2008 Planting Images

The Climate Positive Planting Project is a special annual event, bringing together the dedicated efforts of our partners to create resilient and diverse ecosystems. Not only do these ecosystems have an enormous capacity to sink carbon, but they are also important habitat corridors.

This year we returned to the beautiful Strezlecki Ranges and planted a wide range of understorey species. Over the course of two and a half days, our partners planted nearly 12,000 trees - a truly amazing effort! The following photographs document the hard work, fun and contentment brought about by giving back to our planet in this very special way.

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Balook landholder profile

Climate Positive's planting site at Balook

Location: Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland, Victoria, adjacent to Tarra Bulga National Park

Total Area: 3.5 hectares

Projected carbon sink: 15,400 tonnes of carbon over 100 years

Landholder Richard Appleton's story

I'm lucky enough to live in one of the most magnificent forested areas on Earth where, before European settlement, the tallest hardwood trees grew: the majestic Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans). Over 18 metres in girth and 100 metres tall, they dominated the Wet Sclerophyll Forests of the Strzelecki Ranges, over a jungle-like understorey. There are still a few of these giants on my property, their damaged tops making them worthless for timber. They give a tantalising glimpse of what was once here, and what can be again, with our protection and diligence.

My parents bought this 40 hectare property in 1953, and I spent most of my childhood in the bush. I felt like a part of the forest and grew to have a great admiration and sympathy for it. In the 1950s much of the area was settled farmland or weed-infested derelict farms. You could see for miles across sparsely forested hillscapes, and the three remnant giants on my property dominated the landscape.

Now these same trees are surrounded by forest. Mountain Ash regrowth from the 1944 fires is now 40 metres tall and over a metre in diameter at breast height, several centuries short of maturity. Surrounding farms were purchased by the Forests Commission or a local forestry company and underwent a massive revegetation program, replanting ash and sometimes pine. Some early establishment practices fell short of responsible environmental protection, but they did produce successful eucalypt forests with a broad range of understorey species. These lands are now managed by a private plantation forestry company, Grand Ridge Plantations, and comprise a roughly 50-50 mix of plantations, which are harvested and regenerated on a 30- to 35-year cycle, and native forest, which is managed for conservation purposes.

I'm lucky enough to be Stewardship Forester with the company, overseeing protection of their native forests as well as environmental standards in their plantations. Not everyone wants production forestry in this environment, but it's unavoidable, and far preferable to the cleared and abandoned farmlands, with their minimal biodiversity and weed and erosion problems. The key is managing plantations sustainably, to protect environmental values and allow surrounding native forest to achieve its potential. I'm involved in monitoring rainforest health, mapping vegetation types, managing threatened species and developing a management plan for koalas.

My mother refused to sell our property to the Forests Commission, which is why this unique patch exists. It's a mixture of high-quality regrowth forest, patches of degraded, weed-infested vegetation without overstorey, and cleared land. Since I acquired it in 1997 I've gradually removed the blackberries and replanting Ash and Blackwood. Once the blackberries disappear, native shrubs and ferns regenerate from a seed store accumulated from nearby forest edges. Along creeks where rainforest might have existed, I'm planting Sassafras and Beech. I'm gradually replacing short-lived Silver Wattle with Ash to create a eucalypt canopy and encourage a diverse understorey. Around the house I've established an arboretum of non-invasive trees, including many rare ones.

A conservation covenant arranged through Trust For Nature in 1999 included existing land use as well as future ecotourism opportunities, to allow flexibility for owners while maintaining the property's environmental assets. The covenant allows activities like collecting firewood from fallen trees on the "modified" parts, but protects existing soil, water and biodiversity values.

There's far too much cleared land, but revegetation is a daunting task, since almost the complete gamut of species would need to be restored from scratch. You'd need wallaby-proof fencing too, as these cute critters dine on everything I plant! The largest clearing is up-wind from a valley containing a highly degraded remnant of Cool Temperate Rainforest. Wind exposure and climate change make regeneration difficult, but restoring Mountain Ash forest will, in time, provide an essential buffer for this remnant rainforest.

The property is located between the Tarra Bulga National Park and the Merrimans Creek headwaters, which contain a core patch of rainforest, and extensive eucalypt forest with some remnant old growth characteristics. My property is part of a biolink creating a high-biodiversity corridor connecting Merrimans Creek and Tarra Bulga National Park with the Gunyah Reserve for 30 km along the spine of the Strzeleckis.

Climate change could destroy ecosystems through increased fire and drought, mass extinctions and sudden shifts in vegetation types and habitats. Rainforest has no place else to go: this is the final refuge. A summer like 2006-07 is a far too graphic reminder of the vulnerability of the normally high-rainfall forests of the Strzelecki Ranges. It's urgent we do whatever we can, especially here where the forests could lock up vast amounts of carbon.

When Trust for Nature put me in touch with Australian Ecosystems and Climate Positive in 2006, I realised I could make a real difference, on a much bigger scale than I could achieve alone. I particularly like the level of professionalism this will bring, including collection and propagation of seeds from the local provenances, and ongoing maintenance to ensure its success. This is how I have always approached such projects because you only get one go at it. Turning a grass paddock into something that will grow into high-quality Wet Sclerophyll Forest is an enormous undertaking. This is an ideal solution, and I'm very excited about the project.

Brendan and Damien invited my comment on their proposed species list and took on board my suggestions based on my knowledge of the area. They consulted with recognized experts like David Cameron at ARI, a botanist and rainforest ecologist with whom I've worked several times and for whom I have the greatest respect. I therefore have confidence this project is going to provide the best possible outcome.

Once the project is up and running I'll be keen to extend the "natural area" component of the covenant to include the project site, to give it maximum possible protection. A conservation covenant through Trust for Nature, once registered on the property title, passes from owner to owner in perpetuity and ensures ongoing protection with regular monitoring inspections by the Trust. This gives me great peace of mind, as it takes hundreds and thousands of years for these forests to regenerate.

We're not property owners, because nature recognizes no boundaries. We're temporary caretakers of the land, and of Earth itself. How it all ends up depends on how seriously we take that responsibility.

Richard Appleton

January 2007

Anne Westwood of Trust for Nature and Richard Appleton, Balook Landholder

"I'm lucky enough to live in one of the most magnificent forested areas on Earth where, before European settlement, the tallest hardwood trees grew: the majestic Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans)." Balook landholder, Richard Appleton

Balook planting site

Total area: 3.5 hectares
Projected carbon sink: 15, 400 tonnes carbon dioxide
Protection of planting: Trust for Nature
Planted: September 2007
Ecological Vegetation Class: Wet Forest

On behalf of our supporters and clients, Climate Positive has restored 3.5 hectares of high-quality forest to cleared lands in the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland, Victoria.

The restored Eucalyptus regnans forest will absorb a projected 2900+ tonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifetime, and is protected permanently by Victorian Government legislation under a Trust for Nature covenant.

Climate Positive is happy to learn that these forests actually sequester alot more carbon than previously thought. A report authored by Brendan Mackey and his colleagues at the ANU, has shown that in fact Victorias wet forests are capable of sequestering up to six times the amount of carbon than was previously thought.

This reserve not only has carbon benefits, it also provides a buffer to the magnificent Tarra-Bulga National Park and forms a strategic part of the ongoing Links-Cores habitat corridor project.

The planting on 28-29 September wouldn't have been possible without the contribution of all Climate Positive supporters and clients who have measured, reduced and offset emissions through Climate Positive.

We acknowledge the invaluable support of planting partner Australian Ecosystems, landholder Richard Appleton, major client Mercedes Car Group, local environment groups Yarram Yarram Landcare Network, GippslandCare and Wellington Shire Council for making this first planting such a success.

Balook Species List (PDF 223KB)

Introduction

Formerly known as the Great Forest of South Gippsland, the forests of the Strzelecki Ranges once covered an area of approximately 3200 square kilometres and represent one of the largest biological carbon sinks in Australia that has been converted to atmospheric carbon through land clearing.Climate Positive worked with many partners at our Balook planting in this region to restore four hectares of these ranges to their former greatness.

Geology and vegetation

The Strzeleckis are a range of mountains in South Gippsland formed by folding and uplift of the Earth's crust. The rocks of the Strzeleckis include Cretaceous sandstone and tertiary basalts. These geologies have formed a variety of soil types, which, combined with other environmental factors such as aspect, rainfall and hydrology, provide habitat for a diverse range of vegetation communities. These communities include Lowland, Damp and Wet Eucalypt Forests and Cool and Warm Temperate Rainforests. This area once supported some of the tallest forest in the world, with some Mountain Ash (Eucalyptus regnans) trees being measured at over 100 metres tall.

Strzelecki biodiversity

The Strzelecki Ranges provides rich, diverse habitat. Being in an area of high rainfall and relative accessibility the forests of the Strzeleckis have suffered a range of ecological impacts, including intensive logging and extensive clearing for agriculture. The remnant native vegetation of the Strzeleckis, which survives in a few small National Parks, reserves and on freehold land, is home to a range of flora and fauna typical of the kind inhabiting mountainous country covered by damp and wet forests. Fauna includes Lyrebirds, Koalas, Wombats and Swamp Wallabies. These forests also support unique endemic species such as the Strzelecki Gum (Eucalyptus strzeleckii) and a diverse range of epiphytic and ground orchids.

The future

Climate Positive is committed to helping individuals reduce their climate footprint and draw their residual footprint from the atmosphere by planting ecologically diverse forests in the Strzelecki Ranges.Using existing local skills and infrastructure, local seed is collected. The seed is sent to the Australian Ecosystems nursery at Carrum Downs where the trees and shrubs are grown by trained staff in a state-of-the-art nursery, using recycled water. It takes approximately months from the time the seed is sown until the plants are ready to be planted.

Meanwhile, on the farm, specialist management teams have been preparing the land. Fences are checked and repaired as necessary. The existing cover of pasture grasses and weeds is removed. On the gentler sloping land, it may be possible to rip lines into the soils into which the planters can more easily plant the trees.

The planting takes place during the Autumn and Winter when the soils are very moist to maximise the plants' survival rates. Trained planting crews work the steep hillsides, planting up to 2000 plants each in a single day - hard work. But for these dedicated workers, rewarding.

For the next 5 years, the management crews will visit the sites and control the weeds which try and re-establish throughout the forest. These are knocked down using a safe herbicide that is neutralised when it contacts the soil, preventing any chemicals from entering the waterways. After 5 years when the trees and shrubs are established, the weeds struggle to survive underneath the canopy, and the forest is away.

Every 5 years a sample of the trees on each farm is measured. By taking the circumference of the trunk at breast height, we are able to measure the amount of Carbon Dioxide the trees have soaked up. We can then compare this to the amount of Carbon Dioxide we estimated using the Australian Greenhouse Office software to confirm that we have planted enough forest in the ground to soak up the Carbon Dioxide our contributors have offset. Through this method our subscribers have an opportunity to reduce their impact on global warming, and to take part in the restoration of a priceless part of our natural heritage: the majestic forests of the Strzelecki Ranges, tallest forests on Earth.

Dreaming of the Ranges

Two main groups of Aboriginal people were associated with the Gippsland area in general, the Kulin and the Kurnai. The Kulin people occupied the areas around Port Phillip and Westernport bays and were further divided into subgroups: the Wowurung, Bunerong and possibly the Bonkoolawool. Of these three groups, the Bunerong and possibly the Bonkoolawool were most closely tied to the Strzelecki ranges.

The Kurnai occupied the southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and into far East Gippsland. One of the numerous sub groups, the Brataualung, occupied the southern slopes of the Strzelecki Ranges down towards the coast.

The Aboriginal people of the Strzelecki Ranges sustainably managed their country for many thousands of years. They were nomadic and moved between the coast, plains and mountain ranges according to seasonal changes in the abundance of resources and to follow a cycle of spiritual ceremonies and rituals.

The forests of the Strzeleckis provided them with a diverse range of natural resources including plant and animal foods, possum skin cloaks, wood and plant fibres for making tools, baskets and other implements and medicinal plants.

Certain valuable items, such as the wood of the Austral Mulberry (Hedycarya angustifolia) that was used to make drills for starting fires, could only be obtained from the damp mountain forests. Each group appears to have been of optimal size for their land and supported the conservation of food resources.

The lifestyle and culture of the Aboriginal peoples of Gippsland were severely disrupted by the arrival of Europeans. Large numbers of Aboriginal people died through smallpox, influenza and other diseases introduced from overseas, as well as direct violence from white settlers. With the ecosystems that once sustained them cleared and fragmented the surviving Aboriginal people were forced onto missions and settlements.

European exploration

Angus McMillan arrived in East Gippsland in the late 1830s, having approached from the north from New South Wales. He established a station, 'Nublamungee', on the Tambo River. As part of his exploration in search of grazing land, he travelled through South Gippsland.

In 1938 James McArthur had seen South Gippsland from the sea and was sure that there was good land along the coast line. He met up with the Polish adventurer Count Strzelecki in Sydney and on 5 February 1840, the pair set out from NSW led by their Aboriginal guide, Charlie Tarra. After exploring the high country, including climbing and naming Mt Kosciusko, they travelled through Benambra to Omeo. Here they continued along the Tambo River, and after turning west, crossed the La Trobe River, heading for Corner Inlet.

Before long, steep terrain and dense vegetation blocked their way. There was no food for their horses, which were abandoned near Boolarra. With rations short and thinking now of their survival, the party decided to head due west, aiming to reach the settlement in Westernport. This misguided navigation took them through some of the harshest terrain the Strzelecki Ranges had to offer. It was 50 miles to Corinella on the Westernport Bay, and it took the adventurers 22 days. The bush was so thick at times that they felled tall straight saplings and scrambled along the fallen trunks above the tangled mass of vegetation. Undoubtedly the group's survival was due in a large part to the skill of their guide, Charlie Tarra. In acknowledgement, the Tarra-Bulga National Park and the Tarra River were named in his honour (Bulga is the local Aboriginal name for mountain).

Upon his return to Melbourne, Count Strzelecki published a glowing report of his journey. He renamed many of the places named by McMillan and cemented his place in Australian history as a great explorer.

Clearing the Great Forest

Wholesale clearing of the forests of the Strzelecki Ranges began in earnest in the 1870s on three fronts. Graziers pushed south from Monaro on the heels of Count Strzelecki. From the North East settlers pushed into the foothills of the Ranges. From the South, settlers arrived by boat. By 1880 most of the western ranges and coastal flats were occupied by prosperous dairy and grazing farms. Prospective settlers turned to the central and eastern ranges, where they assumed large forests meant good soils.

In order to clear the land, for a year the settlers ringbarked trees with axes. After incessant toiling with the axe, they would have had anything between 20 and 100 acres of forest ringbarked, and the undergrowth hacked as best they could. Towards the end of summer, after months of the hot sun bearing down upon the dead and dying forest, the settlers would contemplate the burn. The timing of the burn was critical. The undergrowth would still be damp and just the right conditions were needed to successfully ignite the whole lot. If the right day didn't come they would wait another year, having to reclear the undergrowth again. After the burn, the smouldering logs would be dragged and stacked into piles to further facilitate the burning. In this way much of the ranges was cleared, pasture grasses planted and cattle moved in.

Today

The Strzelecki Ranges remain largely cleared. Farmers are beginning to realise that the land was over-cleared, particularly on the steeper slopes where there are problems with erosion. Much of this land is no longer productive. In 1999, Greening Australia launched the steep slopes project. This project encouraged farmers to retire some of their steeper land and revegetate it with local indigenous plants. By the time the project was completed in 2001, over 500ha of steep terrain had been replanted.

The rich soils and high rainfall of the area enable the hills to support a large amount of plant biomass, as Count Strzelecki found out the hard way. Today only 2% of the remaining Great Forest of Southern Gippsland enjoys any sort of protection. These tiny, fragmented reserves support echidnas, platypus, an endemic variety of koala, two species of antichinuses, black wallabies, two species of bandicoot, gliders, possums, native rats, bats, potoroos and the rare tiger quoll. There are over 1000 species of vascular plants - 10 listed as rare and threatened - 80 species of bird - including four threatened species - native fish and the endemic giant earthworm, growing over 2 metres in length.

The Australian Greenhouse Office has developed software that models the amount of Carbon Dioxide a forest in a particular area will soak up over its lifetime. Given that the Strzelecki Ranges was part of the Great Forest of Southern Gippsland, it is no surprise to find that these steep, agriculturally unproductive slopes have some of the best potential Carbon Dioxide uptake in Australia.

Bibliography

Planning Forest Sink Projects: A guide to Forest Sink Planning, Management and Carbon Accounting. Australian Greenhouse Office, Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Heritage (July 2006).

Nature Conservation Review, Porter and Traill, Victorian National Parks Association.

The Land of the Lyre Bird, Various Authors, Korumburra Historical Society (1998). First published by Gordon and Gotch - 1920.

A people a place and their past, Wells J. Gippsland, Landmark Press, Drouin
(1986).