Our Philosophy

Our philosophy is to give back to the earth more than we take, leaving more rather than less for future generations. Our view is that Healthy ecosystems have abundant life. Happy animals produce good food. All life forms deserve a good quality of life, without disease, pain or discomfort and with dignity in death.

Caring for Country, Care for People

Our care for wildlife and the habitats and ecosystems in and around our farm is driven by this philosophy. Pest plants and animals are those that need to be brought back into balance. We’re working to invigorate ‘caring for country’ in the area and would like to see systematic recording of rare and endangered flora and fauna species such as the Strzelecki Koala. We pay our respects to the Gunai-Kurnai, the Traditional Owners of Gippsland and Eastern Victoria: the Brataualang [Bratauoloong*], Brayakaulung [Braiakauloong*], Brabralung and Biduelly, Krauatungalung [Krauatungaloong*] and Tatungaloong* clans (* who are members of the Gunai/Kurnai Federation). Our observations of seasonal variations and climate change is leading us back to seek traditional Aboriginal knowledge – for example, that there are many more than four seasons in any one year in our area.

Restoring Our Natural Environment

In the mid 1990’s all 8.5 acres of the river frontages in the Agricultural Licence area as well as some adjoining pockets of the farm were re-vegetated with native trees and shrubs. These plantings have grown to provide a much needed wildlife corridor and habitat for native flora and fauna. In only twenty years our property has been transformed into a diverse natural habitat with a rich and increasing variety of native animal, insect and bird life.

The magnificent Strzeleckii gum, which features in our farm logo, is indigenous to our area and is claimed to have been the world’s tallest tree, even taller than the famous redwoods of California.once covered most of the region but is now very rare. We have a handful growing on our farm and on the Ag. Licence area. A large Strzeleckii gum on the riverbank is a rookery for White Faced Herons – a whopping six eggs successfully hatched in Spring 2013 and the flock now range over the farm in the winter and spring. Native bees, butterflies and insects abound. Wombats range over the farm and individuals with different fur colours are noted. We have a resident Echidna and a male Koala arrived by our main dam in 2020! A Black Wallaby comes and goes in the riparian vegetation; and of course there are Blue Tongue lizards, skinks and the odd tiger snake and red belly black snake are seen too – usually with a lot of space between us and them! The reptiles and the Kookas relish the lovely antichinus and Bush rats that flourish here…. the number of small marsupials has increased over the years along with field mice and european rats, thanks our native plantings, crops and also spoils from the presence of our chickens!

Some of the native birds we have include…

• Superb Fairy Wrens

• Tree Martins

• Eastern Spinebills

• Grey Fantails

• Brown Thornbills

• Red Browed Firetails

• New Holland Honey Eaters

• Grey Shrike Thrushes

• Restless Fly Catchers

• Eastern Whipbirds

• Eastern Yellow Robins

• Swamp Hens

• Wedge Tail Eagles