Protecting Paddock Trees Project

The Upper Goulburn Landcare Network recently completed a very successful project to protect isolated trees and groups of paddock trees on farms.

As well as providing shade for stock paddock trees provide important habitat and hollows for wildlife. The fallen leaf litter and branches also provide habitat for lizards, frogs and mammals.

Unfortunately, stock can affect the health of these trees and eventually kill them by camping underneath, compaction of the roots and by rubbing and ring-barking the trees.

Funding was provided by the Victorian Landcare Grants program for landholders in the Upper Goulburn to fence off and plant indigenous understorey plants around paddock trees.

Over forty large paddock trees were fenced off, reducing compaction around the trees and preventing ringbarking. Species included Grey, Red and Yellow Box, Candlebark and some very large old Redgum trees. Many small-medium trees have also been protected as part of the project.

We also revegetated around the isolated and groups of paddock trees to increase the ‘stepping-stone’ patch of vegetation with added understorey around each group of trees. This in turn will encourage small birds to access these trees to provide beneficial ecosystem services such as insect control.

Volunteers from Merton Landcare Group and the ANZ Bank also participated by helping two of the landowners complete the revegetation.

We also held two community engagement events, a ‘Woodland Birds Presentation’ delivered by Birdlife Australia; and a ‘Fencing Off Paddock Trees Workshop’.
By Chris Cobern.
UGLN Landcare Facilitator.