2020 National Heritage Trust (NSW) Awards
We’re thrilled to announce that the Mulloon Institute were winners at the 2020 National Heritage Trust (NSW) Awards, in the 'Landscape Conservation' category and the President’s Award, for our 'Mulloon Rehydration Initiative - Stage 1'.
Mulloon Rehydration Initiative - Stage 1
The Mulloon Rehydration Initiative is a significant example of agriculture and the environment working in unison across an entire catchment to create a more resilient, biodiverse and profitable landscape.
This project spans 1000 hectares across three neighbouring properties with a focus on creek repair and erosion control using small interventions to slow and filter water, preventing further erosion and beginning to rebuild the soil.
It forms part of a broader catchment scale project where the Mulloon Institute is working with 20 farmers across 20,000 hectares to restore landscape function and to introduce regenerative farming approaches. The project has been acknowledged by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network as one of five projects globally that demonstrates how bringing degraded landscapes back to life can also benefit agriculture.
Installing a leaky weir
The Mulloon Institute is working to repair Mulloon Creek which has been severely eroded. The creek has been fenced, leaky weirs have been installed and 1000s of native plants have been planted. By doing this we have slowed the water flow and rehydrated the floodplain, allowing the riparian area to return to a series of wetlands that are full of life and biodiversity and provide habitat for our native plants and animals.
The floodplain has been reconnected with the creek and can once again function like a sponge storing water, growing more pasture and crops and ensuring Mulloon Creek has water even during dry times. All of this is helping to rebuild the landscape’s resilience to drought, bushfire and even flood.
We are overjoyed this project has been awarded a National Trust Heritage Award. This will help us to raise the profile of our work and we aim to use the Mulloon Creek Catchment project as a model to repair and restore catchments across Australia.
The Mulloon Rehydration Initiative is jointly funded through the Mulloon Institute and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and is supported by various affiliates.