Robin and Keryl Thorpe have run Lynwood, near Cobar in New South Wales, since 2006. The pair decided to partner with GreenCollar after attending a carbon farming seminar, appreciating that such projects would allow them to be kinder to the land while diversifying their income and reducing the need to rely so heavily on livestock.

With the income from two carbon projects, the Thorpes have been able to upgrade infrastructure on the property and improve their fire management systems, updating equipment and maintaining firebreaks. Their son has been able to repair traps and build new dams and roads that have been a valuable addition to the property. The requirements of the projects have also made them more diligent with record keeping, and they now manage their stock levels better.

As the poet Dorothy Mackellar noted, this is a land “of droughts and flooding rains.” While farmers are survivors by nature, the additional financial support from carbon projects has provides the Thorpes with security and support during tough times.

The Thorpes say, their carbon projects have allowed them to support their children and invest in their local community by hiring local labour. The additional income is helping to drought-proof the property, and the land is benefiting with the Thorpes reporting signs of woody regrowth and recovery.