An ecological thinning of vegetation program has begun in the Capertee Valley to ensure optimum habitat for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater.
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In recent decades, more than 250 hectares of habitat has been established in revegetation work by volunteers, landholders and groups such as BirdLife Australia, partnering with Local Land Services. But some of the trees were planted a little too densely and thrived so much that the canopy needed to be thinned to encourage a more natural woodland.
"What we are looking for in the habitat for the Regent honeyeater is flowering because the birds are dependent on the nectar," said Evelyn Nicholson, land services officer with Central Tablelands LLS.
"But if the trees are too close, they can't spread out naturally like good habitat trees should, so we are trying to help that process along by thinning some of them."
On the property 'Junjira', thinning of a revegetated area has been undertaken according to conditions set out in a certificate under the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code.
"The challenge here was the trees were outcompeting each other for moisture, nutrients and light," said Jill O'Grady, sustainable land management officer with Central Tablelands LLS.
"We needed to provide a uniform thinning certificate that allowed the landholder to understand what stem density was required so they weren't overthinning or underthinning."
Landholder, Ross Halfacree, who enjoys the property as a getaway with his family said he was happy to be part of the project because he wanted to improve the environment.
"I'd like other people to look at the property and what we've done and maybe take away good ideas to increase the biodiversity of their real estate," he said.
"[LLS] helped me with the science and they took into account the time that I had available, but above all the passion and dedication they had was infectious."
