact ground layer, dominated by native grasses and forbs and a high diversity of lilies and orchids during spring. Although this property has been recently heavily grazed, it possesses great potential to recover. CORANGAMITE 13.04ha KIKORIO PTY LTD, MARENGO This covenant is located in the Otway Ranges bioregion. This magnificent coastal property, located on the eastern edge of Marengo township near Apollo Bay, is host to a variety of vegetation communities between the coast and the Great Ocean Road. The high quality Damp Heath Scrub on the mid-slope of the covenant is an endangered vegetation community and is otherwise poorly represented in the area. Its Lowland Forest and Coastal Headland Scrub are both depleted communities in Victoria. This covenant will also protect significant flora and fauna, including the near threatened Rufous Bristlebird, the vulnerable Grey Goshawk, the vulnerable Otway Grey Gum, and the rare Broadleaf Prickly Moses. A report developed by Ecological Horticulture Pty Ltd for the Marengo Association in 1992 found the site to be of state significance. NORTH CENTRAL 61.8ha KINRARA PTY LTD, CARAPOOEE WEST This covenant is located in the Goldfields bioregion and is part of the Victorian Midlands focal landscape. This property protects a large mosaic of remnant Grassy Woodland / Heathy Woodland, Grassy Woodland / Alluvial Terraces Herbrich Woodland - both EVCs that belong to the nationally endangered Grey Box Grassy Woodlands and derived Native Grasslands of South Eastern Australia - and a small section of Box Ironbark Forest which is depleted in this bioregion. The property has lost the majority of its canopy trees, but does contain a small patch of remnant Yellow Gum, and several scattered old Red Stringybark, Buloke, Yellow Gum and Grey Box. The ground layer remains diverse with native perennial species, including the FFG listed Small Milkwort. The shrubby understorey and ground layer have also been retained and consist of species such as Spreading Wattle, Spikey Hibbertia, Twiggy Bushpea and Peach Heath. The owner has sparsely direct seeded open grassy areas with Eucalypt canopy species consistent with the EVC Benchmarks, and some acacias, to restore the main habitat components missing on this property. This property lies next to another covenanted property to the west, which is adjacent to the St Arnaud Range National Park. NORTH CENTRAL 114.6ha 66.68ha 121.4ha KINRARA PTY LTD, GLENALBYN These three covenants form a 303ha property located in the Goldfields bioregion which was purchased by private land conservation company, Cassinia Environmental, in 2014. The property also lies within Trust for Nature’s Victorian Midlands focal landscape. A large, high quality patch of FFG listed Buloke Woodland is present, providing important habitat for the FFG listed Victorian Temperate Woodland Bird Community. 150ha contains generally high quality remnant native vegetation consisting of the threatened Grassy Woodland and Alluvial Terraces Herb-rich Woodland EVCs which both belong to the nationally endangered, EPBC listed Grey Box Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands of South-eastern Australia ecological community. Much of the remaining 150ha of historically cleared and grazed land has still retained a relatively intact ground layer, dominated by native Wallaby grasses and Rough Spear-grass. Remaining cleared sections across the property have been direct seeded and re-planted to restore missing habitat components and include overall habitat quality www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | 15 GOULBURN BROKEN EAST GIPPSLAND WEST GIPPSLAND 60.16ha 8.43ha 5.35ha JONES & TAUSCHMANN, HIGH CAMP TARPEY, BRUTHEN ANDERSON, FLYNN This covenant is located in the Central Victorian Uplands bioregion and is close to the Victorian Midlands focal landscape. The property had only been owned by one previous family since early settlement in Victoria, but had not been heavily grazed or fertilised, resulting in its intact condition. This covenant is located in the East Gippsland Lowlands bioregion. A significant site backing onto State Forest to the north of Bruthen and bordering Ramrod Creek, the majority of this property represents bushland that has regenerated since initial clearing during the late 19th century. Due to its topography the vegetation is diverse with riparian/wet forest occurring in the lower sections adjacent to Ramrod Creek, and drier forest on shallow rocky soils at the highest points of the property. A Powerful Owl has recently been observed on the property and a population of Giant Burrowing Frogs have been observed on areas of Ramrod Creek nearby. This covenant is located in the Gippsland Plains bioregion and is close to the Gippsland Plain and Gippsland Lakes Catchment focal landscape. The covenant protects an area of endangered Floodplain Riparian Woodland and seasonal wetland which are being restored with River Red Gums and an understory of Lightwood, Blackwood, Kidney-weed, and Common Tussock Grass. During high rainfall events and river flows, the property’s floodplain area develops into a billabong which provides habitat for a range of aquatic wildlife. This property helps protect a remnant patch of the critically endangered White Box-Yellow Box-Blakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland ecological community; a classic example of this endangered community, with well-spaced large eucalypts and a diverse groundlayer including spear grasses, wallaby grasses, Kangaroo Grass, Weeping Grass and lilies such as Early Nancy. Mt William Creek borders the west of the property, adding to its habitat diversity and connectivity This property is also situated in a position of strategic importance as an integral link in the Great Eastern Ranges wildlife corridor between box-ironbark forests to the north and the Great Dividing Range to the east. GOULBURN BROKEN 30.22ha WILLS, VIOLET TOWN This covenant is located in the Victorian Riverina bioregion and is close to the Eastern Riverina focal landscape. The property contains the critically endangered White Box-Yellow BoxBlakely’s Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Derived Native Grassland ecological community. Endangered Grey Crowned Babblers are also found on the property. Small gilgai ephemeral lake formations are an unusual element that also occur here. Its vegetation is a combination of sparsely wooded areas containing Grey Box, White Box, Yellow Box, Yellow Gum and Blakely’s Red Gum. There are small amounts of naturally regenerating Drooping Cassinia. The ground layer is dominated by native grasses, particularly wallaby-grass species, with Chocolate Lilies, Common Rice-flower, Bulbine Lilies, mat-rush, and Pink Bindweed also occurring. MALLEE 79.37ha EAST GIPPSLAND 132.4ha BANKSIA RISE PTY LTD, LINDENOW SOUTH This covenant is located in the Gippsland Plain bioregion and is close to the Gippsland Plain and Gippsland Lakes Catchment focal landscape. This property is of high conservation significance both because of its location within the landscape and the vegetation communities and species present. It contains approximately 70 - 80ha of three threatened vegetation types: 30 - 40ha of nationally endangered, high quality Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland; five modified sedge wetlands totalling 15 - 20ha; and patches of degraded Plains Lowland forest totalling 20 - 30ha. It also contains the nationally endangered wetland plant Dwarf Kerrawang. WEST GIPPSLAND 57.06ha FRAIR, BENGWORDEN This covenant is located in the Gippsland Plain bioregion and is part of the Gippsland Plain and Gippsland Lakes Catchment focal landscape. This covenant is of high conservation value due to its large size and position in this focal landscape, and in relation to the Perry River Corridor and Trust for Nature’s Friar’s Reserve and Bush Family Reserve. Conservation values specific to the site include the presence of endangered Swampy Woodland and vulnerable Lowland Forest / Damp Sands Herb Rich Woodland mosaic. Covenanting this property is contributing significantly to our goal of strengthening the Perry River Corridor and linking protected sites in the area. MATTHEWS, MERINGUR This covenant is located in the Murray Mallee bioregion. Containing high quality vegetation, this property helps secure vulnerable and depleted Ecological Vegetation Classes in the bioregion in a largely cleared environment, including Woorinen Mallee, Semi-arid Woodland, and Woorinen Sands Mallee. Its habitat is ideal for the nationally endangered Regent Parrot, a priority threatened fauna species for conservation on private land. Carpet Pythons, Umbrella Wattle, Wait-awhile, and Round Templetonia have been recorded in the covenanted area. This property lies close to Trust for Nature’s Murray Scroll Belt Focal Landscape and sits within the Habitat H141 Wildlife Corridor, contributing to connectivity between the Murray Sunset National Park and Trust for Nature’s Neds Corner Station property. 16 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin SUPPORT TRUST FOR NATURE WITH A DONATION TODAY Your support helps us protect natural assets on private land across Victoria, including threatened ecosystems like our unique coastal areas. I would like to make a monthly donation of: $20 $30 $50 My choice: $ ............................... I would like to make a single donation of: $20 $50 $100 My choice: $ ............................... As a not-for-profit organisation, Trust for Nature relies on your generous support for our conservation work. All gifts of $2 and over are tax-deductible in Australia. Your details A big thank you to everyone who attended our fifth annual Celebrating Women in Conservation Breakfast in March. Held in partnership with Bush Heritage Australia, and with the support of our sponsor NAB, the event was fully booked and received wonderful feedback. Our special guest speaker was acclaimed rural businesswoman, Pip Job, who shared her insights on balancing agribusiness and conservation. Name: ........................................................................................... Organisation: ................................................................................. Address: ....................................................................................... ...................................................................................................... Suburb/Town: .............................................................................. State: ........................................................... Postcode: ......................... Phone: .................................... Email ....................................................... This donation is a gift for someone else: Recipient’s name:......................................................................... Occasion:...................................................................................... I would like to hear about Trust for Nature’s work and upcoming events; please contact me. I would like to learn more about supporting Trust for Nature in my Will; please contact me. Payment method Cheque / money order [please make cheque payable to “Trust for Nature (Victoria)”] Credit card: Visa Mastercard Card no.: — — — — /— — — — /— — — — /— — — — Expiry date: — — /— — Name on card: ......................................................................................... Signature: .................................................................................................. Pip is a strong advocate for sustainable agriculture, rural communities and healthy landscapes, and has been helping farming families do the best for their businesses, their communities and the land they work on. ‘We’ve got to work on making agriculture an incredible industry to be in but one that isn’t just about productivity. That it’s about managing and conserving our environment so that it’s productive into the future for humans and all other living things. That it’s also a really healthy place to be economically and socially, that humans can thrive.’ Pip stresses that good farmers are already focused on improving natural cycles – from water to carbon and biodiversity – and says her biggest contribution is raising awareness about social strengths and weaknesses and putting a value on it. Pip has been a cattle producer for 20 years and has worked in the not-for-profit sector for the last ten. In 2014, she was awarded the RIRDC Rural Woman of the Year. Her leadership as CEO of the Little River Landcare Group resulted in her induction into the Australian Businesswomen’s Hall of Fame, and in 2015 she received the NSW Landcare Facilitator Award. Pip is now leading a new initiative within the NSW Department of Primary Industries Business Resilience team. Sponsored By: Send this completed form to Trust for Nature, Level 5, 379 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 or email a scanned copy to [email protected]. Thank you for supporting Trust for Nature’s work, protecting native plants and wildlife in Victoria forever. www.trustfornature.org.au Our annual Breakfast recognises the expertise and value of women working in conservation, and is a great opportunity to network with others working in the field of conservation and sustainability. We hope to see you at our next Breakfast in 2017! www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | 17 PAYING TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO SUPPORT OUR WORK BEYOND THEIR LIFETIME GIFTS IN MEMORY MS MARGARET JENNIFER SCARLETT In memory of Margaret Scarlett, who passed away in October 2015, family and friends donated to Trust for Nature. Margaret’s partner, Clive, shared with us how Margaret’s knowledge and love for the bush increased over the years. “Margaret always liked walking and camping in the bush. In the early 1970s she started her large suburban garden with mainly Australian native plants. Her curiosity led her to learn much more about a wide range plants and birds, which added extra enjoyment identifying them during her walks. From the late 1980s Margaret was also active in the local conservation and tree planting group, and also campaigned on many conservation issues. She was pleased that Trust for Nature was preserving native flora and fauna.” GIVE A MEANINGFUL GIFT Making a gift to Trust for Nature is a thoughtful way to celebrate loved ones. If you would like to make a gift in memory or to celebrate a milestone of a friend or family member, please contact Vanessa Meachen on (03) 8631 5888 or [email protected] LEAVING A GIFT IN YOUR WILL We understand that making your Will can be a very personal matter. If you’ve already included Trust for Nature in your Will, or are considering doing so, it would be great to hear from you. We would like to thank you personally, and also discuss your wishes with you. To discuss making a gift to the Trust in your Will, please contact Vanessa Meachen on (03) 8631 5888 or [email protected] DONATING SHARES Did you know that you can support Trust for Nature by donating shares through ShareGift Australia? ShareGift Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that provides shareholders with an easy and cost effective way to support the community by donating their shares to charity. Through ShareGift Australia you can ‘convert’ your shares into charitable donations without paying brokerage fees. When the proceeds of the sale of shares you donated exceeds $50, you can nominate Trust for Nature as your recommended charity to benefit from ShareGift Australia’s donations. Endorsed by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and the Australian Shareholders’ Association, ShareGift Australia works to make charitable giving sustainable and transparent. The organisation is a registered charity (DGR 2), which means that shareholders can receive a tax deduction for donations over $2. According to recent figures, approximately 900,000 Australians own small parcels of shares in excess of $93 million – and ShareGift Australia says that donating just a fraction of these shares to charity could make the world of difference. Since 2007, ShareGift Australia has donated over $1.1 million to more than 400 registered Australian charities. To find out how you can support Trust for Nature through ShareGift Australia, call 1300 731 632 or visit sharegiftaustralia.org.au. 18 | www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin COVENANTED PROPERTIES FOR SALE The properties listed below are for private sale. Please call the landowners or agents directly for further details. All properties below are subject to Trust for Nature conservation covenants. If you are buying or selling a covenanted property, you may want to make a tax deductible donation to support the next generation of private land conservation covenantors and the advertising of these properties. For the full text of our listings and to make a donation, see our website: www.trustfornature.org.au Port Phillip & Westernport Price Area Contact ‘Marook’, 792 Skyline Road, Christmas Hills $680,000 10.6ha Mandy Lovell 0418 586 079 Boonoorong, 25 Eastern Grey Rise, Flinders Contact agent 20ha Meg Pell (03) 5989 1000 or 0403 161 105 205 A’Becket Road, Bunyip $550,000 8.64ha Shirley (03) 5629 5619 ‘Implexa’, 58 Possumtail Run, Merrimu $995,000 6.07ha Sharon Jones 0409 536 740 290 Leppitt Road, Beaconsfield Upper $655,000 ono 8.5ha Helen Foster (03) 9707 4222 or 0414 250 557 Corangamite Price Area Contact 370 Taylors Road, Meredith $750,000 27ha David Falk, Falk & Co Real Estate (03) 5561 1677 or 0407 878 213 ‘Willow Bryn’, 1145 Barham River Road, Apollo Bay $785,000 23.11ha Jocelyn Dexter (03) 5237 7751 or 0419 877 286 Lot 129H, Morris Road, Parish Yarrowee, Napoleons $220,000 40.85ha Gary Wynen 0449 883 670 Lot 1, Nidschelms Lane, Durham Lead $110,000 negotiable 8ha Stephen Whitworth (03) 5223 3401 or 0419 310 031 Glenelg Hopkins Price Area Contact ‘Summerland’, 3138 Portland Nelson Road, Portland $298,000 26.31ha Allan Barrett, Seaview Real Estate 0438 660 057 or (03) 5523 3822 Wimmera Price Area Contact Bridgewater Road, Kiata South Offers invited 647ha Geoff Edwards (07) 5497 6910 or 0488 505 887 ‘Jilpanger’, off Jallumba-Douglas Road, Douglas via Offers invited Horsham 320ha Sharon East 0439 553 074 Long Gully Road, Pomonal Negotiable 110ha Adam Blake or Fiona Copley of Trust for Nature (03) 5382 0919 or 0429 431 099 North Central Price Area Contact 75 Acacia Road, Creswick $345,000 8ha Jane Marriott 0402 811 659 41 Gallway Street, Chewton $399,000 5.2ha Tammy Elliot, Cantwell Property Castlemaine (03) 5472 1133 or 0433 032 526 ‘Montana’, Lot 3, Wedderburn-Serpentine Road, Glenalbyn $125,000 100ha Luke, FP Nevins Real Estate (03) 5438 3041 or 0418 510 066 64 Shanahans Road, Eppalock $495,000-$525,000 8.6ha Tim Rooke, PH Property Bendigo (03) 5454 1999 or 0408 108 810 150 Horvaths Road, Trentham $650,000 16ha John Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Property (03) 5424 1866 or 0418 518 322 Lot 3, Sheedys Lane, Derrinal $272,000 43.69ha Christine (03) 5425 5415 evenings Lot 3, 51 Mount Teneriffe Road, Riddells Creek $190,000 22ha Jenny Grounds and John Nicholson (03) 5428 7684 or 0407 287 684 Joseph Young Drive, Mount Alexander $195,000 2ha Genevieve Cantwell, Cantwell Property (03) 5472 1133 or 0418 362 270 ‘Burrabungle Park’, 459 Wedderburn-Serpentine Road, Wedderburn $590,000 141ha Richard John 0406 506 719 ‘Liarga’, 1083 Fogarty’s Gap Road, Maldon $720,000 52ha Ferenc and Cheryl Jakab (03) 5475 2777 or 0419 312 349 Corner of Greens Lane and Sheltons Road, Fentons Creek 94.5ha $160,000 Brett Douglas, Ray White Real Estate St Arnaud (03) 5484 2400 or 0447 162 455 243 Goldspeck Gully Road, Chewton Bushlands $400,000 2.4ha Gabrielle Possetti 0419 308 672 www.trustfornature.org.au | conservation bulletin | 19 Goulburn Broken Price Area Contact ‘Rowanmoon’, 375 Ennis Road, Tallarook $440,000 20ha Jenna Carole (03) 5795 1890 or 0427 059 498 140 Campbells Creek Road, Murrindindi $400,000 160ha Sue 0414 884 499 175 Pontings Lane, Nagambie/Baileston $180,000 ono 40ha Anne Casey [email protected] 661 Upper Boho Road, Boho $220,000 8.7ha Terry Frewin (03) 5790 8635 or 0429 908 635 15 Allowah Court, Whroo $125,000 20.23 ha Brian Howe (03) 5762 6232 or 0418 575 978 92 Steep Lane, Glenrowan West $185,000 15.5ha Stephen Gerard Kelly 0427 863 768 East Gippsland Price Area Contact 480 Barkhill Road, Forge Creek $379,000 70.4ha John Riches, Elders Estate Bairnsdale 0402 082 643 Woodpile Road, Meerlieu $320,000 128ha Sean Sabell , Elders Real Estate Bairnsdale 0437 898 426 Brookville & Burwood Roads, Brookville $250,000 121.5ha David Hill 0417 538 220 1545 Bendoc-Orbost Road, Bendoc $168,000 12.66ha Trish Everett 0408 942 403 220 Fergusons Lane, Kalimna $225,000 18.65ha Ken Jakobi 0400 609 741 or (03) 5155 2464 West Gippsland Price Area Contact 410 Meeniyan-Mirboo North Road, Meeniyan $525,000 44ha Barry Redmond (03) 5662 4033 or 0418 515 666 550 Central Road, via Mirboo North Offers invited 60.7ha Ron Brown (03) 5664 8205 195 Dollar-Woorarra Road, West Road, Foster North $395,000 120.21ha Alex Scott & Staff Real Estate Leongatha (03) 5662 0922 Andrew Newton: 0402 940 320 Peter Dwyer: 0428 855 244 Alan Steenholdt: 0409 423 822 Yarram-Blackwarry Scenic Road, Blackwarry Negotiable or cooperative ownership expressions of interest 51ha Byron Jones and Rosina Tauschmann (03) 5784 1178 or 0448 688 658 or 0499 149 658 Mallee Price Area Contact Werrimul North Road, Werrimul $550,000 640ha Kevin Coogan (03) 5028 1261 ADVERTISE YOUR CONSERVATION PROPERTY WITH US If you have a property for sale whose purpose is for conservation, you can advertise it on our website. Properties for sale with a conservation covenant are also featured here in our Conservation Bulletin and listing is free of charge. The fee for non-covenanted property advertising is $120 for three months. To list your property, download our advertising form at trustfornature.org.au/place-an-ad/. HAS YOUR COVENANTED PROPERTY CHANGED OWNERSHIP? It’s important for Trust for Nature to know when your covenant has changed ownership. Let us know by calling (03) 8631 5888 or email [email protected] with your property details and the contact details, if known, of the new owners. Help us put our Statewide Conservation Plan into action: protecting Victoria’s threatened ecosystems Trust for Nature’s Statewide Conservation Plan is a scientific framework for preserving the most threatened ecosystems and species on Victoria’s private land. The Plan has been guiding our activities across Victoria since its publication in 2013, and will continue to do so into the future. This work is sustained by the generosity and vision of our supporters. One of our six conservation objectives is to improve the protection of significant coastal ecosystems. In Victoria this is particularly pertinent, as nearly half of the state’s coastal land is privately owned. Of that private land, only 25% contains native vegetation, and only 1% is currently protected with a Trust for Nature conservation covenant. Many of the remaining privately owned areas, which contain over one third of under-represented native Ecological Vegetation Communities within coastal ecosystems, are in danger of habitat loss through clearing for agricultural or urban development. Our conservation mechanisms which focus on private land, such as conservation covenants and our Revolving Fund, are therefore vital to increasing the permanent protection of these unique coastal habitats. With the support of donors and covenantors, and in collaboration with our conservation partners, Trust for Nature works across the state to protect our most rare and threatened ecosystems forever. By making a donation to Trust for Nature’s winter appeal, you can help us protect some of Victoria’s most precious natural areas, including these unique coastal environments. Please donate today – turn to page 16, visit http://support.trustfornature.org.au, or call us on (03) 8631 5888 to help us safeguard our natural environment, for all our futures. Trust for Nature is Australia’s oldest private land trust, working with private landowners in Victoria to protect the native plants and wildlife on their properties in perpetuity. Since it was established in 1972, Trust for Nature has achieved impressive results in environmental conservation. We use a number of methods including voluntary conservation covenants, land purchase, a Revolving Fund and ongoing land stewardship programs. RECEIVE THE BULLETIN BY EMAIL Would you like to receive your copy of the Conservation Bulletin electronically? Help us reduce our environmental impact by choosing email over print. Just send your email address, name and contact number to [email protected] with the subject line ‘Conservation Bulletin email’ or phone us on (03) 8631 5888. Thank you for helping us reduce our impact on nature. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on your generous support for our conservation work. Trust for Nature holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) endorsement for charitable purposes with the Australian Taxation Office. All contributions of $2 and over are tax-deductible. CONNECT WITH US ONLINE Do we have your email address? Would you like to receive email updates from us? Please contact us at [email protected] or phone (03) 8631 5888 with your name and email address so that we can send you important announcements and news about our events and latest appeals. Trust for Nature (Victoria) ABN: 60 292 993 543 5/379 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia Phone: +61 (0)3 8631 5888 Freecall: 1800 99 99 33 (Australia only) Email: [email protected] Website: www.trustfornature.org.au PATRON The Honourable Alex Chernov AC QC TRUSTEES Max Ervin (Chairman) Geoff Driver (Deputy Chairman) Cas Bennetto Sylvia Geddes Mick Lumb Gregory Moore Chief Executive Officer Gayle Austen Camilla Graves Charles Meredith Amanda Noble Victoria Marles Facebook “f ” Logo Follow us on social media to receive the latest Trust for Nature updates, information and discussions about our work in private land conservation. CMYK / .eps Facebook “f ” Logo CMYK / .eps facebook.com/trustfornaturevictoria twitter.com/trustfornature instagram.com/trustfornature linkedin.com/company/trust-for-nature youtube.com/user/tfnvictoria Printed on stock from 100% recycled fibre with 100% post-consumer recycled waste.