Engaging with Landcare groups
With our long term goal to rehydrate 100 catchments across Australia over the next 10 years, a key aspect of achieving this is engaging with Landcare groups who are keen to be champions for landscape rehydration in their own catchment.
Holbrook Landcare joined us on one of our recent tours at Mulloon Creek Natural Farms.
“[The Mulloon Institute] are installing structures (rock and log) in the creek to help retain water in the system for longer, rehydrate sediments and encourage reconnection with the floodplains.”
“Representatives from Landcare, Murray LLS, NSW Soil Conservation and the ANU Sustainable Farms visited a few of the structures and were shown around by Project Manager, Peter Hazell.”
“The series of structures along a 3km stretch are designed to slightly lift the water level in reaches which helps create pools and deeper refuge areas in the dry times, and the retained water also allows more vegetation to establish which in turn slows the flow even more and creates habitat for fish and aquatic life.”
“As they are in a main stream, they have been planned and constructed under permit and the SE local land services have been supportive of this project.”
“We are pretty excited by the potential for improving instream conditions for Southern Pygmy Perch and might also have benefits to surrounding floodplain pockets where the creek hasn’t already got too deep.”
“We look forward to investigating this further and seeing how it might apply to us.”
- Holbrook Landcare Network, August 2019 newsletter*
If your local Landcare group is interested in a similar tour, we can accommodate groups of 25 people incorporating visits to the Mulloon Creek rehabilitation area and the step diffusion system on sloping country, followed by a presentation and Q&A session in the Barn. These generally run from 9am to 2pm with a short lunch break. Larger numbers, specifically tailored tours and school tours can also be negotiated and arranged. For all tour enquiries, please contact us via info@themullooninstitute.org to discuss your options.
* Thanks to Holbrook Landcare Network for allowing us to reproduce this article.