Boost for green work

by Taelor Pelusey - Busselton Dunsborough Times - Friday September 23, 2016

An environmental rehabilitation project covering almost 10,000sqm of the Tuart Forest National Park has received an $8000-plus boost from the South West Catchments Council.

The Busselton-Dunsborough Environment Centre earlier this month learned it had been successful in round three of the SWCC’s South West Community Groundworks Grant program. Project officer Silke Rothkamm said the funds would purchase 1000 seedlings for planting during the centre’s annual planting day, next winter.

Volunteers have helped plant around 1000 seedlings in 2015 and 2016 as part of the ongoing project to return the cleared Department of Parks and Wildlife land to its native state.

“The aim of the project is to improve the diversity and connectivity of native vegetation in degraded areas of the Tuart Forest National Park through the implementation of successful unground rehabilitation works by the BDEC,” Ms Rothkamm said. The grant will also fund the installation of interpretative signage for future education and community information.

Since 2015, 728m of fencing has been installed to enclose the 9932sqm parcel of land. BDEC committee member Mike Chartres said fencing and protective barriers on selected trees protected vegetation from pests, such as rabbits.

Annual planting day success & future plans for rehabilitating the Tuart Forest National Park.

The annual planting day was held on Saturday 18 June 2016. A total of 20 volunteers, including seven children, staff from BDEC, Geo Catch, Geographe Community Landcare Nursery and DPaW participated in the planting activity.

A total of 300 native seedlings of various trees, shrubs and clumping plants were planted. We would like to thank all the volunteers who assisted in making the day a great success.

The overall aim of the project is to improve the diversity and connectivity of native fauna habitat in the Tuart Forest National Park.


Our work in the Tuart Forest National Park:

BDEC has been undertaking annual planting within the Tuart Forest National Park since 2011. In 2015 BDEC drew up a rehabilitation plan in collaboration with the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) aiming to increase the likelihood of re-vegetation success into the future.

Since then, the following has been achieved:

•    728 meters of fencing has been installed, protecting a total area of 9,963m sq.
•    Approximately 800 native seedlings have been planted in 2015 with the help of volunteers
•    Engaged the wider community in bushland rehabilitation and management
•    Promoted community awareness of the importance of native bushland and fauna

We are currently applying for grant funding to continue the project in 2017.