A few of us visited a property south of Yass this morning to see some fantastic growth in tree lanes several years old, and young Eucalypts that are naturally regenerating from mature paddock trees. 

The landholders have established many tree lanes over the past few decades, one of the most recent was part of YAN's  Yass Habitat Linkages Project, funded by the NSW Environmental Trust.

The landholders observed natural germination of Eucalypts in the drier years, when seedlings often sprouted against a clump of grass, a rock, or branch on the ground. The following wet years have ensured strong growth.

The landholders are supporting the natural regeneration by putting cages around some of the young trees. There was a huge difference between the trees that had protection and those that didn't - the kangaroos and sheep kept the non-caged seedlings chewed down, well and truly! 

They are also planting numerous paddock trees, and have found that the trees grow particularly well when planted amongst native grass. Besides the lack of competition from exotic pasture grasses, could there be a positive symbiosis at play?

Established tree lane in back ground, mature trees in mid ground, protected natural regen in foreground.

Planted paddock tree just 18 months old! Eucalyptus bridgesiana (Apple Box) are growing particularly well on this property.

Tree lanes planted by Greening Australia, approx 3.5 years old (tubestock).

The picture speaks for itself!

On 30th November, the YAN committee held its Annual General Meeting in the Local Land Services conference room in Yass. Six people attended in person, and two joined via Zoom. Congratulations to those elected to YAN's executive positions: Kath McGuirk was re-elected as Chair and Secretary, Alison Elvin (Yass Landcare) was elected as Vice-Chair, Lawrie Nock returns as Treasurer.

Kath delivered the following Chair's report:

The major funding administered by YAN is the NSW LLS Landcare Co-ordinator grant where Sonya Duus is our regional co-ordinator. During 2021 Sonya has worked tirelessly to assist in the progression of the Climate Ready project, the Yass Habitat Linkage video monitoring project and the Yass Paddock tree project.  Sonya is also leading a Climate focused stream of the Bowning-Bookham Lets Try it project.  Sonya also provides significant technical support in the update and management of the YAN face-book and website.   Sonya’s technical skills are also being developed through the Landcare co-ordinator program through Leadership and project-landscape mapping training.  As current Chair of YAN I will be working with stakeholders to ensure that the NSW Landcare co-ordinator funding continues past 30 June 2023.

COVID 19 had an impact on our activities during 2021 in that we had to move to zoom as a delivery mode however one advantage of that has been, if you are willing, you can sit in on a range of workshops – meetings that otherwise may have been to time consuming or expensive to attend. 

As chair of YAN Kath is a member of the SE Regional Community of Practice which plans the SE Landcare musters and other training for Landcare coordinators. SE Regional Landcare coordinator management team were Linda Cavanagh located in Boorowa in the Regional Landcare coordinator. Plus Kath is a member of the SE Biodiversity steering team (which has a funded co-ordinator 8hrs per week is based in the Far South Coast).

Yass Weeds advisory group plus a new network of people interested in establishing a Significant Tree register in the YVC region. 

Members of the Climate Ready team are working with members of Upper Shoalhaven Landcare who won a Bushfire recovery grant in 2021 to establish a new climate appropriate native plant nursery.

SE LLS Feral Animal management grant which was delivered by Debra Butt on YAN’s behalf finished in December 2020.  Debra was also the Feral Animal Management co-ordinator for Gunning Network which enabled YAN to work with Gunning Network in a seamless manner. 

SE LLS Threatened Ecological Community grant This contract finished in December 2020.  I was advised that this and the Feral Animal grant funded through SE LLS were one off grants so no future funding in these areas is expected in 2022.

YAN – Yass Landcare Paddock Tree SE LLS grant Jeremy Wilson’s Yass Landcare team won a third round of funding from SE LLS for the growing and planting out of Paddock Trees within the Yass Valley Council region.  Gunning Network also won their first Paddock Tree grant for the 2021-22 season from SE LLS.  Yass Landcare nursery is expected to grow the paddock trees for the Gunning Network.  This is a great example or how sharing ideas and knowledge can expand the delivery of on-ground environmental results.  This project has been written up as a case study on the YAN NSW Landcare website and detailed documents are available on the YAN website.

YAN Climate Ready project has progressed well in 2021.  During Autumn 2021 all trail plants were planted out over two major trial sites plus a large number of secondary sites where planted out were Landcare members were keen to participate in this Climate Ready trial.  Monitoring of plantings will occur in November 2021 to identify survival rates.  This project was written up as a case study on the YAN NSW Landcare website and detailed documents are available on the YAN website. Collaboration between the YAN Landcare Groups and Nursery teams has enabled the YAN Climate Ready project to run on a very small budget and demonstrates the benefits of working and learning together.

Barton Highway bypass Jacqui, Jeremy and Sonya have been working to ensure that environmental offsets are incorporated into the final deliverables of this project.  They are also working with Ginninderra Landcare, Friends of Grasslands, and members of the local indigenous community on this task.

Yass Habitat Linkages project NSW Landcare gateway case study on the Yass Habitat linkages project is available on the above link.  The YHL project overview on the YAN website is also available. Sonya has agreed to report to the meeting on the YHL and her work on the photo monitoring video. I have suggested that she show the meeting the Powerpoint presentation we gave at the recent Environmental Trust’s review of all their current projects, which gives a good summary of the YHL progress and the ideas for the future – the project has 4 years to run but we still need to get approval from the ET for any future activities.  In brief, with the planting of some 3000 tube stock during the last year, the on-ground work of the project (and the funding from ET) has been completed.  Also, Lawrie and I have arranged for the required financial audit of the project to be done, which involves YAN/YHL accounts.

Following a successful webinar on Climate Wise Planting on Friday 19th November 2021 (you can catch up on that here), people who registered were offered free tubestock of a range of native trees and shrubs. These plants were grown by one of the wonderful YAN nurseries. As a result, more than 500 new plants will be added to the Yass Valley landscape - capturing carbon and providing shade and shelter for people and wildlife. Below are photos of some of the happy plants and plant recipients :)  

Climate Wise Planting is one of three components of Bowning-Bookham's Let's Try It! Project. The project is supported by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment and South East Local Land Services.

YAN Nursery managers and volunteers recently visited the Australian National Botanical Gardens and Kathryn Scobie was our guide.  The ANBG main focus is to grow plants from cuttings to ensure correct plant genetics as the ANBG grows plants for Threatened Ecological Communities, for specific Save our Species plants, to establish and maintain permanently potted plants from which cuttings can be taken from, plus to grow plants for ANBG garden beds.  Nursery hygiene is critical and Kathryn told us how potting material and pots are stored and prepared.  Sowing via seed is only about 10% of their nursery work.  Our visit high-lighted several practices or products that our regional Landcare nurseries could adopt.  We are so lucky to be so close to Canberra and we will try to maintain contact with ANBG staff to ensure future visits.