Incentive for northern plains residents to save endangered birds
A rare bird found only in the northern plains of Victoria has been given a second chance at life by residents sacrificing parts of their land to protect their habitats.
A MITIAMO farmer is putting his uncropped land to good use to protect an endangered species of bird.
Greg Rankin is preserving 120ha of his sheep property to provide a suitable habitat for the rare Plains Wanderer bird.
As a result he — and any other landholder in the northern plains of Victoria who agrees to protect their grassland — will receive a cash incentive of $1000 a hectare from conservation group Trust for Nature.
Mr Rankin said the covenant allowed him to revisit some of the history of his land.
“It harks back to remembering what the land was like when you were a kid and wanting to give that to the next generation,” he said.
“I’d like to see (a few species of grass) reintroduced in parkland that were previously gone as well.”
He is one of many community members hoping to save the native Plains Wanderer from extinction.
”The bird is quite unique and close to the brink. They don’t know what’s driving the low numbers but it’s almost certainly habitat destruction,” he said.
Trust for Nature senior conservation officer Kirsten Hutchison urged other farmers in the area to consider joining the cause.
“Conservation covenants are the only way we can guarantee that nothing happens to this habitat in the future and to ensure the Plains-wanderer doesn’t become extinct,” she said. “We still have cases of unauthorised grassland clearance on the Patho Plains. There’s less than 1 per cent of these grasslands left. It’s heartbreaking.”
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