- green-spots
- reforestation
- Australia
- Mount Sandy conservation project, Australia
Problems
Australia’s unique landscapes are home to an incredible diversity of life, yet they face unprecedented threats from habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive species. These pressures are not only causing a decline in Australia’s native wildlife but also threatening the rich cultural heritage of its indigenous peoples. In particular, areas like Mount Sandy, with its distinctive coastal shrublands and saline swamplands, are at risk of being lost, along with the traditional knowledge and practices of the Ngarrindjeri people who have stewarded these lands for millennia.
Solutions
Mount Sandy Conservation
Author: South Pole
Located on the traditional lands of the Ngarrindjeri people, Traditional Custodians of the Coorong, Mount Sandy is a rare pocket of intact native vegetation in a region now dominated by farmlands. The 200-hectare project site features a unique mix of coastal shrublands and saline swamplands, providing strategic habitat for iconic native wildlife, such as the short-beaked echidna, purple-gaped honeyeater, and elegant parrot. Over thousands of years, the Ngarrindjeri people have cared for Coorong country, developing an intimate connection to the land that sustains them. Project management itself is made possible through close collaboration with local Ngarrindjeri Elders Clyde and Rose Rigney, who oversee the ongoing management and conservation of vegetation at the Mount Sandy site. Impact The Mount Sandy project ensures permanent protection for a regionally and culturally important pocket of biodiversity-rich land in partnership with its Traditional Owners. Local birds, animals, and plants flourish undisturbed, while native plants for revegetation will be supplied by the local nursery at Raukkan Aboriginal Community, a self-governed Indigenous community 50 kilometers northwest of the project site. Raukkan community members are also employed for onsite work, including vegetation monitoring and mapping, fencing, and pest and weed control. Conclusion The Mount Sandy Conservation project is a testament to what can be achieved when environmental conservation aligns with cultural preservation. It’s a model for future conservation projects worldwide, demonstrating that when we protect our natural habitats, we also preserve our cultural heritage and strengthen our communities.
Source: https://www.southpole.com/projects/mount-sandy-conservation
Gallery
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Timelines
2022
The seeds of endangered vegetation found on the Mount Sandy site were successfully propagated at the Raukkan nursery. Over 30 species of the canopy, sub-canopy, and ground layer vegetation have been noted in the planting plan. This includes native species, such as the four Acacia, Hakia, and Olearia species. From retaining water to stabilizing the soil and providing shade, each unique species plays a role in keeping the ecosystem balanced and healthy.
2019
August
The Mount Sandy community project was launched. The local community–the Traditional Custodians and non-indigenous Australians–come together in the name of environmental conservation and people partnerships.
June
Seeds of endangered vegetation on the Mount Sandy site are successfully propagated at the Raukkan nursery. The project Manager, Wayne, shared his wisdom and explained how the Mount Sandy project allows companies to take their climate action one step further.