Managing the land at Yambulla is a constantly evolving, collaborative process. There's always a lot going on.
Here, we try to record a little of what is happening each month to share learnings
and allow others to follow our progress.
“To catch a pig, you have to think like a pig,” says pig culling master Rodney Rankin, who passed on his knowledge and helped remove 60 feral pigs at Yambulla this season.
Conservation Futures, Black Duck Foods and the Yambulla team gathered for a two-day workshop at Yambulla. We discussed Melbourne University’s integrated knowledge system, a proposed Indigenous Research Assistant and how this collaboration will work.
We are bringing in the data from the 12 cameras we have in the field and getting a snap shot of what is happening in the landscape.
We have just wrapped up the 2022 blackberry control season. Gruelling long hot days spent waist deep in blackberry and farm chemicals however, after undertaking this program annually we are now reaping the rewards of our program for eradicating this weed from Yambulla.
Yambulla has developed a strategic partnership with Conservation Futures, a collaboration between The University of Melbourne and Bush Heritage, funded by the Ian Potter Foundation
Last week we had the best brains we know on the job, what these men don’t know about controlling feral animals such as foxes, cats, pigs and deer isn’t worth knowing.
We are told by First Nations Knowledge holders that this 300+ year old Narrow Leafed Peppermint, Eucalyptus radiata by a waterhole on the Yambulla Creek, sits on the Songline from Mallacoota to Kosciusko.
Guided by our expert Charlie Maslin, we are gently changing the water flow patterns in our Wet Tussock Grasslands allowing us to begin repairing erosion damage caused by cattle grazing
Traditional Owners of the Australian landscape burnt country to rejuvenate it. Fire encourages new growth, resulting in more food for humans and other fauna. They did this ensure a consistent food supply.
The plantation our tenant is currently harvesting is a fairly traditional forestry model, focussing on economic sustainability — maximum return in minimum time. Good plantations can also find room for being environmentally sustainable. We are including a third goal — social sustainability.
We were very fortunate in the recent floods as the rains were predominantly further to the north however they did work their way south for a day and we received 160mm. Myrtle Mountain, about 50km from here received 500mm in the same period!
The Wild Bullock Swamp: Two years ago we had a young crew of nieces, nephews and friend's kids in to spray blackberry in the 50 hectare Wild Bullock Swamp - Spray Camp 2019.
What started in July as a lunch at Yambulla with Bruce Pascoe and his mob has evolved into a new and very exciting relationship with his social enterprise Black Duck Foods.
Much to our relief our tenant started harvesting their plantation of Shining Gum in January. There had been discussion of them abandoning it entirely due to the damage sustained in the 2020 bushfires.
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We acknowledge First Nations People as the original inhabitants and traditional custodians of the Yambulla valley and surrounding areas.
We recognise and value their continuing connection to the land and culture.
