Stop Soil Erosion, Save our Future!

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Every year on 5 December the staff at NACC NRM plant our feet firmly on the ground and stop to celebrate World Soil Day.

World Soil Day is an initiative of the UN General Assembly – and promoted through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations – which aims to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources.

The theme for 2019 was ‘Stop soil erosion, Save our future’! – which is exactly what NACC NRM’s current project Growing Great Ground aims to do.

Growing Great Ground will raise awareness of the importance of sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being, plus provide the opportunity for landholders in the region to get involved, and apply for financial incentives to help address soil health issues.

And in the spirit of World Soil Day NACC NRM’s Sustainable Agriculture Program would like to share some important information about soil.

What is Soil erosion and what are the causes?

Soil erosion is the removal of the most fertile top layer of soil from the profile and generally results in soil degradation. There are a multitude of factors that can contribute to this including; wind erosion, water erosion and tillage.

Soil degradation can also be caused by soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinisation and soil acidity. All of these factors can contribute to accelerating the soil erosion process. Different soil types can be more susceptible or resistant to erosion, based on their physical characteristics. But, all soils can be at risk from soil erosion.

So how do we stop, prevent or even reverse erosion?

The key thing is to identify what is causing the soil degradation, and then look at the options available to address this. Soils in the Northern Agricultural Region are at risk from a number of issues associated with soil erosion, but luckily enough there are a number of solutions to address all of these.

Managing soil acidification, reducing the risk of soil and nutrient loss from wind and water erosion, increasing soil organic carbon and improving the management of on-farm native vegetation and biodiversity are just four of the ways that we can manage our soils and help to #StopSoilErosion.

As with most things, there is no silver bullet, different soil types will respond differently, and particular options that may suit one farm business will not necessarily suit another.

NACC NRM’s Geraldton based Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitator Annabelle Garratt added that

healthy soils are not only integral to our global food security they are also essential to our human health.

“By addressing the increasing challenges in soil management, increasing the profile of healthy soil and encouraging everyone to proactively engage in improving soil health we can be a part of stopping soil erosion.”

Ms Garratt added that when it comes down to it, healthy soils underpin our whole sustainable agriculture program.

 

For more information, please contact our NACC NRM Regional Agricultural Landcare Facilitators: Lizzie King (E) lizzie.king@nacc.com.au (P) 0447 361335 or Annabelle Garratt (E) Annabelle.garratt@nacc.com.au (P) 0448 986 879

NACC NRM’s Growing Great Ground project is supported by the Australians Government’s Regional Landcare Partnerships initiative of the National Landcare Program.

Information source:

http://www.fao.org/world-soil-day/about-wsd/en/

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/12-053.htm

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In 2020-21 I talked about ‘raising the bar’. In 2021-22 we worked on setting the bar on fire. Over the last 12 months, the team at NACC NRM has not stopped.

The Sustainable Agriculture team has extended the program’s reach through collaborations with grower groups in the regions. Specifically, the Beyond Reasonable Drought project and Grower Group Alliance – South West WA Drought Innovation Hub – Geraldton Node project. The Beyond Reasonable Drought partnership with grower groups supported farmers across the region to improve the environmental sustainability of their agricultural production and drought resilience. The outcomes of this project have been consolidated through our successful Expression of Interest to the South West WA Drought Innovation Hub, with support from grower groups across the region, to host the Geraldton Node of the Hub. The program continues to focus on working with agricultural networks to share technical expertise and provide opportunities that will improve land management practices in agriculture across the region.

The conservation outcomes of ranger teams have expanded through work on several land tenures. Maintaining Heritage sites such as Willi Gulli, Racecourse Paddock and Buller River has long been a priority. During 2021-22, the teams have increasingly focused on threatened species and ecosystems.

To this end, Western Mulga rangers have improved management across 19,000 ha for the conservation of Malleefowl through firebreak and access management. They completed the maintenance of water holes and supported the monitoring of over 90 Malleefowl mounds.

Similarly, the Kwelena Mambakort Aboriginal Corporate ranger team have contributed positively to Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations by installing artificial hollows and habitat restoration.

All ranger teams have collected native seed, propagated native plants for restoration, and planted native vegetation in key locations across the NAR. Seed collection provides valuable industry experience and has facilitated the planting of over 100,000 seedlings during the year.   

In September 2021, the NACC NRM team delivered the WA Threatened Species Forum, held in tandem with the National Malleefowl Forum. Given the impact of COVID and the timing of this event, having more than 100 delegates from all over Australia was a significant achievement. The two Forums brought together 12 events over five days and featured 14 local artists, 25 businesses and 36 youth participants.

Following the successful relaunch of our updated NARvis, NACC NRM was invited to help lead a significant piece of strategic planning work for the region with Mid West Development Commission and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. With funding from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, the consortia delivered a Regional Drought Resilience Plan covering the shires of Northampton and Chapman Valley and the City of Greater Geraldton, along with significant technical analysis of drought vulnerability for the South West land division. The development of this plan also included extensive community consultation to ensure that local knowledge and technical advice guided the development of priorities for action.

This planning work links to existing NACC NRM on-ground projects, including Beyond Reasonable Drought and the Chapman Catchment Collaborative regeneration project.

It was a busy year for events with face-to-face events becoming commonplace again. During 2021-22 we hosted events in Gingin, Moora, Dalwallinu, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Walkaway, Nabawa, Perenjori, Kalannie and Morawa. We supported events in Karakin, Thundellara, Perenjori, Paynes Find, Wubin, Cataby, Warradarge, Northampton, Yuna, Dalwallinu and Dandaragan.

We also supported on-ground works throughout the region, including at the following locations Yuna, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Merkanooka, Goodlands, Kalannie, Bunjil, Yardarino, Canna, Kondut, Latham, Kadathinni, Nabawa, Red Gully, Sandy Gully, Waddy Forrest, Devils Creek, Perenjori, Bowgada, Ellendale, Wandana, Namban, Hill River, Warradarge, Gillingarra, Regans Ford and Moonyanooka.

Our region is vast – slightly larger than Tasmania, which for comparison, is serviced by three separate NRM organisations. Covering the NAR region and its many environmental threats is challenging. We continue to focus on partnerships and collaboration to address this challenge. We know that by working with our community through passionate delivery of collaborative on-ground projects and education, the community will value and actively protect our region’s natural capital.

This year we have launched a new Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The RAP Working Group consulted widely and developed an Innovate RAP which Reconciliation Australia approved in March 2022. The activities to fulfil these commitments are now in full swing.

Sadly, at the end of 2021, we farewelled former NACC NRM CEO Shelley Spriggs, who lost a long battle with cancer. Shelley was an inaugural inductee to the NRM Leadership Honour Roll. I will always be grateful for her guidance and no-nonsense approach, not to mention her passion for life.

While we have said farewell to some, we have welcomed many new faces across all programs, including our Administration team. We have also hosted a school-based trainee from Nagle Catholic College who has been working towards a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This trial position has been very successful, and we look forward to making this opportunity available again in 2023.

During 2022 we have taken on new projects that align with our organisational and program objectives, and we have successfully completed some great initiatives that support continued conservation and sustainability outcomes. I want to thank the whole team who continue to go above and beyond for the organisation and each other proving their ongoing commitment to our purpose and our values.