Tyson, VIC

A run-down parcel of land on the side of the Strzelecki Ranges has been transformed by a visionary landowner and Greenfleet.

Adam and Debbie Tyson’s property in southern Victoria was once covered with a mosaic of rainforest, including 90-metre tall Mountain Ash trees. As the agriculturalists and loggers moved into the region in the late 19th century, the land was cleared and less than a fifth of the original forest remains standing today.

“When I bought the land, it was overgrazed and run down with erosion and weeds. It had very little remanent vegetation left,” Adam explains.

The sparsely-forested property’s steep slopes and frequent heavy rainfall also made it prone to devastating landslides.

“We had five major landslips – one which blocked the road – in a short space of time. It should never have been cleared in the first place,” Adam adds.

Active members of the Mount Worth & District Landcare Group, both Adam and Debbie understood the importance of revegetation to tackle the erosion, and they turned to Greenfleet for help.

“Lots of locals are doing revegetation work in the area – and my piece brings together a few corridors of remanent vegetation from the creek line on the south west border of the property to a patch on the northern side,” he says.

Since 2011, the Tysons and Greenfleet have planted approximately 14,880 native trees.

“We’ve seen many improvements over that time. The trees are thriving and there is a noticeable increase in birdlife,” Adam says.

“The trees are certainly helping with the erosion – and we haven’t had a landslide for a couple of seasons now.”

While there is currently no dwelling on the block, there is a grand plan to build a bush paradise in the future. An application is currently before the local council’s planning department and the pair are hopeful that approval will be granted in the near future.

“We did our own planting before I got Greenfleet on board – and the three hectares we completed failed miserably. We lost the 1,000 trees because we didn’t have the experience to make it work. Once we started working with Greenfleet, particularly with Greenfleet Forester Eoghan O’Connor, we’ve had nothing but success.”

While Adam is motivated to enhance the ecological value of the area, the idea of having a carbon sink on his property also appealed.

“Greenfleet brought together the right people, techniques and materials to get great results. We’ve got a flourishing forest that has improved the quality of our land and we’re also tackling climate change,” he concludes.