BUSHTRACKS Bush Heritage Magazine - Summer 2022 - Features - Beyond the cactus, A closer look at Brogo, Bush Heritage Australia
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BUSHTRACKS
Bush Heritage Magazine — Summer 2022
Features — Beyond the cactus, A closer look at Brogo,
Homeward bound, More than beauty
Page 2 — Beyond the cactus
Bush Heritage acknowledges the Traditional
Owners of the places in which we live, work
and play. We recognise the enduring relation-
ships they have with their lands and waters, and
we pay our respects to Elders, past and present.
Dja Dja Wurrung people and Bush
Heritage are walking together to heal
country at Buckrabanyule,
our newest reserve.
Page 6 — A closer look at Brogo
Bushfire recovery funding is allowing us
to survey for threatened species on Brogo
Reserve for the first time.
Page 8 — Homeward bound
CONTRIBUTORS
Kate Thorburn
How Bush Heritage is supporting
Danika Davis
Balanggarra people to pursue their vision
Amelia Caddy
of sustainable, Indigenous-led tourism
in the Kimberley.
DESIGN
Viola Design
Page 10 — More than beauty
This publication uses 100% post-consumer
waste recycled fibre, made with a carbon
neutral manufacturing process, using vege-
table-based inks.
BUSH HERITAGE AUSTRALIA
T 1300 628 873 The complex story of plants and pollinators
E info@bushheritage.org.au in south-west Western Australia – and why
W bushheritage.org.au both need protecting now more than ever.
SUM M E R 2022
By the time this edition of Bushtracks is released into the This magazine also includes an update on our Balanggarra
world, it will be two years since the devastating bushfires partnership in the Kimberley, where we are supporting
of the Black Summer. For many Australians, the ripples a key governance role that will help drive conservation,
of those events are still spreading out, and so it is too for social and cultural outcomes. And of course, there’s the
the bush. incredible story of plants and pollinators in south-west
Western Australia.
On our reserves, bushfire recovery will continue for some
time. But there have been some silver linings. Brogo As we embark on our 2030 Strategic Plan, you will be
Reserve, Yuin country on the New South Wales far south hearing many more exciting stories such as these. We
coast, is one of many landscapes that we protect to have have an ambitious goal to deepen and double our impact
received bushfire recovery funding. In ‘A closer look at across our existing reserves and partnerships, while also
Brogo’, we explore how that funding is allowing us to care aiming to grow our footprint to cover 30 million hect-
for Brogo better than ever before, starting with targeted ares - an area of land equivalent to about 40 percent of
threatened species surveys. New South Wales.
The cover of this edition takes you to our newest As you read the lines on the following pages, I hope
reserve, Buckrabanyule, on Dja Dja Wurrung coun- they will serve as small reminders of the impact that
try in north-central Victoria. Here we have protected your support makes possible. For this, I am so grateful.
a hugely important cultural site from potential subdi-
vision and secured access to the source of the region’s
largest Wheel Cactus infestation which impacts many Heather Campbell
surrounding properties including our Nardoo Hills Chief Executive Officer
reserves. Now, through our joint-management of this
land with DJAARA – the corporation representing Dja
Dja Wurrung people – we have the opportunity to heal
country and control a significant environmental threat.
Photo Buckrabanyule Reserve, Dja Dja Wurrung country
in north-central Victoria. By Stu Heppell
1
BUSH T R ACK S
Beyond the cactus
Words by Kate Thorburn
Photos by Stu Heppell
Location north-central Victoria
Bush Heritage and Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional Owners
are walking together to Dhelkunya Dja (heal Country) at one
of Victoria’s most heavily infested Wheel Cactus sites.
2
SUM M E R 2022
Photo Djandak work crew member Andrew undertakes Wheel Cactus control at
Buckrabanyule Reserve, Dja Dja Wurrung country, north-central Victoria.
You see the Wheel Cactus long before you’ve turned into have damaged the integrity and the nature of the site.”
the driveway to Buckrabanyule, Bush Heritage’s newest
reserve on Dja Dja Wurrung country in central Victoria. As the home of the great serpent Mindi and linked to
an important Dja Dja Wurrung creation story, Buck-
Outside the car window, great spiked clumps line the rabanyule is one of the most culturally significant sites
roadside like sentinels leading to the site, where, further in central Victoria. But since farmers first came to settle
in the distance, the cacti’s distinct green wheels make the in the district almost 200 years ago, Djaara (Dja Dja
size of the infestation, and the scale of the work needed to Wurrung people) including the Yung Balug clan to which
combat it, easy to spot. this place is sacred, have been unable to access the site.
Recognisable due to its presence in many urban gardens, That all changed when Bush Heritage stepped in earlier
Wheel Cactus (Opuntia robusta) has a much nastier side this year. Swift and decisive action made possible by
than its ornamental use would suggest. The Mexican private philanthropy meant the plot was saved from
native is one of the most invasive and problematic weeds subdivision and development. Now, Bush Heritage and
in Australia, capable of spreading quickly across large DJAARA are committed to walking together to Dhelkunya
areas through the droppings of birds and other animals. Dja (Heal Country), and Djaara once again have a say over
Fast-growing, a prolific seeder how their country is managed.
and able to thrive in most
climates, Wheel Cactus takes “This to me feels like “[This partnership] can be
space, nutrients and water away reconciliation because we have a template for the rest of the
from native plants and is a major access to the land now, we can country to see how Traditional
impediment to native animals practice culture there and Bush Owners and other groups like
moving through the landscape. Bush Heritage work together.
Buckrabanyule, a 452-hect-
Heritage is enabling us to do We can lead the way,” says
are reserve between the towns that. It’s a new way to look Amos Atkinson, a member of
of Boort and Wedderburn, is after Country.” the Yung Balug clan.
home to one of the biggest
source populations in the state, “This to me feels like reconcil-
seeds from which spread far and wide - to other Bush iation because we have access to the land now, we can
Heritage reserves including Nardoo Hills and J.C.Griffin, practice culture there and Bush Heritage is enabling us
and private properties. to do that. It’s a new way to look after Country,” he says.
Yet this prickly succulent has played a unique role in A priority for Healing Country is controlling Wheel
the conservation of Buckrabunyule, now managed in Cactus. Much of Buckrabanyule is impacted by it; the
partnership between Bush Heritage and the Dja Dja result of 16 years of inactive management. Reversing
Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, trading as it is a big job, one that many land managers would shy
DJAARA. The effort involved in controlling its dense away from. But when DJAARA and Bush Heritage first
impenetrable thickets is likely why the land has not been discussed the opportunity to jointly manage Buckraban-
farmed or subdivided. yule, the overwhelming sense was one of optimism.
“Wheel Cactus is a symptom that the landscape is not “We recognised that yes, there’s a problem but we know
healthy,” says Djandak Program Manager Nathan how to deal with it: we’ve got the skills, we’ve got the
Wong. “But the presence of Wheel Cactus here has expertise, we’ve got the knowledge and we’ve got the
actually protected it from development which would determination,” says Nathan.
3
BUSH T R ACK S
Photo Spray painted dots on a dieing Wheel Cactus help land
managers keep tabs on which plants have been treated with poison.
Bush Heritage also recognised that it made far more sense already begun walking Country to re-connect with this
to manage the source of the infestation in the region thus place, including the great granite outcrop where Mindi is
helping to protect Nardoo Hills, other conservation said to reside.
reserves and neighbouring farm land.
There are also plans to bring Djandak Wi (Country
Already, significant steps have been taken to control the fire) back to the landscape. This will not only connect
cactus on the lower slopes of the reserve. Since acquisition, Djaara with culture, but will help to control emergent
work crews from the commercial arm of Dja Dja Wurrung cactus plants which are known to sucker even after being
Enterprises, or ‘Djandak’, have been patiently applying controlled through other means.
herbicide to hundreds of cacti, stabbing each individual
waxy disk to poison the plant from the inside out. Using the Without the cactus, native flora and fauna species will be
appropriate dose reduces the risk to other species. At the able to flourish at Buckrabanyule. The site is even being
same time, cochineal bugs, a safe biological control, will planned as a future host for the translocation of culturally
be introduced. These microscopic, weevil-like insects suck important animals such as Yung (a species of Quoll), a
moisture and nutrients from the cactus making them an totem species for Djaara, and Baramul (Emu).
effective method of controlling young plants and reducing
the viability of older ones. This method builds on many Bush Heritage Healthy Landscape Manager Glen Norris,
years of cochineal introduction work by local landcare who has been working in the region for five years, says he’s
networks in the district. also looking forward to sharing the good outcomes with
the wider community, including nearby farmers.
But Djandak aren’t stopping there. Keen to trial new
approaches, they’re using a mulching machine to “We know we can have a positive impact on this site and
pulverise the plant from the top down, reducing it to Wheel Cactus in the region more broadly,” he says. “Ulti-
Ghostbusters-like slime, making any re-emergent cacti mately, we want to return this beautiful part of the world
a lot easier to treat. It’s estimated this method alone to good health. It was quite confronting when we first got
could control up to 40 percent of the cactus biomass here, but we can see beyond the cactus now.” •
on the property (the machine can only be used on flat,
non-rocky areas).
This will enable easier access to the site, meaning more
opportunities for Djaara to be on country, sharing knowl-
edge with the next generation. Yung Balug Elders have
4
SUM M E R 2022
Photo Dja Dja Wurrung Project Manager Harley Douglas,
Bush Heritage Healthy Landscapes Manager Glen Norris and
Dja Dja Wurrung Program Manager Nathan Wong survey
Buckrabanyule.
5
BUSH T R ACK S
A closer look at Brogo
Words by Amelia Caddy
Photo by Michael Blyde
Location south-east New South Wales
Two years on from the Black Summer, bushfire recovery
funding is allowing us to survey for threatened species
on Brogo Reserve for the first time.
On New Year’s Eve 2019, the fast-moving Badja bushfire Brogo River, many diverse habitat types are found here
came within kilometres of Brogo Reserve, Yuin country making the reserve capable of supporting a huge variety
in the Bega Valley of New South Wales. A sudden wind of species. However, while comprehensive surveys had
change saved Brogo and its neighbours, but the surround- been carried out on Brogo in the past, none have been
ing region was decimated; the fire burnt through over undertaken in recent years.
315,000 hectares, destroying 422 homes and much habi-
tat. In the weeks and months that followed, we expect that Now, thanks to bushfire recovery funding from the
Brogo became a refuge for birds and other animals that Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment,
managed to escape the flames. we’re taking a closer look at Brogo’s inhabitants. This
Spring, Brogo Reserve Project Officer Josh Wellington
First purchased in 1995, Brogo was one of Bush Heri- was joined by local contract ecologists Sam Patmore and
tage’s earliest mainland acquisitions. At 120 hectares, Vanessa Place to conduct fauna surveys on Brogo with a
it is a small but significant reserve, protecting what is focus on identifying threatened species.
likely the largest remaining patch of the Brogo Wet Vine
Forest threatened ecological community in existence. Over three trips in September, October and Novem-
With steep slopes, dry ridgelines, deep gullies, large ber, the team used a range of different survey methods:
granite outcrops, pockets of temperate rainforest and ground-based remote sensing cameras for terrestrial
even a couple of hundred metres of frontage onto the (ground-dwelling) mammals such as quolls, tree-top
6
SUM M E R 2022
Photo Brogo Reserve, Yuin country in
southern New South Wales.
cameras for arboreal (tree-dwelling) mammals such as The data from these surveys will allow us to better target
possums and gliders, call playback and spotlighting for our management so these species are looked after for the
forest owls, acoustic monitoring for bats, and diurnal long-term. At the moment, Josh’s days are filled with
(daytime) bird surveys. weed control and feral animal
management, focusing on deer,
So far, with only preliminary “At 120 hectares, it is a small but foxes and rabbits. There are also
results in, they have detected
significant reserve, protecting what is plans to begin cultural burns in
several threatened species, all the new year, and to deepen our
of which are vulnerable in New likely the largest remaining patch of relationship and engagement
South Wales: Gang-gang Cock- the Brogo Wet Vine Forest threatened with local Yuin people.
atoos (Callocephalon fimbriatum), ecological community in existence.”
a Powerful Owl (Ninox strenua), It’s now two years on from the
Varied Sittellas (Daphoenositta bushfires and Josh says the burn
chrysoptera), Dusky Woodswallows (Artamus cyanopterus), areas are recovering well, helped along by good rains.
and two threatened bats – the Large Bent-winged Bat Hopefully, that means native species aren’t having to rely
(Miniopterus orianae oceanensis) and the Eastern Coastal on the reserve quite as much as they may have done in the
Free-tailed Bat (Micronomus norfolkensis). This, on top of immediate aftermath of the blaze. But if ever again they
many other non-threatened species including wombats, need a refuge, Brogo will be there, protected forever. •
Brush-tailed and Ring-tailed possums, Sugar Gliders, and
a series of bush rats and antechinus.
This project received grant funding from the Australian Government’s
investment in bushfire recovery for wildlife and its habitat.
7
BUSH T R ACK S
Homeward bound
Words by Danika Davis
Location Kimberley, Western Australia
A new Indigenous tourism venture in the Kimberley is opening
doors for Balanggarra people to keep their country healthy,
and in their hands.
8SUM M E R 2022
Photo Pentecost Crossing, Balanggarra Country,
Western Australia. By Sarah Duguid
As you cruise along Gibb River Road beside the Pentecost In 2012, Balanggarra people developed a Healthy Coun-
River, you’ll find Balanggarra country – 2.9 million try Plan which set out goals to help protect their cultural
hectares in the northern Kimberley, where Barramundi sites, animals, bush foods and medicines, and improve the
is famously abundant, gracious Brolgas dance, and health of their Gra.
iconic Boab trees flower.
They are now able to use Home Valley as a base to support
For tourists, this part of the world is a marvel worth flocking their Healthy Country Plan goals. In addition to providing
to like Red-tailed Black-cockatoos flock to the lush gorges an Indigenous tourism product, the plan is for the property
and pools that fill up when the rains arrive. to become a training and research hub for the commu-
nity to continue to build capacity in sustainable land and
For the Traditional Owners, Balanggarra people, it is their cultural management.
country. They call the land, sea, rivers, islands and every-
thing within it their Gra, and their law and culture gives In late 2020, Balanggarra Aboriginal Corporation
them rules and responsibilities for looking after it. RNTBC approached Bush Heritage with their vision for
Home Valley, resulting in a two-year partnership initially
This year, they made a significant step towards looking after focussed on the securing of, and short-term planning for,
their land in perpetuity when the Indigenous Land and Sea Home Valley. Bush Heritage has also provided capacity
Corporation awarded them the tender to manage Home building funds to support the recruitment of Balanggar-
Valley Station, a cattle station turned tourist operation. ra’s first chief executive officer, a position that provides
critical strategic and day-to-
Set on nearly 250,000 hectares day management capability to
in the bottom corner of their “Having access to a property oversee the Home Valley proj-
country, it is the perfect base for ect and broader implementa-
community to meet, tourists to
opens up the doors to the rest of tion of Balanggarra’s Healthy
converge, and caring for country our country and for our people to Country Plan.
activities to get underway. take ownership of our land and
how we look after it.” “It is about helping Traditional
“Home Valley provides an Owners through well-rounded
opportunity on Country for the and holistic management,” says
community to benefit from commercial business, sustain- Luke Bayley, Bush Heritage’s Head of Region for Western
able tourism, economic development and employment,” Australia and South Australia.
says Cissy Gore-Birch, Balanggarra Aboriginal Corpo-
ration RNTBC’s Chair and Bush Heritage’s Executive “This type of nature-based cultural tourism creates
Manager for Aboriginal Engagement. opportunities to learn about the ecological and cultural
significance of Balanggarra Country. You’ve got people
“Now, Traditional Owners have a base to run tours on coming onto Country, witnessing and learning about
Country, and we are working in partnership with them to the biodiversity as well as the cultural elements from the
develop their businesses,” she says. Traditional Owners.”
It is also an important step in Balanggarra people’s long- The success of Home Valley’s first year has proven just
term vision of On our land – everyone on their country. that. In their first season, Balanggarra met their goals of
“Having access to a property opens up the doors to the rest running the business with 85 percent Indigenous staff,
of our country and for our people to take ownership of our including hiring Home Valley’s first female Aboriginal
land and how we look after it,” says Cissy. General Manager.
Some Balanggarra people remain seasonal hunters who Cissy hopes people will learn more about Balanggarra
understand and use every intertwined element of their culture when they visit – to be in the presence of the
Gra. They can read their country like a book – when the Traditional Owners, on country.
liija (turkey bush) flowers, it’s the best time to pick oysters;
when the Wuluwurr (Woollybutt) is in flower, Mangkuru “It is stability for young people; we can help them with
(sea-turtles) are mating and laying their eggs. money management and let them know their worth.” •
9BUSH T R ACK S
More than beauty
Words by Amelia Caddy
Location south-west Western Australia
In south-west Western Australia, an incredible diversity of plants
sustains an incredible diversity of pollinators. So what happens
when both are under threat?
10SUM M E R 2022
Photo A Golden Stalk Banksia (Banksia media) flower on Monjebup
Reserve, Noongar country in WA. By Krysta Guille
Take a walk through the mallee heath on Bush Heritage’s Birds, mammals, insects, even some reptiles, get essen-
Fitz-Stirling reserves at any time of year and you’re tial sugars, proteins, salts, vitamins and healthy fats
guaranteed to come across flowers. From spiky hakea from these flowers. Many, like the Honey Possum – the
balls, to spidery grevillea tendrils and conical banksia world’s only marsupial to subsist entirely on nectar and
candles, there is always something to stick your nose in pollen – are found nowhere else.
here – whether you’re a bird, a butterfly or a bushwalker.
“Southwest WA is one of the only places on Earth that
There aren’t many places on Earth where such a guar- could have supported the evolution of a Honey Possum;
antee can be made; in most landscapes, a handful of it’s the only place that has enough nectar and pollen
dominant plant species will bloom and fade in synchro- available for them 12 months of the year,” says Angela.
nicity. But in south-west Western Australia, where
these reserves are located on In exchange, these pollina-
Noongar country, north-east tors spread their powdery
of Albany, there are over 8000 loads far and wide, enabling
“Southwest WA is one of the
species, many of which occur regener at ion, helpi ng to
nowhere else.
only places on Earth that could prevent inbreeding, and play-
have supported the evolution of a ing a fundamental role in the
Scientists believe this diver- Honey Possum; it’s the only place conservation of the south-
sity has to do with the region’s that has enough nectar and pollen west’s diversity.
geographic isolation (hemmed available for them 12 months
in as it is by oceans and deserts), At least 15 percent of the south-
of the year.”
ancient past and subsequently west’s plants are pollinated by
impoverished soils. birds – more than anywhere
else in the world. But, with the
“It’s had no glaciation, no volcanoes, for millions and exception of some orchids, no plant here relies exclu-
millions of years. So the plants have had a long time to sively on one species for its pollination. Honey Possums,
evolve in situ,” explains Bush Heritage ecologist Angela Western Pygmy Possums, skinks, butterflies, bees,
Sanders, who helps look after the Fitz-Stirling reserves. honeyeaters – all have a role to play.
“It seems counterintuitive but when you have really rich
soils, a few plants can dominate, whereas when you’ve It’s hard to say which came first – the diversity of plants
got really poor soils, it is a lot more difficult for one or pollinators – but one thing is for sure: neither can
particular plant group to dominate.” persist now without the other, and both are under threat.
Each plant species in the southwest operates on a Botanist Libby Sandiford has been methodically survey-
different flowering schedule, with the end result being ing Bush Heritage’s Fitz-Stirling reserves for eight of
that there’s a year-round supply of nectar and pollen. the 20 years that they’ve been under the organisation’s
Because of this, the region is able to support one of the care. Over that time, she’s seen some sobering changes
highest concentrations of pollinators in Australia. in the surrounding landscape.
11BUSH T R ACK S
Photo Kunzea newbeyi, a rare plant endemic to south-west WA, Photo A Honey Possum (Tarsipes rostratus) in a Pink Bottlebrush
for which Monjebup Reserve, Noongar country, is a stronghold. (Beaufortia schaueri) - both found only in south-west WA - on
By Libby Sandiford Monjebup Reserve. By Michelle Hall
“If you take, for example, the top of the Stirling Ranges Research into the genetics of plant species in the reveg-
– there was once this incredibly diverse heath there etated areas indicates that some, such as the hakeas and
that you could hardly walk through. Now, it’s virtually acacias, are doing well, while others, such as banksias,
disappeared as a result of two things, really: Phytopthera are showing signs of in-breeding. According to Angela,
dieback and too many fires… that’s actually incredibly this could indicate they’re not getting pollen from far
disheartening,” she says. enough afield.
It’s not just Phytopthera, a soil-borne water mould, and “If you’ve got lots of plants in one small area, and you’ve
bushfires (forecast to worsen with climate change) that just got mammals, which don’t travel very far, pollinating
threaten this region though. Due to widespread land them, then you can end up with in-breeding,” she says.
clearing, less than 30 percent of the south-west’s orig-
inal native vegetation remains today, and much of that As more pollinators return to the revegetation they will
remnant bushland exists in fragmented pockets. naturally help to diversify the genetics, just as they have
for millions of years. In the meantime, the team is plant-
Angela and her colleagues work in a 70-kilometre stretch ing banksias and other proteaceous species further apart
of land between the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River in the landscape to spread the pollen around.
national parks. For the past 20 years they’ve been dili-
gently protecting, restoring and, where necessary, reveg- So complex is the ecological web of life in the south-west
etating the land here. that Angela says it’s impossible to answer the question of
exactly how the loss of any species might impact others.
What started as one reserve has grown to ten and now Hopefully, she won’t have to find out.
they have an almost-connected nature corridor totalling
about 10,000 hectares. Through her surveys, Libby has “One of the best things for me sitting here in my office
discovered an astonishing diversity of species (980 and today, is knowing that those reserves out there are just
counting) between these reserves, despite them being at doing their thing and will continue to as long as we can
times only kilometres apart. look after them. So it’s a difficult question to answer, but
I think the alternative is unthinkable.” •
“What we’ve clearly demonstrated is that neither plant
species nor vegetation types are evenly distributed across
the landscape. And the implications of that are that if you
only have one reserve, you’re not necessarily preserving
all the local flora and vegetation,” says Libby.
12SUM M E R 2022
Help protect the
most beautiful thing
My happy place on Earth: life.
Words by Corinna Clark, Pilungah Reserve Manager
Location far western Queensland
When the sun sets down beyond the sand dunes at Pilun- It’s especially beautiful after a long day’s work weeding,
gah Reserve on Wangkamadla country in far western which we’ve had to do a lot lately after 20mm of rainfall
Queensland the light takes on all these blueish, purplish caused the Buffel Grass to spring up seemingly over-
hues that seem almost at odds with the desert’s harsh night. It’s a good place for relaxing and reflecting on the
colours by day. day that’s been.
My partner and fellow Reserve Manager Ingo Some of the Traditional Owners of Pilungah, the Wang-
Schomacker and I like to go and sit on a sand dune near kamadla people, recently came here for a culture camp.
the homestead dubbed Little Red. During their stay they took us to a culturally significant
site and we felt so welcomed by the way they took us in
As day falls to night, we quietly take in the rich red colour and shared their knowledge with us.
of the sand and in the distance, all the communities that
call this landscape home; flocks of Emu dads and their We’ve only been Reserve Managers since August 2021,
chicks running along by the scrubby Gidgee trees and so seeing these sacred places which have been here for
swirling flocks made up of thousands of green and gold thousands of years made us feel a deeper sense of connec-
Budgerigars. tion to this place.
Help protect the
Photo Pilungah Reserve Managers Corinna Clark and Ingo
most beautiful thing
Schomacker on one of Pilungah’s many red dunes. By Peter Wallis on Earth: life.
13Yes, I will help protect our precious plant species.
Bush Heritage is a national
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and passionate people like you.
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Bush Heritage is an independent not-for-profit conservation
organisation that buys and manages land, and partners with
Aboriginal people, to protect our irreplaceable Australian
landscapes and native species.
Founded by Bob Brown in 1991, we have since grown to protect
and help manage over 11 million hectares - that’s more than
all of Tasmania. These landscapes span from rainforests to
woodlands, savannas to deserts, and everything in between.
Our work would not be possible without the support of people
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other people who have recently donated to our work.
LOOKING FOR MORE STORIES? FIND US ON:
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will take you deep into the bush to hear the sounds of hope.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
bushheritage.org.au/bigskycountry
Cover photo Cactus on Buckabanyule Reserve, Dja Dja Wurrung
country, north-central Victoria. By Stu HeppellYou can also read
