Plan carefully to ensure a maximum return on your labour

Illustration by Janette Doyle Acacia verticillata

Use this checklist to make sure you have covered all your bases before starting. To get further detail just click on the underlined item.

• Determine your goal (eg. riparian repair; ‘natural’ garden; wildlife corridor; stabilisation against erosion; shelter belt etc.)  When developing a revegetation plan, it is important to know what you are trying to achieve. Use this checklist to clarify your goals. (To download pdf of checklist click here)
  o    Shelterbelt for stock
  Contains a mix of canopy trees and understory shrubs. Designed to reduce wind, provide shade and protection from frost for livestock.  Will also reduce damage to pasture. Can function as farm forestry area or wildlife corridor.
  o    Wildlife Corridor
  Contains a mix of canopy trees, understory trees, shrubs, grasses, scramblers and herbs. At least 20m wide in order to provide adequate habitat and protection for most wildlife. Also functions as a shelter belt, seed collection area, cut flower & foliage area, part of integrated pest management strategy.
  o    Enhancing remnant vegetation
  Commonly remnant trees are present. Planting understory species and any tree species found to be missing from the EVC will support the long term survival of the remnant trees and increase the  habitat value of the site.
  o    Mitigating soil erosion & stabilizing slips
  More common on sloping ground, gullies and riparian areas. Large areas may need to be planted. Tussocks and grasses are particularly helpful in stabilizing the soil whilst the larger species establish themselves. Can function as shelterbelt or wildlife corridor.
  o    Riparian repair and stabilization
  Mitigating bank erosion by removing stock access and replanting with native species. Improves water quality on site and downstream. Also acts as shelterbelt and wildlife corridor.
  o    Improving water quality by filtering & reducing runoff
  Frequently relates to riparian repair but equally important in keeping excess nutrient from agricultural activities out of healthy waterways.
  o    Farm Forestry, bush food, cut flowers & foliage, seed production
  Generally monocultures or areas with low species diversity due to their production focus. Carefully planned they could still provide shelter and habitat.
  o    Integrated pest management
  Many small birds, mammals and insects are natural predators of pest insects found in production systems. Providing suitable habitat in the form of native vegetation can introduce these predators and reduce reliance on other methods of pest control.
  o    ’Bush’ garden
  o    Aesthetics
  Your plans may have multiple goals. However, you may not have access to all the resources required to achieve all of those outcomes. Focus your energy on the aspect of the project which will deliver the maximum return on your efforts. Any revegetation work, well planned, will always have multiple benefits, often beyond those originally foreseen.
  
• Analyse site location
  SIZE
  Determine the size of your chosen site. This can be done with a GPS, surveyor’s wheel, setting the trip metre in your car to 0 and driving the site, or careful pacing. An exact measurement is not always necessary as it is better to slightly overestimate and have some materials left over than run out before the project is complete.
  Most site measurements are expressed as hectares (ha). 1ha = 10,000Sq. m
  DESCRIPTION
  This can be as detailed as you like but should include where the site sits in the landscape; steepness; soil type; aspect; average yearly rainfall; weeds; pests and any remnant species identified.
  We’ve included a printable checklist you can download here to make it easier.
  Making a quick sketch as you walk the site to identify features, locate weeds, burrows, remnant species etc will help with planning.
  
• Weed and pest control (what are the threats and how are you going to minimise them)
  Correctly identify weeds and pests on your project site before you begin. Judge the level of risk they pose to the success of the project and devise a suitable plan to minimize this risk.
  
  PLAN    :   Weed/Pest :____________________________________________________
  
                    Risk:   Low / Medium / High
  
                    Reason: _______________________________________________________
  
                    Control Method: ________________________________________________
  
                    Timing: _______________________________________________________
  
  Most larger pest animals can be controlled through suitable fencing. Tree guards prevent browsing from many smaller animals and can be bought at various heights with stakes to match. In areas with persistent browsing problems, especially by native mammals, it may be cheaper and more successful to build small exclusion pens within your site and concentrate your efforts on a few areas at a time.
  Competition from other plant species for space, nutrients and light can restrict successful revegetation, especially when direct seeding. Perennial weeds and highly developed pasture species are usually the hardest to overcome and may require up to 2 years of control before their threat is minimized. These should be tackled first and multiple methods may be required.
  If you are unsure if a plant is a weed, or which one and how to tackle it, you may take a small sample secured in a plastic bag (it could be invasive and you could spread seed about by simply carrying it) to your local Landcare office, farm supply store or DEPI office for identification.
  Weed and pest control methods are constantly improving and this guide will not make particular recommendations on which chemical or method to use. It is best to do some research, ask around and be prepared to be flexible and creative. ‘Best Practice’ is often worth the little bit of extra time and effort but you may need to tweak it to suit your site.
• Determine planting method
  The first decision to make is whether to direct seed or plant seedlings (tubestocking).
  Direct Seeding  (requires more seed than tubestocking)
  
  • Budget for 1kg of seed mix for every hectare of area to be revegetated.
    Ultimately you may not be able to obtain this much seed, but if you can any leftovers can be carefully stored for reseeding, or germinated and grown out as tubestock to fill gaps in a few years time.
    
  • Requires a greater degree of weed control (up to 2 years) before seeding.
  • Generally carried out with a specially designed seeding machine towed behind a ute or tractor. Experience with the machine’s operation is required. Most sites can be seeded in less than a day.
  • Best for sites over 0.5ha
  • Can be carried out manually by broadcasting onto well prepared ground.
  • No guarding is required.
  • Achieves a very natural look
  Tubestocking (on average is 5 times more expensive than direct seeding if using guards)
  
  • The number of stems per hectare depends on the EVC and the desired outcome.
  • Some plants may take up to 12 months to germinate so plants should be ordered 2 years ahead to ensure adequate supply.
  • Weed control usually only requires spot spraying a few weeks prior to planting.
  • Recommended for small areas, wet or steep sites, remnant enhancement and farm forestry. Also suitable for large sites.
  • Guarding is highly recommended where browsers, strong winds and frost are an issue.
  • May require follow up watering if season is drier than expected to assist establishment.
  Revegetation may involve a combination of direct seeding and tubestocking, depending on your site and the availability of some species. Some species hardly ever germinate in direct seeding and so are planted as tubestock, some seed is difficult to collect in the quantities required for direct seeding and is therefore more economical to tubestock. A successful direct seeding project may require supplementary planting further down the track to fill gaps or add extra species and it is more practical to add these as tubestock.
  
  Whichever way you choose to go you are going to need seed.
  Seed
  
  • Wherever possible, this should be fresh , locally sourced and from similar growing conditions to those found on site.
  • The YYLN operates a volunteer run seedbank that can procure suitable seed for your project. Contact Sally-Ann Henderson on 1300 094 152 for further information or email
    Sally-AnnH@wgcma.vic.gov.au
  • You can also contact private revegetation companies who may collect the seed.
  • Lastly, you may, with the correct permits, collect your own seed. Permits are not                         required for seed collected from your own property as long as the species or community is not protected under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act, and you do not take more than 10% of the plant material from any one plant. A list of protected species and communities can be found here  http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/environment-and-wildlife/biodiversity/biodiversity-interactive-map
  • Permit application forms can be found here
    http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/… › Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
  • The aim of any seed collection should be to capture as much genetic diversity as possible. This increases the resilience of your new population. Collection should involve large populations and broad sampling. The rule of thumb is to sample plants a distance of 3 times the height of the plant from each other; and to sample from strong, healthy plants as well as the scraggly ones. They all contain important genes, some of which may not be needed until conditions change. 
  • If you are planting tubestock and getting a nursery to grow these for you, they will generally source the seed required. They may be happy for you to provide the seed but since such small quantities are required you may not receive a discount on the end price.
  • Another option is the Tree Project. This involves volunteers growing plants for projects for which you pay less than a commercial nursery would charge. You must provide the seed or pay for the Tree Project to obtain suitable seed. The species variety on offer is more limited as the volunteers may not have the same expertise as commercial nurseries. (insert link)
  • If you have collected your own seed, there is nothing to stop you growing your own tubestock. It requires some growing medium, somewhere to germinate and protect the seedlings, germination trays and tubes for potting on, a good water supply and time. This can be challenging, time consuming, frustrating and very rewarding. If you’ve never done it before then some further reading on growing natives is recommended, there are some interesting germination quirks out there and it pays to be aware of them.
• Equipment, labour and funding (What other materials will you need, how much labour, how much will it cost and is there funding available to assist you?)
  These three are placed together in this checklist to make planning decisions easier.
  Use the spreadsheet found here to keep track of costs. It is also helpful to get some quotes from contractors to compare prices and labour estimates. Most fencing contractors will quote a cost per metre of fencing. Check if the cost is with or without materials supplied. You can compare by simply adding all your fencing costs and dividing by the number of metres planned. Weed/pest control and direct seeding is calculated by area, tubestock planting by number of tubes and if guarding is involved.
  This spreadsheet can then be a useful reference when applying for external funding for your project. These funds may be applied for through your local Landcare network, Shire council, Catchment Management Authority, government departments and philanthropic organisations.
  You may need to alter some of your plans to fit their funding criteria or search for grants that suit your project. Few grants cover the full cost. Most will cover the basic materials required but will expect you to complete the labour. Many require a management agreement be put in place that clearly outlines your ongoing management responsibilities for a set period of time.
  
• Choose your plants (Which plants of the indigenous selection for your EVC will best achieve your goals?) Select your Landcare Group from the dropdown items under 'Species Lists'.
  

Australia has over 1000 species of acacia, which Australians call ‘wattle’, and around 2800 species in the Myrtaceae family, which includes eucalypts (or gum trees) and melaleucas.