Spirit of the Bunyip in conjunction with the Cardinia Environment Coalition is working with landholders in the area South east of Melbourne and around Western Port to protect the native vegetation remaining on their proporty or to build native vegetation linkages through planting.

There are proven advantages for landowners who plant or protect native vegetation of productive farms. Some of these are listed below. 

Some of the advantages of native shelterbelts include:

• Protecting livestock from the extremes of temperatures and harsh winds—in wet and cold conditions, shelterbelts can assist in reducing the loss of stock (www.dpi.vic.gov.au);

• Enhance productivity—Providing shelter for stock can increase productivity in a number of ways. Shelterbelts can improve pastoral productivity, improve the condition of stock and increase feeding efficiency. Studies have shown that sheltered pastures and crops can be more productive. By reducing the speed of drying winds, pastures have more moisture available to them and grow at faster rates (www.dpi.vic.gov.au); 
• Provision of habitat for local fauna and flora; 
• Aesthetic improvement of the property;
• Prevention of erosion;
• Protection from fire— a shelterbelt can reduce wind speed, which affects the rate of fire spread.

If you are interested to find our more, please contact the Spirit of the Bunyip Coordinator on 03 8781 7900.