The “Trees for Wildlife” project aims to assist landholders who are involved in The Land for Wildlife program in rehabilitating their properties for nature conservation, to provide suitable habitat for the Black-footed tree-rat. This is done by providing tube-stock of key species to assist re-establishment of the native vegetation linked to their habitat and food source. The project will up skill Land for Wildlife members and the general public in identification and information relating to this Endangered Top End mammal, as well as providing training in areas of native plant identification, seed collection and site preparation techniques through a series of workshops.

This project is supported by the 20 Million Trees Programme, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. The funding will allow wildlife habitat and food trees to be planted on Land for Wildlife properties where native bushland has previously been cleared or degraded.

 

To be part of the program –

• You need be the landholder of a property that is suitable for wildlife habitat. (If you are not the landholder, but the land manager you will need to get the owner’s permission)
•  The property should have “a sizeable” area of land that has been cleared or degraded and can be returned to native vegetation.
• You should be intending to be the landholder of the property and manage part of it as Land for Wildlife for the next 10 years, and the area of tree planting is in should not be cleared.
• As the land manager, you must continue to care for the plants once they are planted, with a watering regime; weed and disturbance control (inline with Land for Wildlife principles).
• Existing Land for Wildlife members will be given preference, but new members are always welcome

Greening Australia in partnership with the Green Army will grow and assist with the planting of tree species. These species will be chosen to provide food and habitat for the Black-footed tree-rat in areas that have previously been cleared or degraded.

 The planted species-

• Will span 30 Hectares of Land
• Will include 9,750 trees and     9,750 understory plants
• Will be a diversity of 20 appropriate species for food and habitat of The Black-footed tree-rat.
• Will be planted on at least 12 different properties across the Darwin rural area.