Trust for Nature and the North East Catchment Management Authority have announced the recipients of the first round of environmental grants through the Bush for Birds project.

The Bush for Birds project aims to protect, manage and increase habitat on private land for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater and Swift Parrot.

There are estimated to be fewer than 400 Regent Honeyeaters and 2,000 Swift Parrots left in the wild.

Landholders submitted expressions of interest (EOI) for funding for a range of activities including fencing remnant bushland, planting trees and shrubs, thinning dense regeneration and weed control.

Twenty-four landholders were successful in receiving funding, collectively they manage over 500 ha of remnant bushland and are undertaking more than 120 ha of revegetation.

Trust for Nature Regional Manager Will Ford said the project attracted a lot of attention which demonstrated the community’s interest in threatened species.

He said, “Ninety EOIs were submitted for this first round of funding, which goes to show how important these iconic species are to the local community.”

“Landholders have been really keen to get involved and contribute to threatened species conservation in a practical way.”

Waldara landholders Barbara McDonald and Judy Bonwick’s grant application was successful.

Barbara said, “We were thrilled to hear that our project got the go ahead. “We think it’s really important to strike a balance between farm productivity and conservation, and this project will help us to achieve that.”

Will said their farm project contributes greatly to protecting threatened species: “This property sits between the Ovens River and the Warby Range, so it’s a really important part of the landscape from a wildlife connectivity perspective.

“The proposal included fencing a good quality patch of native woodland, managing invasive weeds to promote natural regeneration, and linking up areas of bush with strategic paddock tree plantings.

“More than 60 per cent of Victoria is private land, so landholders have a critical role to play in providing habitat for threatened species.” “I’m looking forward to working with such committed landholders to achieve some really positive conservation outcomes,” Will said.

Tucked away on a property in Nagambie is a special stand of grass-trees.

It was so amazing that even the landholder was surprised by what he saw when he first found them.

The property has about 10 ha of grass-trees, an extremely slow growing group of plants which are endemic to Australia and can be recognised by their narrow, stiff, long leaves which sprout from the top of the trunk.

What is so encouraging about this patch of grass-trees is that they span across various ages – from the very young to the very old, with some more than two metres high.

Landholder Mike Davies (pictured) said he is proud of these distinctive plants which are popular amongst visitors.

He said, “I take family and friends to see them when they come to visit. Most have never seen this many grass-trees or any of this size or grandeur.

“This whole property is more than 100 ha and to be honest I had never walked the entire ridgeline where they are found, so I was really surprised to see so many, and particularly see some so old. They are incredible.”

Trust for Nature approached Mike about the conservation significance of the property and he was keen to find out about how to protect the grass-trees in the long term.

As a result, he is considering placing a conservation covenant over the land so they are protected forever.

Trust for Nature’s North East Conservation Officer Shae Brennan said protecting the grass-trees will ensure they are there for future generations to enjoy, even when the property changes hands.

Landholders near Euroa are doing their bit to ensure the threatened Squirrel Glider doesn’t disappear from the area.

On the Longwood Plains the species clings to survival along roadsides, creek lines and patches of native vegetation on private property.

Trust for Nature’s Bertram Lobert said the Longwood Plains’ original woodland vegetation has been substantially cleared and highly fragmented, due to almost 200 years of clearing and farming.

He said, “The gliders depend on old trees which have hollows in them and on connections, like treed roadsides, across the landscape. Fortunately there’s been good interest from local landholders who want to provide homes for gliders so we’re working with them to improve and build habitat.”

The gliders are difficult to find because they don’t have bright eye-shine (for nocturnal detection), they don’t vocalise (like the Sugar Glider does), and their body colouration camouflages them in the tree canopy.

With the help of thermal imaging technology Trust for Nature has detected Squirrel Gliders on three Longwood Plains properties that have conservation covenants on them and with support from the Urquhart Charitable Fund, 80 nest boxes have been installed where they will be most useful.

Conservation covenants are voluntary agreements on property titles that enable private landowners to protect nature forever, even after the property changes hands.

Bertram said, “The work that these landholders are doing is great and its efforts like theirs that could very well ensure that we don’t lose Squirrel Gliders from this area.”