The Mount Pleasant Learning Hub, featuring Mulloon Institute landscape rehdration techniques, has been designed to reinstate the hydrological function of the landscape. Works include five strategically-placed v-notch log and rock sills in the gully, and a “leaky” earth bank to divert water to where it used to flow. The work was completed in 5½ days.
Learning hub to trial new approaches
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Biodiversity, productivity, profitability… can they be mutually beneficial?
A DEMONSTRATION site and learning hub at Mt Pleasant Station, Bowen, is trialing how regenerative agriculture practices can restore landscape function in a production grazing landscape.
The design is based on natural sequence farming principles and was designed and supervised by the Mulloon Institute.
NQ Dry Tropics project officer Rod Kerr (pictured) said on-ground works consisted of log sills placed at critical points in the project gully to encourage water to flow out onto the small floodplain areas, restoring the historical landscape function.
“The structures are ‘leaky’, aimed at filling the gully catchment so that the landscape rehydrates,” Mr Kerr said.
“This intervention will be complimented by landscape management practices, including sustainable grazing practices.”
The project has an education ‘learning hub’ component aimed at building capacity and improving community engagement.
It’s being driven by Mt Pleasant owners Jamie Gordon and Garlone Moulin.
“This is the exciting part of the project because it is sharing and engaging with the project’s community of interest which stretches well beyond those of us directly involved in the project,” Ms Moulin said.
“It includes the broader rural community, research and education institutions, government agencies and whoever else wants to come and observe and study the project and results.”
James Cook University is conducting biodiversity surveys to determine if the designed works can improve water quality and increase biodiversity values at the project site.
This information will also help decide how best to manage biodiversity in a grazing system.
The Mt Pleasant demonstration site and learning hub is an initiative of NQ Dry Tropics’ Landholders Driving Change (LDC) ‘Exploring New Incentives’ program.
LDC is a Burdekin Major Integrated project funded by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Reef Water Qualtiy Program.
A field day is scheduled at Mt Pleasant for 28 November from 10am to 3.30pm.
Mount Pleasant grazier Garlone Mouline talks about biodiversity during a field trip to the site of the Mt Pleasant Learning Hub.
NQ Dry Tropics Project Officer Rod Kerr.