Jaliigirr Biodiversity Alliance is celebrating 6 years of the NSW Environmental Trust funded Bush Connect program. The “Jaliigirr Landscape Connections in the Great Eastern Ranges” project has restored and protected 12 biodiversity conservation sites within identified priority areas of the Coffs – Bellinger – Dorrigo region. The project has extended and improved the connectivity of our natural landscapes and added to the achievements of the Great Eastern Ranges program.
Justin Couper Jaliigirr project manager said “The focus of on-ground works has been on ecological restoration with some areas of revegetation. Over 6 years 72 ha of bush regeneration has occurred in 160 ha project area and 5,300 trees/shrubs planted across 5.3 ha. Additionally, 15+ bush regenerators were employed each year of the project. These activities have been complemented with capacity building activities – to restore essential and viable habitats for forest-dependent fauna”.
Project locations included Coffs Harbour and Districts Local Aboriginal Land Council repair to country priority sites and the Dorodong Corporation Indigenous Protected Area. All projects sites are connected to the World Heritage Areas through a mosaic of land tenures including private landholder communities, Junuy Juluum, Bindarri, Dorrigo National Parks, Tuckers Knob, Pine Creek and Orara East State Forests
Jaliigirr Bush Connect project delivery partner Jason Page coordinator at Envite Environment said “This program has given Envite Environment the opportunity to collaborate with Jaliigirr project partners, together with land managers, on improving landscape connections in our region. By targeting key threatening processes such as weed invasions, biodiversity conservation work is all about protecting all organisms and species within their natural habitats with the aim of ensuring intragenerational and intergenerational equity”.
This project was funded for 6 years by the NSW Environmental Trust with further monitoring and maintenance by land managers and landholders over the next 4 years.
Featured image: Envite Environment, Darrunda Wajaarr and Gumma Rangers undertaking a Bush Connect Lantana Blitz at Orara State Forest.
Proudly supported by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust
Project Partners: