Revegetation

Since our family purchased Ngeringa at Mt Barker Springs, a property of open cleared farmland, a number of native strips have been planted mostly along our property borders.  However, since moving here in 2001 and establishing the vineyard and winery, we (Erinn and Janet) have become increasingly aware of the still remaining bare ridge lines, open paddocks and lone standing remnant gum trees.  We are both very concerned with the historical, and current, loss of native habitat and biodiversity across our country and believe that the most intelligent form of farming can only be the one carried out alongside native fauna and flora, to ensure the long term survival of our delicate ecosystem and hence maximise longterm sustainable farming production.

Consequently, we have initiated a revegetation program across all 3 of our properties allocating chunks of land we will plant to seedlings in the coming years.  In the summer of 2007/08 we seeded our first few hundred indigenous plants to small tubes. We have done this every year since, seeding out each species according to their natural germination dates.  It's rewarding to watch them grow, not so rewarding to see any of them wither away.  But loss is part of the natural selection process and is part of the bitter sweet love of nurturing any botanical and allowing the strongest to survive.  The first seedlings which were planted out in winter 2009 are growing strongly.  Last winter, 2010, as Trees For Life members, we planted a total of 1500 endemic plants across our properties.  And this year, we have 4500 plants waiting in pots to be planted this winter.

We are extremely grateful for the ability to easily improve the natural capital of our properties by in large due to the incredible vision and service provided by Trees For Life www.treesforlife.org.au.