Planting brings new life to cleared land

LOCAL schools, community groups and volunteers have teamed up to restore biodiversity next to Lake Modewarre.

An 11-hecatre former farming paddock has been transformed into native habitat as part of the Surf Coast Shire’s carbon offsetting and environmental planting project.

As part of the upgrades, over 10,000 trees have been planted, with rocks and timber logs strategically places across the site by local primary schools and community groups.

The native plants were grown by local nurseries – Otway Greening and Otway Indigenous Nursery, using seeds collected form remnant vegetation along nearby roadsides.

The project is a small step in reversing the loss of native vegetation, with 95 per cent of the district historically cleared.

The site will now provide refuge for birds, reptiles, and insections and shade for kangaroos and wallabies passing through the area.

“This project is about more than planting trees, it’s about restoring an entire landscape,” Cr Tony Phelps said.

“Working with Landcare, schools and the community, we have been able to create something that will grow stronger every year,”

“It will support wildlife and gives our community a living connection to the land for generations to come.”

Estimates by Corangamite Catchment Management Authority state approximately 920 tonnes of carbon will be sequestered 25 years after planting.

The shire has endorsed retaining and protecting this site for at least 50 years.