Climate Friendly tour
Climate Friendly staff hearing from Nolani and Carolyn at Peter’s Weir, MCNF.
Frost sparkling from each blade of grass as the sunlight peaked above the hills, was what welcomed the Climate Friendly team to the Home Farm on their winter tour of Mulloon Creek Natural Farms.
Enjoying the comforts of our Barn before being sun warmed, the team planted native pioneer trees using Mulloon’s tried and tested method led by Penny Cooper (TMI, Trainee Director of On-ground Works).
Continuing with the heartwarming activities, the group then ascended a very steep hill for a spectacular view of the Mulloon catchment. Here, Peter Hazell (TMI, Principal Landscape Planner) spoke of the benefits of landscape rehydration for communities at the catchment scale, using the Mulloon Rehydration Initiative (MRI) as an example.
The MRI is a catchment-scale project working to rebuild the natural landscape function of the Mulloon catchment and boost its resilience to climatic extremes for more reliable stream flows, improved ecosystem functioning and enhanced agricultural productivity. It is jointly funded through the Mulloon Institute and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and is supported by the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust.
Viewing a newer leaky weir at Duralla, MCNF.
It was a quick descent off the brisk hilltop to then view an in-stream, leaky weir structure where Peter spoke about engineering design, implementation, and the beneficial environmental outcomes, with improvements in habitat, water quality and riparian vegetation.
Paying homage to our origins, we stopped by the first in-stream structure built at Peter’s Pond, where Landscape Planner Nolani McColl spoke of restoring landscape function and how iterative design is at the heart of our work. Finishing up, our CEO Managing Director Carolyn Hall, highlighted the critical research and education the Institute is undertaking to grow scientific and community capacities of the benefits of landscape rehydration.
As the sun set on the short winter’s day, Mulloon and Climate Friendly teams mingled over a hot cuppa to share stories and celebrate the good work being done in the regenerative space for environmental, environmental, social resilience and agricultural productivity.
Getting a great view of the Mulloon catchment!