Bazman's food forest over 9 years

[annette]

Bazman's place is fabulous! The swale system is brilliant. And the biochar stuff is very interesting.

As for the koalas, from what I have been told, they travel within a 10 hectare area. They have their favourite trees and from my own observation they come around my place and go from one favourite tree to another for about a week and then they move on and come back in a couple of months. Individual koalas seem to have their favourites. I watched a mother and her baby for ages. Then she now longer carried the baby but they stayed in the same tree (she was probably still keeping on eye on it) and then they parted company. I've been told also that the baby will visit the same tree that the mum has taught it to feed from as a youngun as time goes on. I believe I have seen both of them at different times in the same trees as they were in as mum and bub. A smaller female, sits in her favourite trees till she gets to a euc. overhanging the clothes line and then I don't see her for a while.

I have quite a large koala population (see one nearly everyday, although there are not as many as years ago I've been told) here as most of the properties around have left the trees in place and so it provides lots of food. I'm lucky that from my verandah it looks straight into the trees so the koala viewing and spotting is very easy.

[deee]

Bazman, the documentation of this is a fantastic resource! I'll be sending students to your blog
Thanks muchly
Danielle

[Ludi]

I'm glad there are still koala around! In my region several rare animals are coming back due to folks no longer trying to ranch for a living. The state (TX) passed a law which allows landowners to maintain their land for Wildlife Management instead of agriculture and still get the same tax break. Does Australia have anything similar as an incentive to maintaining or restoring land for wildlife?

[annette]

Hi Ludi

In Queensland, they have a nature reserve program and a Land for Wildlife Program but it does not involve tax breaks. the Nature Reserve program requires the landowner to preserve the area, cannot subdivide or have development that would degrade the values of the nature reserve. You get a little money for weed control and maybe fencing if you want to keep cattle out of riparain zones etc.but no tax breaks. Interestingly the landowner once signed up to the nature reserve cannot revoke it and it is perpetual for any subsequent owners, except for MINING! Mining interests can go in there and wreck the lot no worries.

Land for Wildlife is voluntary and can be revoked. You get a little money to help the land but nothing to write home about. Smaller properties can be involved in a program called Backyards for Wildlife. You get a sign to stick out the front of your property.

[S.O.P]

Local Council is pro-development since almagamation. The environment is taking a backseat to assets that return money or are larger election issues like potholes or sports. State Government has also changed to a less environmentally-focused one not to say the previous one did any better.

I used to have a fair bit to do with the koala groups (local protection) and not one person was positive about their future. Of course, we have to keep trying but the larger issues like habitat destruction and fragmentation are ignored and fences are put up, or studies are commissioned. Not to mention the two ridiculous flashing signs they have at the moment - Koala Area. Slow Down.

[bazman]

Out on the lake which my place borders we have been lucky enough to have a breeding pair of Black Necked Storks which are also called Jabirus for many years now. They are a beautiful bird with a massive wingspan, they are also quite friendly, as they have wandered up towards me many times.

My brother who is a amateur wildlife photographer has taken many cool photo's of them over the years.

black necked stork.jpg

[Ludi]

Beautiful!

[annette]

Here is a photo of one of the koalas that hang around.

http://www.photoblog.com/koalasarehere/2012/06/30/

I don't believe it. It worked.

[Ludi]

He's trying not to be seen!

[eco4560]

That's why koala spotters are so important.