Protecting the environment for future generations

The Locmaria Farms conservation story began with a vision by Locmaria Farms founders,
Bruce and Yolande Wood to preserve and rebuild the native wildlife, ecosystems, flora and fauna on their farming properties. With that belief it holds a core value to rehabilitate 5% of its land holding in its first 10 years of operations.

Since its establishment in 2014, Locmaria Farms currently has conservation projects underway:

• Koijak Creek Restoration project, restoring 40Ha along 5kms of Yelloch/Koijak Creek in South Australia and Victoria.

• Buloke Preservation and Rehabilitation project over 9Ha of Gilgai

• Paddock tree twinning encouraging the next generation

These projects have been assisted through various partnerships and grants. Locmaria Farms would like to recognise the contributions of:

• Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) South East, Mount Gambier

• Trees For Life

• Greening Australia

• Wimmera Catchment Management Authority

Peter Tucker from Mister Tucker’s Business has laid the foundations for achieving Locmaria’s environmental vision. 

Feature 1

Koijak Creek Revegetation Project

Koijak Creek system flows from Victoria, through the South East of South Australian merging with Mosquito Creek and flows into the internationally renown Bool Lagoon Game Reserve and Hacks Lagoon Conservation Park, a RAMSAR listed wetland.  

This project was a multi year  project spanning 4 stages of planting enhancements.  It began in 2015, as part of the grant funded project Bush for Bucks program, managed through the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) South East, Mount Gambier. 

Locmaria Farms has contributed significant funding to this project which covers 40Ha over 5kms of Koijak/Yellock Creek at an average width of 80m.  Over 11,000 native trees, shrubs, grasses and sedges have been planted along the creek area to-date, to enhance and build on the 23 remnant native plant species scattered along the creek, including ten species of native grass.  

Notably, over the last 6 years, the wildlife presence along the creek has improved remarkedly.  Several small birds now frequent the creek line, which were not present beforehand;

• Grey Shrike-thrush

• Brown Thornbill

• Silvereye

• Superb Fairy-wren

• Grey Fantail.

Additionally, a number of waterfowl frequent the creek and some have raised many chicks;

• Grey Teal

• Australian Wood Duck

• Pacific Black Duck

• Australian Shelduck and

• White-faced Heron

Feature 2

Buloke Preservation Project – Gilgai Rehabilitation 

The Buloke preservation project, is a jointly funded by Locmaria Farms and Trees For Life.
The aim of this project to rehabilitate and conserve Buloke Woodland, which is listed nationally
as critically Endangered. Buloke Woodlands provide food and habitat resources for the critically nationally Endangered South Eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.  

This 4-year staged project will see the planting of further Buloke and native grasses within the
9ha area. 

Locmaria Farms considers the conservation of this area one of the few remaining examples in the region of this significant land formation. It is hoped that once established, this area will become
an important feeding and breeding area for the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo.   

Feature 3

Paddock Tree Twinning

Fortunately well over 1000 mature native trees, mainly stately red gums, are still growing on Locmaria Farms’ properties; mostly as individual trees in grazing pastures.  Since Locmaria Farms’ management, the existing paddock trees have dramatically improved in health.  Even so, Locmaria Farms has begun a project to ‘twin’ each of these trees with at least one seedling, thus ensuring the next generation of paddock trees for Locmaria Farms and the native wildlife that relies on them.  Each planted seedling is protected by a robust, large metal wire tree guard to protect it from grazing sheep.  Depending on seedling growth, tree guards will remain for at least 5 to 7 years. 

Initially, in 2021 up to 100 paddock trees will be planted targeting paddock trees that had died before Locmaria Farms took ownership.  At least two seedlings will be planted near each dead tree.  Importantly, the dead trees often contain hollows which are vitally important for many of our native fauna, including birds, bats, small reptiles and others.  The new seedlings will eventually be large enough to take over from the old trees.

Locmaria Farms considers this to be a long-term project and it will continue for many years.

Awards

Innovation in Agricultural Land Management