Land for Wildlife
Encyclopedia
Land for Wildlife is a program sponsored by the Department of Sustainability and Environment in the state of Victoria
, Australia
. It was established in November 1981 to support private landholders and managers who voluntarily provide and enhance habitat for native wildlife on their properties within the state. Many non-landholder volunteers also participate in the scheme, which is coordinated by departmental extension officers. By doing so they are contributing to the maintenance and restoration of native biodiversity
. The scheme was largely instigated by Ellen McCulloch
and Reg Johnson
, two prominent members of the community group Bird Observation & Conservation Australia (then the Bird Observers Club), with which it continues to have a cooperative relationship.
Benefits of full registration of a property in the scheme include on-site visits to provide advice and answer questions about how to manage the land to contribute to biodiversity conservation, participation in field and neighbourhood days, open-properties and information sessions, a regular newsletter, specialist information and a Land for Wildlife sign. It does not alter the legal status of a property in any way and landholders may withdraw from the scheme at any time.
As of 2010 there were over 5,900 participating properties, with about 15,000 people involved in the program. The area of wildlife habitat being managed on the properties totals more than 560 km2, and includes grassland
s, heath
s, woodland
s, forest
s and freshwater
wetland
s.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was established in November 1981 to support private landholders and managers who voluntarily provide and enhance habitat for native wildlife on their properties within the state. Many non-landholder volunteers also participate in the scheme, which is coordinated by departmental extension officers. By doing so they are contributing to the maintenance and restoration of native biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
. The scheme was largely instigated by Ellen McCulloch
Ellen McCulloch
Ellen Margery McCulloch OAM was a Melbourne-based Australian nature writer and amateur ornithologist who had a long association with Bird Observation & Conservation Australia .-Life:...
and Reg Johnson
Reg Johnson
Harold Reginald Johnson was an Australian cartographer, amateur ornithologist and environmentalist.-Early years:...
, two prominent members of the community group Bird Observation & Conservation Australia (then the Bird Observers Club), with which it continues to have a cooperative relationship.
Benefits of full registration of a property in the scheme include on-site visits to provide advice and answer questions about how to manage the land to contribute to biodiversity conservation, participation in field and neighbourhood days, open-properties and information sessions, a regular newsletter, specialist information and a Land for Wildlife sign. It does not alter the legal status of a property in any way and landholders may withdraw from the scheme at any time.
As of 2010 there were over 5,900 participating properties, with about 15,000 people involved in the program. The area of wildlife habitat being managed on the properties totals more than 560 km2, and includes grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, heath
Heath
-Habitats:* Heath or heathland, low-growing woody vegetation, mostly consisting of heathers and related species* Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system...
s, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s, forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s and freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s.