From Pasture to Plantation

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One of the aims of the Road’s Edge series is to highlight social issues in a context that reminds us how close, yet how far, we are from solving them.  Standing on the edge of a road, we look out into an area that is rarely travelled yet lies just a few steps away.

Cross-country hikers have no qualms about getting off track, but even that is increasingly frowned upon these days with some parks and wilderness areas becoming increasingly fragile.

I wrote recently about the history of the Mt Oriel / Iandra area.  On that field trip, the focus was particularly on the transformation from dense forest to rolling pasture.  So, it was a striking juxtaposition to find this plantation on the drive home.  The linear pattern of the planting caught my eye, turning this stretch of bush into farmland of a different sort.

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There are a number of ways Australians are re-planting lost bushland; in small local groups, such as the Friends of Mt Majura, to local chapters of national organisations such as Land Care.  There is also the work of the various Government agencies who are charged with tending to our natural heritage.

When I went looking for information on revegetation, I was surprised just how much these projects cost.  It’s no wonder there is such a need for volunteers and government incentives (with the occasional legislative stick) to protect our natural heritage.

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Related posts:

If you enjoyed my approach in this post, you might also enjoy:

::  Revegetation after road work on Clarrie Hermes Drive.

::  The impact of a grass fire along the Boorowa Road.

References:

Information about native vegetation from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities is available at the following web address:

http://www.environment.gov.au/land/vegetation/index.html

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