Birchip Cropping Group – Wildlife ponds
Project Profile
| Name of Project | Wildlife ponds – maintaining biodiversity on farms in the Wimmera Mallee |
| Name of group(s) involved | Birchip Cropping Group |
| Time frame | 2008-2009 |
| Website | www.bcg.org.au/wildlife_ponds |
| Location | North-west Victoria |
| State | Victoria |
| NRM Region | Mallee, Wimmera, and North Central |
| What industry does the group belong to? | Broad-acre cropping |
| Corporate Partners involved | Woolworths |
| Level of Funding from LAL | $10,500 |
| Funding from other sources | $6,700 |
Issues
The Birchip Cropping Group has shown that wildlife ponds are a new way to compensate for losses to wildlife habitat due to impending changes in irrigation water reticulation in the Wimmera Mallee.
The development of the Wimmera Mallee pipeline and the ensuing move to reduce open water resources in the Wimmera Mallee region of North-west Victoria, prompted the Birchip Cropping Group to develop a project to show how wildlife ponds can assist to maintain biodiversity.
Funded through a Woolworths Sustainable Farming Grant, ten ponds have been installed in strategic locations on farm paddocks in the Wimmera Mallee area using volunteer labour from local landholders.
The project has provided a cost effective, water efficient and scientifically proven method of enhancing biodiversity values on farms.
The Birchip Cropping Group has shown that wildlife ponds are a new way to compensate for losses to wildlife habitat due to impending changes in irrigation water reticulation in the Wimmera Mallee.
Project Detail
| Background to Project |
The Birchip Cropping Group, formed in 1992, is a not-for-profit agricultural research organisation led by farmers in the Wimmera Mallee region of North-west Victoria. It services the local cropping industry.
After the announcement that a number of dams and channels would be de-commissioned along a 17,500km route to make way for the Wimmera Mallee pipeline, the Birchip Cropping Group initiated a project funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation titled, ‘Biodiversity in a Piped Rural Water System- Evaluating the impact of the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline on biodiversity of farms’. The findings, measured by woodland birds in the Northern Mallee Pipeline region, clearly demonstrated that wildlife water
points in a farming landscape can increase biodiversity levels and maintain existing biodiversity values in woodlands within the Wimmera Mallee channel/dam region. The evaluation also showed that the channel/dam network supported many faunal species including a diverse range of birds, mammals, reptiles and frogs. Fauna, including frogs, turtles and bats would be seriously disadvantaged by the loss of open water.
The pending reduction of flows to open water dams and channels in the Wimmera Mallee region would significantly impact on the habitat and the access to open water for a variety of native species, a major issue in an area which has been experiencing increasing biodiversity loss for a number of years.
To help address this problem, the Birchip Cropping Group developed a project that would replace previous open water sources with wildlife ponds to increase and maintain biodiversity levels on farms.
This project is considered a new option for engaging landholders and undertaking on-ground works for biodiversity benefit and sustainable farming.
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| Key Objectives | • To raise awareness of decreasing biodiversity in the region and the role of wildlife ponds in increasing biodiversity • To increase local capacity to implement environmentally-positive action • To assist ten landholders establish wildlife ponds on their farms • To lead to improved biodiversity values in the region |
| Description of Project | Ten landholders were identified and sites chosen for the installation of the ponds. Installation required holes to be excavated and then lined before being filled with water and planted out with native vegetation.
The information days, held after they were established and operating , aimed to raise awareness of the need for biodiversity in farming regions as well as show farmers how to install their own wildlife ponds.
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| Issues encountered during the project | • Ten sites were chosen initially, however one had to be moved as it was convenanted by Trust for Nature during the project. Finding a suitable new site with a willing landholder with time to install a wildlife pond was quite time consuming • One pond had a sandy soil base and needed clay brought in from a nearby channel bank to line it. The hard clay caused significant damage to the plastic liner when dropped on it but this was not realised until completion when the pond did not hold water. The lining had to be removed and new plastic lining and clay installed using a gentler approach which has proven successful and there have been no reports of other damage using this method • Co-ordinating the installation of all ten ponds was more time consuming than first budgeted. Due to 2008 eventuating in another drought in the region, many farmers were busy cutting hay at the time they were to be installing their ponds. Rain fell in the months of November and December during the harvest period, prolonging harvest time. The start of 2009 was extremely dry again making the ground difficult to excavate and in some cases it took several hours and numerous attempts to reach the right depth and dimensions for the ponds |
| Project Outcomes – Qualitative | • Increased community awareness of biodiversity and the usefulness of wildlife ponds • Wildlife ponds will continue to provide benefits for biodiversity in the region |
| Project Outcomes – Quantitative | • Established wildlife ponds on ten farms in the region • Provided a cost-effective, water-efficient and scientifically-proven method of enhancing biodiversity values on farms • Held information days for farmers of the Hopetoun Landcare Group and the Birchip Cropping Group Women’s Agronomy Group on the importance of biodiversity and the research behind the wildlife pond project • Held a “How to install a wildlife pond” workshop for local farmers at the request of Hopetoun Landcare Group • Engaged the Hopetoun Junior Landcare Group in a wildlife pond education day and workshop • Developed a ‘How to Maintain your Wildlife Pond” guide • Developed Web 2.0 technology onto their website to promote local landholder engagement in the monitoring of fauna and participative data recording and observations (Web 2.0 is a term used to describe new internet applications that facilitate interactive information sharing and interoperability with a user-focus design) Visit http://www.bcg.org.au/wildlife_ponds • A range of information is accessible on the Birchip Cropping Group’s website including a series of 6 videos recorded with the wildlife ponds project officer, information on “How to Guides” on the establishment of wildlife ponds, maintaining fences and water levels, managing limbs falling onto ponds and liner leaks or erosion of banks and what plants to use as well as a range of photos, interactive maps and a blog |
| Lessons Learned | • The ideal hole for a pond is a 5m circular depression dug to about 1m deep, bowl-shaped, with sloping sides. • Cumbungi plants can choke out the pond ending up with a monoculture, so periodic control is required • The liner should be handled with extreme care during the development phase so as not to cause any damage to it • Water leaks should be checked in the liner before completing the pond otherwise it is very difficult to locate and fix the leak source afterwards • The ideal hole for a pond is a 5m circular depression dug to about 1m deep, bowl-shaped, with sloping sides |
| Transferable Outcomes | • Education for farmers and locals will potentially result in more wildlife ponds being installed in future • Through the popularity of the installation of the ponds, the Hopetoun Junior Landcare Group also became involved during the project. A wildlife pond education day and workshop were followed by the installation of a small-scale wildlife pond at the Hopetoun Landcare office by the children. • The ‘How to Maintain your Wildlife Pond” guide is available on the Brichip Cropping Group’s website • Web 2.0 technology to promote local landholder engagement in the monitoring of fauna and participative data recording and observations is now also available on the website • The concept was the winner of the 2007 Banksia Award in the ‘Land and Biodiversity’ category |
Photography
Please note that photos are available on the Birchip Cropping Group’s website. Visit http://www.bcg.org.au/wildlife_ponds
