Upper Yango Landholders Association Revegation Project

Over the past twelve months members of the Upper Yango Creek Landholders Association have undertaken a revegetation project supported by a grant from the Foundation of National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW). The aim of the project was to revegetate riparian areas in and adjacent to Upper Yengo Creek that were devastated by the 2019 bushfires. Further urgency was added to the project due to flooding events of 2000-2022 that caused significant erosion of the creek.

Planting has been carried out in targeted sections areas of the creek as well as adjacent areas to try and create some habitat corridors for recovering native bird and wildlife populations.

After two Valley planting days, small group and individual work, landholders have spent over five hundred hours, planted over 1160 trees and 1400 grasses using tube stock supplied from FNPW nurseries, Trees in Newcastle Nursery and Upper Hunter Landcare Nursery. Of particular satisfaction was the collection of seed from the site between March 2000 and August 2022 that has resulted in the planting of Melelucca styphelioides , Eucalyptus dennii and Eucalyptus amplifolia on the Valley’s Autumn Planting Day. These species and others endemic to the area have been used to create diversity in the habitat.

In conjunction with revegetating sections of the creek we have been able to engage contractors to target blackberry, Japanese honeysuckle and tree of heaven which has made it possible to begin preparation for further planting in the coming months.

Without the support of the FNPW Grant we as a community would not have been able to embark on such an important project, for that we are grateful.

Comments from Landholders:
In an environment of very sandy soil, fires and floods have impacted badly on our creek banks. The only way to stabilise the banks is by planting grasses, trees and shrubs…The plants supplied by the FNPW grant, …lomandra and a range of trees and shrubs have helped us keep up the fight to save the creek banks.
Geoff and Rhonda Parkin UYLA Members

It was amazing to see how the valley community came together to support the project. To see so many tree guards scattered along the riparian area from [one end of the Valley to the other] . It has been just a wonderful initiative that will be giving back for generations to come.
North Sullivan, President UYLA
Planting these trees makes me feel we are at least trying to save the creek beds from eroding more as well as providing a greener canopy for the lower sections of the valley. Some of our trees have grown a metre in under a year and look very happy.
Helen McGrath ULA Member

..(We) are very grateful for the assistance provided by the grant. We have been able to strategically plant a number of areas along the creek that were damaged by fire and recent floods and were susceptible to further erosion. Blackberry treatment has made the task of regaining control over this weed seem much more achievable.
Carol and David Stiles, UYLA Members