Hollow homes
Monitoring our reserves in north-west Victoria, Dja Dja Wurrung Country, helps future homes for hollow-dependent fauna.
Bellair Reserve protects large stands of Heathy Woodlands, more than half of which have been cleared in the surrounding area since European settlement.
Its woodlands and alluvial flats contain habitat for many threatened species, including Red-cross Spider-orchids, Bulokes, Blue-winged Parrots, and declining woodland birds.
It's part of a network of conservation properties and covenants protecting and reconnecting habitat within the Kara Kara-Wedderburn region – a landscape that contains critical habitat for many species that are declining throughout much of south-eastern Australia.
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Tony and Caroline Bellair.
Caroline and Terry Bellair
The reserve is named after generous donors Caroline and Terry Bellair. They had planned to bequest surplus savings in their Wills to environmental causes, but after attending a talk about our Victorian Reserves, they decided to donate $1 million to help protect and reconnect native bush in north-central Victoria.
“We thought we might as well have the fun of spending it while we’re alive,” said Caroline.
What Bellair protects
Heathy woodlands on these properties are dominated by Red Stringybark, Long-leaf Box, Grey Box, Red Box and Yellow Gum. Growing underneath these trees is a diverse range of shrubs including Spreading Wattle, Flame Heath and Twiggy bush-pea. There is also a section of Grassy Woodland as well as various rare orchids.
The reserves will be a refuge for declining woodland birds such as the Hooded Robin (Melanodryas cucullata), Black-chinned Honeyeater (Melithreptus gularis) and Brown-headed Honeyeater (Melithreptus brevirostris). The Brown Treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus victoriae) has been observed. It's expected to provide habitat for Swift Parrots as well as Lace Monitors (endangered in Victoria).
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Spotted Pardalote. Photo Rowan Mott.
What we’re doing
Thankfully, weeds are largely absent from the reserves and at present the eucalypts show fewer signs of dieback related to dry, hot conditions, such as that occurring on Nardoo Hills Reserves just 50 km to the north. Bellair also provides suitable conditions to potentially re-introduce some rare Victorian orchids.
Invasive species such as foxes and cats need to be managed on the reserves, but numbers appear low as there are very few rabbits.
As well as controlling these introduced species, the best strategy to maintain the reserve's condition is fire management and increasing knowledge of Dhelkunya Wi (healing fire). Even when suitable conditions return, fire should only be used on very small patches to start creating a mosaic of fire-ages.
