Human Induced Regeneration

The current landholders took over Buckambool Station in 2017 with a Human-Induced Regeneration project in place. Located south of Cobar in NSW, the property is run as a successful grazing enterprise beneath the rocky ridges that dominate the area, with around 1,500 head of sheep and 200 head of cattle – depending on the season.

Taking it’s name from the uniquely Australian tree that seems to ooze blood instead of sap, Bloodwood is host to a lake system that has the richest array of fairy shrimps, clam shrimps and shield shrimps in the world. As lifetime environmental advocates, it obviously held great appeal for Sue Hanson and her family, who took it over in 2008.

Although it’s early days for this regeneration project, the spider webs the landholder sees in the morning dew are a clear sign the country is recovering. “When you see so many webs, you know the insects are hiding beneath the new grass. The spiders eat pests that fly in, and in turn the ground cover provides them with protection from the frost. They are one of the most important parts of the ecosystem,” he says. And since implementing his project, the ecosystem on the land is definitely improving.

Set in sandy red country mixed with flat plains of rich black soil, this project is spread across Inverness and Culgoa, which host a successful merino sheep operation run by Colin and Christine Payton.

Colodan sits on ancient land within the Burnett Mary Catchment area, part of the important Great Barrier Reef catchment. James Henderson is a fourth generation farmer who runs a successful breeder cattle grazing operation on land which has been under the care of the Henderson family since 1930.

Cairo sits in the Warrego catchment area of the Darling Riverine Plains, roughly 120km south-east of Cunnamulla in Queensland. It has a long history, with parts of the property held by the same family for over 100 years before it was passed to its current owners, Murray and Necia McBride

Kinrara Station sits at the source of the Burdekin River, where permanent spring-fed creeks wind their way through ancient lava flows to feed the rich soils of the crater valley. It’s a special place successfully combining cattle farming, carbon sequestration, and eco-tourism in one operation.

North-west of Louth in New South Wales, Glenora and King’s Bore sit on relatively flat terrain of soft, red, sandy soil. Across over 33,000ha the landscape ranges from open shrublands, interspersed with open cane grass swamp lands to ephemeral salt lakes.

According to Vanessa and Dudley Reschke there are three words that describe the outcomes of their carbon project – sustainability, security and diversity. They credit their human induced regeneration project with the long-term sustainability of their agriculture enterprise.