The Northern Agricultural Catchments Council (NACC), NRMWA, and Department of Parks and Wildlife are proud to be working together to deliver Land for Wildlife in the Northern Agricultural Region.
Launched in 1997, the Land for Wildlife program recognises and supports land managers who have, and wish to maintain, natural habitat on their property for the benefit of wildlife.
‘Wildlife’ is used as a very broad term, incorporating native plants, fungi and invertebrates as well as native vertebrate animals – encompassing the entire ecosystem!
The program also offers free advice about bushland management, and encourages land managers to integrate nature conservation with other land management activities undertaken on their property.
Wubin farmer Keith Carter recently became the first farmer in the Northern Agricultural Region to sign-up two of his properties under the new Land for Wildlife partnership.
One property is more than 1,100 hectares, of which about 120 is native vegetation – and the other property is more than 1,800 hectares – with 75 hectares of bushland remaining. Both properties provide habitat for numerous native fauna including a number of threatened species such as the Western Spiny-tailed Skink (Egernia stokesii subsp. badia), and Malleefowl (Leiopa ocellata).
Farmer and Land for Wildlife advocate Keith Carter said: “Preserving unique vegetation for future generations is what this is all about.”
“We have done a lot of fencing projects with NACC over the years, and it is good to keep doing a bit here and there to look after our native animals – like Malleefowl and York gum woodland – as there are very few of these left,” he said.
NACC Natural Resource Management Officer Heather Legge said it was important to get significant on-ground land-stewardship outcomes through the support of farmers like Keith, and their willingness to commit more land for wildlife.
“It’s fantastic that NACC, through NRMWA, has been able to partner with Parks and Wildlife with the Land for Wildlife program, because it is important to have as many ‘boots on the ground’ as we can,” she said.
“Land for Wildlife is a great program for farmers like Keith who are interested in learning about and further enhancing their property’s unique natural features.
“For farmers that take-up Land for Wildlife, the classic blue sign on the front gate is one way for them to show passers-by that they do really care for their environment, and are making a direct contribution to look after it.”
Department of Parks and Wildlife Wheatbelt Region District Manager Vaughan Smith said: “This new partnership with NACC and NRMWA will benefit private landowners and the Northern Agricultural Region’s biodiversity conservation.”
“Many native animals and plants are now very rare, and not adequately conserved in the formal conservation reserve system, but may occur on private land or Crown land managed for other purposes.”
“This partnership arrangement will help private landowners and other managers to protect the conservation values on the land they manage for future generations,” Mr Smith said.
For more information about Land for Wildlife in the NACC Region please contact NACC Biodiversity Coordinator Jessica Stingemore on 9938 0106 or jessica.stingemore@nacc.com.au