220 hectares of Wyndam Farm was burnt right through from boundary to boundary. Large ancient red gum have been decimated by the recent fires in the area, losing hollows and reducing canopy stepping stones for wildlife such as the declining woodland birds of the Eastern Hills.
Revegetation works had already been planned for this property prior to the 2019 Cuddle Creek Bushfires to add creek-line diversity and block revegetation. Bremer Barker Catchment Group and Goolwa to Wellington LAP (GWLAP) works undertaken in the early 2000 and again in 2014 were completely burnt out, with fences destroyed and ground-layer and soils exposed.
One positive note from a recent visit was the significant germination of wattles occurring in areas of old burnt revegetation thanks to whatever soil seed bank had built up over the 10 or more years this revegetation had been producing seed. This project grant has allowed for the planting, guarding and maintenance of more than 2000 local native seedlings within 1.5 hectares of the Davidson Creek. This revegetation links to another 5 hectares of other revegetation being undertaken on the property for 2020 through other complimentary funding.
The Alexandrina Community Nursery (managed by the GWLAP) grew more than 2000 local provenance seedlings at the nursery at Goolwa with the help of more than 10 volunteers. Some of the seedlings planted were also propagated with the kind assistance of various agencies including staff from the Flows for the Future Program and the staff from the Strathalbyn Natural Resources Centre. The seedlings were planted this June and July 2020.
Revegetation has involved the planting of local trees grown from provenance seed including old man Banksia (Banksia marginata), Blackwoods (Acacia melanoxylon), Drooping She-oak (Allocasuarina verticillata) and blue-gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon). A suite of native grasses, sedges and herbs including the rare Lemon scented grass (Cymbopogon ambiguus), sedges, rushes and shrubs were also planted to improve biodiversity, reduce erosion in the watercourse and provide refuge for wildlife including reptiles and amphibians. Thanks Landcare Australia and all the generous donors of this funding, it has made a real impact on this site.
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