Bazman's food forest over 9 years

Discussion in 'Members' Systems' started by bazman, Jun 28, 2012.

  1. annette

    annette Junior Member

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    Bazman's place is fabulous! The swale system is brilliant. And the biochar stuff is very interesting.

    As for the koalas, from what I have been told, they travel within a 10 hectare area. They have their favourite trees and from my own observation they come around my place and go from one favourite tree to another for about a week and then they move on and come back in a couple of months. Individual koalas seem to have their favourites. I watched a mother and her baby for ages. Then she now longer carried the baby but they stayed in the same tree (she was probably still keeping on eye on it) and then they parted company. I've been told also that the baby will visit the same tree that the mum has taught it to feed from as a youngun as time goes on. I believe I have seen both of them at different times in the same trees as they were in as mum and bub. A smaller female, sits in her favourite trees till she gets to a euc. overhanging the clothes line and then I don't see her for a while.

    I have quite a large koala population (see one nearly everyday, although there are not as many as years ago I've been told) here as most of the properties around have left the trees in place and so it provides lots of food. I'm lucky that from my verandah it looks straight into the trees so the koala viewing and spotting is very easy.
     
  2. deee

    deee Junior Member

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    Bazman, the documentation of this is a fantastic resource! I'll be sending students to your blog
    Thanks muchly
    Danielle
     
  3. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    I'm glad there are still koala around! In my region several rare animals are coming back due to folks no longer trying to ranch for a living. The state (TX) passed a law which allows landowners to maintain their land for Wildlife Management instead of agriculture and still get the same tax break. Does Australia have anything similar as an incentive to maintaining or restoring land for wildlife?
     
  4. annette

    annette Junior Member

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    Hi Ludi

    In Queensland, they have a nature reserve program and a Land for Wildlife Program but it does not involve tax breaks. the Nature Reserve program requires the landowner to preserve the area, cannot subdivide or have development that would degrade the values of the nature reserve. You get a little money for weed control and maybe fencing if you want to keep cattle out of riparain zones etc.but no tax breaks. Interestingly the landowner once signed up to the nature reserve cannot revoke it and it is perpetual for any subsequent owners, except for MINING! Mining interests can go in there and wreck the lot no worries.

    Land for Wildlife is voluntary and can be revoked. You get a little money to help the land but nothing to write home about. Smaller properties can be involved in a program called Backyards for Wildlife. You get a sign to stick out the front of your property.
     
  5. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Local Council is pro-development since almagamation. The environment is taking a backseat to assets that return money or are larger election issues like potholes or sports. State Government has also changed to a less environmentally-focused one not to say the previous one did any better.

    I used to have a fair bit to do with the koala groups (local protection) and not one person was positive about their future. Of course, we have to keep trying but the larger issues like habitat destruction and fragmentation are ignored and fences are put up, or studies are commissioned. Not to mention the two ridiculous flashing signs they have at the moment - Koala Area. Slow Down.
     
  6. bazman

    bazman Junior Member

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    Out on the lake which my place borders we have been lucky enough to have a breeding pair of Black Necked Storks which are also called Jabirus for many years now. They are a beautiful bird with a massive wingspan, they are also quite friendly, as they have wandered up towards me many times.

    My brother who is a amateur wildlife photographer has taken many cool photo's of them over the years.

    View attachment 1412
     

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  7. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    Beautiful!
     
  8. annette

    annette Junior Member

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  9. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    He's trying not to be seen!
     
  10. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    That's why koala spotters are so important. ;)
     
  11. juhill

    juhill Junior Member

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    Too true eco4560 and it is also important to know what a healthy koala looks like, we have them here and we keep an eye out to see if they are healthy, such as clear eyes and a clean bottom. We had a sick one here and we had to get in contact with Australia Zoo we managed to catch him and he was picked up by one of the wildlife carers then passed onto Judy Irwin who passed him onto Australia Zoo. We were so happy when he came back 6 months later looking much healthier and fatter... but he came back from the big smoke with piercings (a tag) so now when we see him we know it is Chris he was caught in December just before Christmas.
     
  12. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    That's neat that you have a koala with accessories!
     
  13. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Sorry to derail Bazman, just driving past a way I haven't travelled for a while, saw 2 good clearcuts.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The second one I always thought was a lovely park, maybe 20-30 year old regrowth, all the layers in place (no mowing). Both those areas 'were' marginal koala territory.
     
  14. annette

    annette Junior Member

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    Just devasting. how short sighted. Feeling pretty sad at the moment. SOP if you see any koalas bring them to my place. Where the hell are the native animals supposed to go around here. Gives me the shits.
     
  15. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    I heard someone defending logging in old growth on the radio the other day. They said that a dead koala that had been used by the 'greenies' in their anti logging advertising had been proven to have died from a dog attack not from logging. But do the dogs get up a eucalyptus to eat a koala? No - they wait until the animals have to move through the suburbs to find another tree. And the suburbs in between the trees are there because someone cut the trees down.... Duh!
     
  16. Ludi

    Ludi Junior Member

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    That is too subtle a concept for anti-greenies, they don't see the connection between habitat destruction and native animals being forced into territory in which they're vulnerable to non-native animal attack. They can't see that logging may have caused the koala to move to where it could be attacked by a dog and therefore logging is responsible for the death of the koala.
     
  17. Greyfox

    Greyfox Junior Member

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    How good is this , great job , it is interesting to see how it has developed over the years.
    I have started my Food Forest, so I better take some photos as well.
    Very Inspiring
     
  18. annette

    annette Junior Member

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    We are trying to build food forests and incorporate native trees and forests and any areas not "developed" are being torn down by local government and developers.. Trees and native animals don't pay rates. Not until biodiversity is valued in planning schemes and in dollar terms, and not just as some leftover passing thought, will this ever stop. The intrinsic and aesthetic value of trees and animals is never considered. We need old trees. I think it gets down to again, money money money, and a disconnection from nature for a lot of people. Ok end of rant.
     
  19. Finchj

    Finchj Junior Member

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    9 Years of photos is just great. Loving it. I can tell a lot of love has gone into your food forest.

    Please share some more photos so I can stop feeling sad about the koalas.
     
  20. S.O.P

    S.O.P Moderator

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    Someone needs to do a video walkaround of Baz's house.
     

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