Building Ecological Robustness at Myamyn Wetland, VIC

Myamyn Wetland is located near Hamilton in Western Victoria on Gunditjmara & Djabwurung Country. Close to the ‘Green Triangle’, this Greenfleet forest borders a wetland, serving as an important extension of this threatened ecosystem.

In 2020, we planted 23,000 native trees on this property in partnership with Cassinia Environmental. Growing over 28 hectares, this forest will provide long-term environmental benefits including capturing carbon from the atmosphere, restoring wildlife habitat and improving water quality.

Remnant vegetation around the wetland at Myamyn

Previously a blue gum plantation, the trees we have planted are indicative of the native species that grew in the region prior to land clearing. Some of the species chosen include Brown Stringy Bark (Eucalyptus baxteri), Slender Heath Myrtle (Melaleuca gibbose) and Woolly Tea Tree (Leptospermum lanigerium).

Over its lifetime, this native forest will capture almost 20,000 tonnes of CO₂-e from the atmosphere. This is enough to offset the emissions from 870 people in Australia for a whole year.

Wetlands are a highly threatened Ecological Vegetation Class (EVC) and are home to very distinctive flora and fauna. According to Environmental Justice Australia, around two thirds of Victoria’s wetlands have been lost and the remaining wetlands are endangered by poor land management^[1]. By planting an endemic forest on site, we are helping to rebuild the robustness of this important landscape and restore biodiversity to the site.

The protection of this ecosystem is so important that in conjunction with us legally protecting the forest for 100 years, there is also a biodiversity covenant on the property with Victorian Trust for Nature. This ensures protection and maintenance of biodiversity on the property.

While all our forests play an important role in restoring biodiverse ecosystems, ensuring the protection of particularly vulnerable ones is a critical part of our work. We hope that this forest will help ensure the survival of this important ecosystem for many years to come.

References:

[1] Environmental Justice Australia