Yass Landcare were very fortunate to have perfect weather for their second Waterwatch activity and first Habitat Hunt along the Yass Gorge.

The morning began with an acknowledgement of country and an engaging story of early life in and around the gorge by Pam Bell. Pam talked about the stepping stones which are still there today and how they were put in place so children could cross to go to school.

Ross Webster then gave the attendees an update on the Yass Gorge, the importance of the gorge for Yass and as a very precious ‘geological hotspot’ for geologists and natural scientists.

Yolandi Vermaak from Waterwatch Upper Murrumbidgee provided children with nets to begin the search of ‘what is living in our river’. Yolanda identified and explained the importance of many creatures that were found and proclaimed our river water is in ‘good health’. Waterwatch Educates and raises awareness in schools and the community on issues concerning catchment health.

Dr Melissa Snape Senior Ecologist - Urban Biodiversity with EPSDD Conservation Research, ACT Government led the children along the gorge on the Habitat Hunt. Fun Facts and images on wildlife in many forms where hidden across a large area of varying habi- tats, the children each had an answer sheet and habitat image to fill in and tag the appropriate habitat for the animal.

With over 30 enthusiastic attendees, both Yolanda and Melissa had their work cut out for them, answer a swarm of questions from both children and parents alike. Everyone seemed to want to know more!

The children were able to search, clamper, climb and rock hop as they took in this fabulous area in the heart of Yass and at the end of the activities they were engaged in finalising their work sheets on the grass under the big old gum tree before heading home.

Morning tea was provided by Yass Landcare between activities and there was much conversation and laughter between the groups on what they found, overall a very success and fun filled morning as an end of school holiday activity.

Written by Kath McGuirk

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for our Landcare Children’s Play with Clay Day! It was a delight to see creativity flow as the children crafted some truly wonderful and unexpected creations from clay.

From beautiful kokedama to squishing seed bombs in little hands, their imaginations knew no bounds!

We had a fantastic time together on that cool spring morning, filled with laughter, chatter, and fun. The excitement and joy on the children's faces made the day even more special, as they embraced this hands-on, nature-based experience.

Your participation helped make this event a success. We look forward to more moments like this in the future!

Recently, a small team gathered to mix Climate Ready seed for another exciting year of sowing and growing plants for local revegetation. Over 280 packets of seed were handled on the day! 

These seeds came from a wide variety of provenances across NSW, Victora, and Queensland, with the aim of enhancing the genetic diversity of the 40 species on YAN’s Climate Ready nursery list. Greater genetic diversity gives local plant populations the best chance to adapt to a changing climate over successive generations.

The seed has been distubuted to YAN's three nurseries - Murrumbateman Landcare Nursery, Yass Landcare Nursery, and Bowning-Bookham Landcare’s Wattle Valley Nursery – as well as the Alexander Maconochie Centre’s nursery. Most of the seed will be sown this spring, with the resulting seedlings available for planting in autumn 2025.

Four new local species will be grown in the nurseries this year: Calytrix tetragona (Common Fringe Myrtle), Dianella revoluta (Black-anther Flax-lily), Einadia hastata (Berry saltbush), and Pultenaea spinosa (Grey Bush-pea).

Calytrix tetragona (Common Fringe Myrtle) is one of the new species on the Climate Ready nursery list this year. Left is the seed, above are the flowers (flowers photo: Australian Plants Society)

The annual Climate Ready seed sorting day is the culmination of meticulous work which includes assessing species for future climate resilience, identifying suitable seed provenances, sourcing seed from commercial retailers, testing germination, and maintaining detailed records of all activities.

Seed sorting requires concentration and coordination and typically takes the team most of the day to complete. However, it is also a great opportunity to catch up, enjoy a shared lunch, and this year, we were treated to a delicious homemade fruit cake.

The annual Climate Ready seed sorting day is the culmination of meticulous work which includes assessing species for future climate resilience, identifying suitable seed provenances, sourcing seed from commercial retailers, testing germination, and maintaining detailed records of all activities. All of the native seed purchased by the Climate Ready project was funded through the Landcare Australia Michael King grant - our project volunteers appreciate this funding as seed costs are increasing each year.

If you’d like to get involved with one of YAN’s nurseries or the Climate Ready Revegetation Project, please contact us at [email protected]

Written by Sonya Duus, Climate Ready Revegetation Project Officer.

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This project has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust. Landcare Australia Michael King grants enable us to purchase seed from diverse provenances.

The Climate Ready Revegetation (CRR) team recently met to refine our approach in selecting native plant species for nursery propagation. This effort is crucial in adapting our local ecosystems to future climate conditions in the Yass district.

Selecting Species for the Future

A key part of the discussion centred on the methodology for deciding which species our partner nurseries will grow. We have always used ‘scatterplot’ graphs to assess whether a species currently occurs in climates like what we can expect in the Yass region in the future. The team decided that we  will now also start using maps that show the distribution of different plant species in relation to projected future climate conditions. These maps highlight areas with similar temperatures and precipitation levels to what we expect in Yass by 2070 and provide important geographical information about where species occur.

The outlined area roughly shows the overlap of temperature (5-95th percentiles) and precipitation (5-95th percentiles), indicting the future climate analogue area for Yass (RCP8.5, for 2070)

Our 2070 climate projections come from the My Climate View website, based on the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario. This scenario assumes high greenhouse gas emissions and presents a worst-case climate outcome, making it a robust tool for future-proofing our species selection. These projections can be mapped using the Atlas of Living Australia’s spatial analysis tool, as shown in the images on this page.

Climate Maps: A New Lens for Decision-Making

When assessing a species’ future climate tolerance, we mostly focus on two climate variables : annual average temperature and precipitation. Although other variables like soil type, seasonality of rainfall, and extreme weather events are also likely to be significant, annual average temperature and rainfall are a good starting point for determining which plants may thrive under future conditions.

Using this data, the team assesses the prevalence of a species in the projected climate overlay for the Yass district (known as a ‘future climate analogue area’). We aim to select species that naturally occur in this area, as they have a better chance of surviving and flourishing as the climate shifts.

Eucalyptus melliodora distribution (left) is one of the species included in the CRR project as it occurs not just in the Yass region, but in the future climate analogue area. Eucalyptus polyanthemos subsp. polyanthemos (right) currently grows well in the Yass region but does not occur in the future climate analogue area.

Enhancing Genetic Diversity for Adaptability

Once species are shortlisted, we evaluate the availability of seed from various provenances—different geographic locations where the species naturally occur. By sourcing seed from a range of provenances, we aim to increase the genetic diversity of plants grown in our nurseries and used in local revegetation  efforts. Genetic diversity,  boosts the likelihood of these species adapting to changing conditions over time. By increasing genetic variation, we hope to encourage natural selection processes that will allow the species to survive and adapt to the changing climate.

Field Insights: Monitoring Adaptability

Following the meeting, the team visited one of our CRR trial sites where we are monitoring the survival of three species grown from local and non-local seed. This trial is essential for understanding whether plants grown from non-local seed are able to survive in local conditions. Results so far indicate that there is no significant difference in the survival of plants grown from local or non-local seed, which gives us confidence to continue our work.

Get Involved with CRR

The CRR team meets regularly throughout the year to assess progress and refine our methodologies. This ongoing work is one of the many critical tasks CRR volunteers undertake to build a climate-resilient future for our native species.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Climate Ready Revegetation Project or would like to get involved, please contact Sonya Duus, our Climate Ready Revegetation Project Officer [email protected]. Together, we can help safeguard the future of our local ecosystems through thoughtful, science-backed action.

This project is part of YAN’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship and community involvement. We welcome anyone passionate about preserving our natural landscapes to join us in this important work.

Written by Sarah McGrath, YAN Local Coordinator

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This project has been assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust. Landcare Australia Michael King grants enable us to purchase seed from diverse provenances.