2030: Will we make it?

8 April 2021

The Antarctic ice shelves are getting ready to break away .... in about 30 years. We’re locked into the worst of the IPCC’s four climate warming scenarios. Tipping $10 billion of his ill-gotten gains into an Earth Fund, Amazon chief executive Bezos wants to spend it all in 10 years. It’s now or never. Ten years to reverse our slide into catastrophe. 

At Riddells Creek Landcare, our budget is more modest, and consists almost entirely of our voluntary labour. Where is that time going? We protect the 120 hectares of bush at the top of Gap Road called Barrm Birrm, place of many yam roots. And the good news is that more and more Riddell residents are walking there, enjoying this gorgeous hill country. 

Our annual Clean Up Australia Day event in Barrm Birrm turned up the lowest amount of rubbish ever, and 6 year old Lhasa got his certificate for helping out. Those of you walking through Barrm Birrm are taking care of the place, picking up rubbish as you come across it. Even the party sites near the dam were clear of cans and bottles, a wonderful change from the old ‘dumping ground’ mentality.

 

In 2020, the Shire put up signs saying that Barrm Birrm is private land, and valuable vegetation. Amazingly, the flood of 4WDs and trail bikes has eased up. That’s good, but there’s a slow increase of people camping illegally. Camping has a devastating effect, stripping away delicate grasses and exposing the surface to erosion.

We now need a regular round of working bees to cut back the exotic acacias threatening to overpower the local ecosystem. Trees like Cootamundra and Sallow Wattle shade out the local grasses; gorse, blackberry and bluebell creeper all need attention. It’s not difficult work, but we want you to help us.

On the grasslands that fringe Riddells Creek, our group is using satellite photos to track and record the loss of Woody Grasslands, an endangered ecosystem. The Shire should be paying attention to any change in the way a grassland is used, but this hasn’t been happening, and we want to bring areas at risk to the attention of owners and the Shire.

And last, we connect our members to educational events where they learn how to look after their properties, and learn about the local flora and fauna. Drop me a line and you can join in too.

These are all small actions, but think of them as the next step, like this keyline in a dry hillside. It was put in in anticipation of rain. It was the next step. Just take the next step.