Insider Scoop on BGGW!

Published 18th February 2022. Written by Maddison O’Brien

Picture a quintessential Australian Landscape, down to the details. Chances are, in your vision, there’s a giant eucalypt tree swaying, a paddock tree, or an isolated patch of bush, perhaps? White Box, Yellow Box, Blakely’s Red Gum, these are names that are familiar to us. What would you think if I told you that this ecological community, commonly known as Box Gum Grassy Woodland (BGGW) and Derived Native Grassland, is listed as critically endangered?

“I’ve seen plenty of these trees around”, you might say, but the problem is, what’s left of this native woodland is fragmented and dramatically reduced. Most of the giant paddock trees that are left are reaching the end of their lives and can’t naturally regenerate because of a variety of reasons such as stock and cropping pressure, weeds and overall change in soil fertility and other ecological factors.

It’s never been more important for landholders to understand their crucial role in protecting this disappearing icon of the Aussie bush. That’s what our Patches & Paths Project is all about! We’re inviting you to our ‘Insider Scoop’ event, where we’ll be talking about the key takeaways from the project and leading some interesting discussions on how we can work together as a community to do our bit to protect BGGW for generations to come.

BGGW provide crucial shade, habitat and food for hundreds of insect, bird and animal species. In a farm setting, healthy woodland areas offer added benefits to production through ecosystem services such as boosted pollination of crops, shade, shelter and windbreaks, and protection from erosion and salinity.

There is a lot to gain from protecting, enhancing, and re-planting BGGW on farms. We’re getting together to re-cap the project so far and connect with landholders interested in improving these fragile ecosystems’ resilience. Come along on Sunday the 27^th of February 2022. We’ll be meeting at the Strawbale Building at AREC for a cuppa, morning tea and some great conversation. We’ll touch on some real-life case studies and hear from local landholders who have made some changes on their property and are already seeing benefits. All are welcome, and we look forward to seeing you there. Registration is essential; head to watershedlandcare.com/events

We’re here to help, get in touch with Maddison at Maddison@watershedlandcare.com.au – Local Landcare Coordinator if you want to get involved or have any questions.