Biorich plantations – mimicking nature to integrate conservation & production
  • Home
  • Background
  • ImLal site images
  • Site design
    • 21st century drop slab hut >
      • Launch of the 21C drop slab hut
  • Monitoring and student visits
    • Bird surveys at ImLal
    • Plot growth and mortality
  • Biorich blog
  • Publications
    • Rationale behind the 21C drop slab hut
    • Biorich design principles and silviculture paper - Lismore AFG 2014
    • Analogue forestry paper - Gympie AFG 2012
    • Book by Stephen Murphy - Recreating the Country
    • Land restoration film - Rediscovering the Country
    • Field Day 2011
  • Contact us

Royal forester likes how the biorich model breaks down fences 

18/4/2015

1 Comment

 
A number of the overseas foresters who recently visited the Ballarat AFG’s biorich plantation demonstration site on a field trip commented on its uniqueness in attempting to bring forestry and environmental plantings together.

In April, the well-attended ANZIF conference field trip of 25 foresters from Australia, New Zealand and overseas visited ImLal. In particular, Geraint Richards, Head Forester for the Duchy of Cornwall (i.e. forests owned by Prince Charles) told Ballarat Region Treegrowers (BRT) President, Phil Kinghorn, that he saw the biorich model as a way of “breaking down the fence” between farmers and foresters. He said he intended to draw what BRT was doing to the attention of Prince Charles.

Jean Baptise, a CSIRO researcher working in Queensland, made a similar comment: he’d been trying without success to get collaboration between farmers and foresters in bringing agroforestry and environmental reveg together. Like Geraint, he saw the biorich model as a means of breaking the deadlock. Clumping farm forestry woodlots around the perimeter to bulk out a biodiverse core not only scales up habitat biodiversity, but also offers income diversification potential for landholders. 

The ANZIF 2015 conference theme was about Creating Resilient Landscapes. As a means of integrating farm forestry and Landcare-style environmental plantings, the  biorich forestry model serves to build resilience into both landholders and landscape.

Picture
Biorich designer Steve Murphy and BRT President Phil Kinghorn explain to the ANZIF field trip how the biorich forestry model optimises habitat niches and offers resources to landholders.
1 Comment

Mixed flocks flit about for autumn bird survey

17/4/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Mixed flocks of blue wrens and fantails were seen flitting around in dense cover in ImLal South: "As you would expect for autumn," said bird survey leader Grant Palmer. One new first – a New Holland honeyeater. Numbers were down overall. Again, to be expected, said Grant: "The migratory species have all flown south."

We spotted a few 'invaders' like rose hip and the pampas grass (on left below). ImLal North is full of thistles (on right below) and the only birds seen are the large woodland varieties like the eastern and crimson rosellas. On the bright side, only one noisy miner was spotted. None were seen in the summer bird survey. What's going on?  Maybe it has something to do with the removal of cattle – the only noisy miner seen was on the boundary where cattle are still grazing. It's only a thought bubble...
Picture
0 Comments

    Author

    Gib Wettenhall is interested in how  we carry out large scale landscape restoration that involves the people who live in those landscapes. That, he  believes, would build truly resilient landscapes.

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    September 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    October 2019
    October 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012

    Categories

    All
    21C Drop Slab Hut
    Biorich Elsewhere
    Field Day
    Imlal Site Visits
    Monitoring
    New Plantings
    Ongoing Site Management
    Rediscovering Country Film
    Rediscovering Country Film

Proudly powered by Weebly