Revegetating steep hills in Hidden Valley.

Ripping has been done with precision and care.

Managing the steep hills of Hidden Valley (Sites 3A & 3B) is being achieved with a combination of controlled grazing and revegetation. But, what is the best way to encourage woodland regeneration on steep, stony slopes,  where growing conditions are tough and where access is difficult?

It took quite a few months and many conversations within the project and with machine operators, before we finally felt confident of our plan and ripping got underway in Hidden Valley. An experienced machine operator, John Hamilton from just over the range at Dairy Creek, took two days to finish the job, pulling 3 tines behind his dozer. The end result looks great and has clearly been done with precision and care.

‘Seeing the sites’ – Steering Committee tours project sites.

Local provenance Sticky Hop Bush (Dodonaea viscosa) direct seeded and doing well.

With the first eight months of the project completed, it was time for the Steering Committee to get out into the paddock and see first hand how the project sites were progressing.

While Steve (Proj. Coordinator) and Terry & David (local volunteers and Landcare advocates), were already very familiar with the sites, having spent many hours erecting several km’s of fences and coordinating volunteers, the rest of us needed an on-site update of the project’s progress.

Direct Seeding at first Demonstration Site

Aerial view of the direct seeding.

In Early October this year, the first of our Carbon Farming Demonstration Sites began it’s journey back to providing ecosystem services, thanks to help from local direct-seeding contractors Janet & Justus Hagen and landholder Steve Joblin.

This site was chosen early on in the project and was one of the few project sites suitable for mechanical direct-seeding. Though getting a little late in the season for mass plantings, good soil moisture from the last two wet years meant good conditions for direct-seeding. And who knows what next season will be like?