24/11/2021
Seeds of Innovation at Carnarvon
Join Chris and Alison Wilson in this webinar to discuss harvesting native Bluegrass seed at Carnarvon Station Reserve and rehabilitating degraded grasslands.
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Australian Bustard in grasslands at Carnarvon Reserve. Photo Krystle Wright.
With almost 60% of the continent managed for agriculture, it’s important that we work with farmers and other landholders to deliver meaningful impact at landscape-scale.
We collaborate with the agriculture sector to deliver conservation outcomes and safeguard the environments we all love.
Our work is grounded in culture and science to benefit all landscapes and native species, no matter where they call home.
We work with the agriculture community – bringing over 30 years of measuring, monitoring and improving biodiversity to private landholders for the benefit of people and the environment.
Our 3 focus areas
1. Environmental services
Such as preparation of natural capital accounts, land management advice on fire, weed and integrated feral predator management.
2. Biodiverse carbon capture
Using our experience on and off reserves to help landholders explore biodiverse carbon capture opportunities.
3. Natural products
Supporting the development of natural products (e.g. sustainable seed harvesting) that could diversify revenue to invest in conservation.
Farm-scale projects:
Tasmanian Midlands
The woodlands and grassy lowland plains of the Tasmanian Midlands are a national biodiversity hotspot, ecologically distinct from other areas of Tasmania. Yet less than 10% of the original native grasslands and 30% of all native vegetation remains, much of it on privately owned farms.
In collaboration with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy we’ve been working with farmers in the midlands for over 10 years, using a fund that provides stewardship payments to farmers in return for conserving biodiversity. Conservation now has a place on the farm balance sheet!
More on farm-scale conservation in the MidlandsAgricultural partnerships:
Integrated Vegetation Condition
In partnership with Climate Friendly, we’ve developed a method, accredited by Accounting for Nature, of measuring the condition of vegetation. We can apply this on farms to produce evidence for agricultural impact investors and to certify biodiverse carbon capture.
We’re in the process of expanding the method to monitor vegetation conditions on large rangeland properties with carbon projects (>10,000 ha) using satellite, drone, LiDAR and field data. Multispectral cameras can detect tree canopies along with tree height, species and density information. Combined with field data and spatial maps, we can accurately verify and monitor carbon storage and vegetation condition at scale.
Farm-scale Natural Capital Accounting
A national program, in partnership with Macdoch Foundation and La Trobe University helping farmers to measure natural capital assets on their farms.
A team of ecologists and other conservation experts are collecting data about biodiversity on 50 participating farms in Victoria. The team is then developing accounting protocols to deliver accounts of natural capital on the properties. Interest is building in the supply chain and finance sectors.
Webinar with Dr Jim Radford (La Trobe University)On reserve projects:
Biodiverse carbon capture
We use learnings from restoration work and subsequent carbon trade projects on our reserves to advise other local projects.
- The Eurardy Carbon Planting Project in WA is improving biodiversity in the understory of carbon plantings.
- At Nardoo Hills in Victoria the Nardoo Climate Ready Project is providing learnings on how to approach restoration and carbon capture in a changing climate.
- On our Hamelin Reserve we’re working on a carbon project in partnership with the Malgana and Nhanda people.
- Native species have returned to what were once bare paddocks on Monjebup North Reserve in south-west, WA - a template for successful ecological restoration in the area.
Harvesting Bluegrass seed
Native Bluegrass grasslands at Carnarvon Reserve in Queensland occupy under 600 ha but provide crucial habitat. As Bluegrass typically grows on fertile country, it’s often replaced by agricultural crops. Under climate change modelling, areas suitable for this native grass are expected to shrink further.
We're harvesting Bluegrass seed to sell to local landowners, graziers and mines undertaking offset work. This creates a sustainable, minimal-impact income stream for Carnarvon Reserve and more healthy native grasslands.
More on Bluegrass harvestingDeep dive: webinars
31/08/2021
Farm-scale Natural Capital Accounting
Dr Jim Radford discusses methods he's developing for farmers to measure their natural capital – including ecosystem services like biodiversity protection, erosion and flood control.
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04/01/2021
Climate-ready reveg
A webinar with our science staff to discuss the impacts of heat and drought on eucalypts at Nardoo Hills in Victoria and our innovative climate-adjusted revegetation project.
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