Skip to content

Christening new 'Basso Road' reserve

Jeroen van Veen (Reserve Manager)
Published 11 Sep 2018 by Jeroen van Veen (Reserve Manager)

Exciting news – last week we became the proud owners of an as-yet-unnamed 52 hectare patch of bush in the middle of our Kara Kara-Wedderburn priority landscape in North Central Victoria. The property is near our existing John Colahan Griffin Reserve.

Under the watchful eye of a Striated Pardalote and the Pink Lady Fingers Orchid, some local conservation luminaries and I gathered to celebrate the establishment of the new reserve with a glass of bubbly and a toast.

Paul Foreman was responsible for championing Bush Heritage’s focus on this incredible area when he was one of Bush Heritage’s leading ecologists some 10 years ago. He was closely involved when we bought JC Griffin Reserve in 2011. These days, while running his own ecological consultancy firm, Paul still takes a keen interest in this area. He believes, as do Bush Heritage and Trust for Nature, that this is one of Victoria's most biodiverse areas.

I’m very happy with the new property as it's in very good condition, protects large numbers of threatened orchids and has a good stand of Buloke trees, which are increasingly rare in Central Victoria.

As a land manager, I’m particularly pleased to have secured a block of bush that doesn't need a lot of management to preserve the outstanding conservation values present. Apart from a few nettles and one stand of Prickly Pear Cactus, it has no weeds to speak of. Bush Heritage volunteer John Muchan has already been treating the Prickly Pear, so that problem is solved!

The new reserve is part of a wider landscape effort in the region between St Arnaud and Wedderburn where Bush Heritage is aiming to restore natural values so that all native plants and animals there can recover from decades of threat impacts.

Striated Pardalote. Photo by Jeroen van Veen Striated Pardalote. Photo by Jeroen van Veen
Cheers! Cheers!
Bruce McGregor, local landholder and conservationist representing Trust for Nature, Bush Heritage Victorian Reserves Manager Jeroen van Veen, Deb Saxon-Campbell (facilitator of the local community conservation network KKCMN), Chris Campbell, chair of KKCMN and Paul Foreman of Blue Devil Consulting raise a glass to the new little reserve. Photo by Jeroen van Veen
A beautiful Pink Lady Fingers Orchid. Photo by Jeroen van Veen. A beautiful Pink Lady Fingers Orchid. Photo by Jeroen van Veen.
The new reserve – Basso Road. Photo by Jeroen van Veen The new reserve – Basso Road. Photo by Jeroen van Veen
Volunteer John Muchan treating Prickly Pear cactus at Basso Road yesterday. Photo by Jeroen van Veen Volunteer John Muchan treating Prickly Pear cactus at Basso Road yesterday. Photo by Jeroen van Veen
Basso Road. Photo by Jeroen van Veen Basso Road. Photo by Jeroen van Veen

Recent stories

Tree in arid landscape.

20/11/2023

Evelyn Downs webinar

We have a rare opportunity to purchase Evelyn Downs Station in South Australia's Painted Desert, a landscape of exceptional ecological and cultural value.

Read More
Vista at Evelyn Downs.

15/11/2023 15/11/2023

Australians called to help buy the largest nature reserve in our history

We have a rare opportunity to purchase Evelyn Downs Station and protect a unique landscape that's around the size of the ACT. This spectacular property, located in South Australia's Painted Desert, is of high ecological and cultural value and will provide habitat for over 60 plant and animal species of conservation significance.

Read More
Rachel Lowry.

01/11/2023 01/11/2023

Bush Heritage Australia welcomes new CEO

Highly respected conservation sector leader Rachel Lowry has been appointed as our new CEO. Rachel brings a track record of delivering regenerative conservation outcomes for some of Australia’s leading conservation organisations.

Read More
Prescribed burn at Pilunga Reserve, Wangkamadla Country. By Bee Stephens

BUSHTRACKS 27/10/2023

Land, bird, smoke and man

Prescribed burns on Pilungah and Ethabuka reserves, Wangkamadla Country, prepare the landscape for bushfire season and enhance biodiversity.

Read More
Let the planting begin! Koreng Noongar Country, Western Australia. By Adrian Gaspari, Green Man Media

BUSHTRACKS 27/10/2023

Restoration and carbon capture

The first seeds of a world-class restoration project are planted and set the bar for future carbon projects.

Read More
Sandstone escarpment at Carnarvon Reserve. By Terry Cooke

BUSHTRACKS 27/10/2023

A case for nature

In 2020, Queensland’s first Special Wildlife Reserve was declared at our Pullen Pullen Reserve on Maiawali Country to recognise the significance of the reserve’s Night Parrot population. Now, we're on a mission to achieve the status for five of our other Queensland reserves, granting the highest level of protection for privately owned property in Australia.

Read More
Maiawali Custodians, other Indigenous rangers and groups walking through Night Parrot habitat. By Lachlan Gardiner

BUSHTRACKS 27/10/2023

The next chapter for the Night Parrot

The sharing of Night Parrot knowledge at Pullen Pullen Reserve, Maiawali Country, bolsters the species’ protection.

Read More
Loading...
{{itemsInCart}} Items - {{formatCurrency(grandTotal)}}