GBSAN Landscape Linkages Project
We have some new members to our Landscape Linkages team. Welcome Vanessa and Janet.
Word is getting out about this important project which aims to join up wildlife corridors/stepping stones across the Granite Belt to assist with survival of our wonderful and unique native fauna and flora. Currently we have 34 landholders who have signed up to the project. We are aiming to have 150 landholders involved in the project within the next 12 months.
The vision:
To support Landholders interested in managing their land to protect biodiversity to engage with one another to create clusters of properties.
Property clusters eventually will link up forming continuous corridors of bush.
This will allow species to migrate across the landscape and avoid the fragmentation that has led to species decline and extinctions in other regions
The largest biodiversity project ever undertaken on the Granite Belt!
What:
The Granite Belt has a high degree of habitat diversity due to its elevation, topographic variation, outcropping rock features and a pronounced east-west rainfall gradient.
45% of the land remains as remnant vegetation and is a distinctive feature across the landscape.
Over 900 species of flowering plants occur in the region with 45 listed as threatened, including 6 classified as critically endangered.
Unfortunately, 28 of the fauna species here are listed as threatened, including the endangered spotted tailed quoll as well as koalas, glossy black cockatoos, powerful owls and border thick tailed geckoes.
How:
Protecting the “best of what’s left” is more effective than restoration as a first step.
In the first instance we need to secure our remnant habitat.
There may need to be some restorative work to complete the proposed linkages.
Why:
To protect our landscape, we need to build a voice for biodiversity.
Demonstrating our community’s commitment to a sustainable future will allow us to access funds from both philanthropic organisations and government to employ a bush care officer.
The Bush Care officer will assist landholders directly in managing their properties as well as accessing targeted grants for specific initiatives such as weed control, fire management and habitat enhancement.
Next step:
The first step in achieving our vision is to register an “expression of interest” by filling out a simple form here on the GBSAN Landscape Linkages website: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b47bd43acc074698872fcd73c5b800ee.
Your information will remain confidential and will be used only to identify “clusters” of like-minded landholders who can link up as part of building a strong and vibrant community who are motivated to work together to secure the future of our magnificent landscape through cooperative action.
There is no cost to participating landholders.
For more information, please contact:
Geraldine Hollingsworth community@gbsan.org.au