Murrumbidgee Landcare have secured funding to run a program on 10 farms in the region, to show landholders how trees can benefit their properties as well as create habitats for endangered species. 

Project officer Nicole Maher said the initiative will look to reverse some of the damage done by extensive clearing for cropping throughout history.

“We’ll establish demonstration sites where we’ll have workshops and field days to show how planting not only trees but shrubs and an understory create habitat and provide benefits for surrounding paddocks,” Ms Maher said. 

While the program won’t target any specific native species, building up shrubbery on farms would provide homes for the swiss and superb parrot populations as well as squirrel and sugar gliders. 

Nicole Maher, project officer with Landcare, said the group have felt a resurgence of interest in natural resource management in Junee, and want to continue the momentum. 

“We’ve just finished a big six-year cross property project with nearly 70 landholders,” Ms Maher said. 

“For a lot of those involved their parents may have been in Landcare and they dropped off, but this project has gotten them back into it.

“We’ve really felt a growth in enthusiasm among farmers for natural resource management.” 

The last project encompassed landholders across three geographical regions, the Junee Shire, Tarcutta and Kiamba. 

Former member for Cootamundra, Katrina Hodgkinson announced a $100,000 grant for the program last week as part of the NSW Government’s Restoration and Rehabilitation Grant Program. 

“This grant will help protect and preserve our local environment for future generations,” Ms Hodgkinson said.

The first workshop will be held in late 2017 or early 2018 and be open to anyone interested.