NRM top tips - December: 12 awesome examples of cotton biodiversity stewardship

1.

For the past 20 years, the Macquarie Cotton Growers Association, in partnership with Narromine and Warren Shire Councils and NSW DPI Fisheries, have been undertaking fingerling (young native fish) releases to help restore native fish populations within the Macquarie River.

Read more about native fish release in the Macquarie

2.

“I might not be managing the storage for birds and other fauna, but the fact they are there is great, all the better for our farm,” Pip Swansbra, Moree.

Read Pip's interview

3.

Providing artificial tree hollows for hollow dependent native wildlife.

Read more about protecting hollows for wildlife

4.

The Central Highlands Cotton Growers and Irrigators Association (CHCG&IA) in partnership with Fitzroy Partnership for River Health (FPRH) and Central and Highlands Science Centre (CHSC) participated in water quality monitoring training and data collection, contributing towards the Fitzroy Basin's Reef Report Card as part of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan.

5.

Encouraging natural regrowth along creeks to improve on-farm riparian health.

Read the case study about regeneration of riparian areas

6.

Working towards carbon neutral cotton farms, understanding how existing native vegetation can offsets farm emissions.

7.

Protecting the Gywdir “raft”, a mass of instream wood that moves around depending on the flow. The “raft” provides an important instream geomorphological feature and aquatic habitat.

8.

Planting native trees and shrubs for multiple on farm benefits, such as increased on-farm biodiversity, windbreaks and habitat for natural pest control.

Read more about the native vegetation corridors on Lllano

9.

Restoring riparian areas on farm for increased biodiversity including natural predators which contribute towards Integrated Pest Management.

10.

Restoring riverine areas using management techniques such as strategic grazing to manage weeds and increase native groundcover. Utilising areas of native vegetation for Integrated Pest Management.

11.

Linking existing remnant vegetation patches to create corridors through the landscape for koala’s and other wildlife.

12.

Building capacity amongst local landholders in cotton landscapes to take a co-ordinated approach to feral animal control.