Grazed, cleared, cropped and sown aren't the usual qualifications for a Bush Heritage reserve, but on Scottsdale that's been the fate of about 300 hectares of the 1,328 hectare property. Nonetheless, this unique reserve is home to some of Australia's most threatened temperate ecosystems.

With ongoing help from our supporters, these 300 hectares are being restored and will soon help support some of the threatened species that occur in the natural areas of the reserve.

Just 45 minutes south of Canberra, Scottsdale protects endangered grassy box woodlands and temperate grasslands. It also harbours many rare birds, animals, fish and reptiles.

Wrapped around Scottsdale's northern and western flanks is the Murrumbidgee River, which cascades over natural rock weirs and through deep tree-fringed pools. The Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach is a partnership supporting the recovery of native fish in the river.

Scottsdale is also an important part of the Kosciuszko 2 Coast project – a partnership helping landowners create connections between remnant woodlands and grasslands between Kosciuszko and Namadgi National Parks across to the escarpment forests on NSW's far south coast.

All this has been protected thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

What we’re doing

Restoring an entire ecosystem is a tricky business, but at Scottsdale we hope to do just that by helping natural regeneration along, by replanting key species of the precious yellow box woodland.

A project aiming to restore 300 hectares of woodland is being carried out by Greening Australia – and we've jointly funded it with the Australian Government.

How do we create an environment that favours native plants when the soil has a long history of fertiliser, grazing and cultivation? African Lovegrass is a major headache. Cropping areas on the valley floor have become infested with it, but we're trying out a few different techniques.

One successful strategy has been removing the top 10cm of nutrient-enriched topsoil. We then direct seed with a mix of native trees and shrubs. So far the new seedlings are doing great.

Relocating the Striped Legless Lizard

With 1 in 15 Australian reptiles at risk of extinction, we've translocated and reintroduced the Striped Legless Lizard to Scottsdale. We rescued these nationally-threatened lizards from two development sites in northern Canberra.

Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach (UMDR)

The UMDR has been established to demonstrate ways of supporting the recovery of native fish. Amongst its projects are carp control research and willow reduction measures.

Carp control

Carp are one of the world's most invasive species and research we're involved in has the potential to inform targeted carp removal on a much broader scale.

Not much is known about their movements and where they aggregate in the context of this upland riverine system. The project involves tagging fish and tracking their movements with acoustic telemetry. They'll also be lured, trapped and removed from a section of the river to learn more about their population structure.

Finally, local anglers will be engaged to support the work by reporting carp sightings and carp catches including numbers, behaviour and size using the Feral Fish Scan app. 

Reducing the impact of willow trees

Willow infestation is a major issue for native fish habitats – it can block out native plants, alter stream flows, cause flooding and reduce water quality. The UMDR works to control young emerging willows with volunteers in kayaks cutting back and removing the plants before they can establish.

UMDR Project facilitator Antia Brademann has described how they can block waterflow as well as produce a fibrous root mass that tends to affect habitats on the bank and make burrowing difficult for Platypus.

''We also get leaf fall from the willow in the autumn," she said "and we often get a rotting muck at the bottom of the water. It degenerates water quality and raises phosphate levels.''

The project is led by the Kosciuszko 2 Coast partnership, with more funding from the Murray Darling Basin Authority and Bush Heritage Australia.

Cultural values

Scottsdale is within the traditional lands of the Ngunawal people and is very close to Lake George, where the Ngunawal creator being (Budjabulya) is thought to reside. It was also part of a trade route with the neighbouring Yuin people, and home to the Ngunawal clan totem, the Platypus (mulagun).

In 2009 and 2010 we worked with the Ngunawal to carry out cultural heritage surveys, unearthing artefacts, including stone axes and tool-making materials, so we can ensure important sites are protected. 

A gravesite and the ruins of a couple of small cottages are reminders of Scottsdale's more recent past, when it was used mainly for agriculture.