Dalki Garringa nursery supports South-eastern Red-tail Black Cockatoo conservation efforts

The Dalki Garringa nursery crew hard at work. Photo courtesy Dalki Garringa.

An additional 5,000 Desert Stringybarks have been planted across the range of the South-eastern Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo in the Wimmera this winter. These are vital food trees for the Red-tails.

Part of a three-year project funded by the Victorian Government’s Biodiversity Response Planning Program, Greening Australia contracted the Dalki Garringa nursery to propagate and grow on the stringybark seedlings for this year’s planting.

The Barengi Gadjin Land Council (BGLC) took ownership of the Wail nursery in 2018, now renamed Dalki Garringa, which means ‘good growing’ in Wergaia language. The BGLC represents Traditional Owners of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk people.

With a significant investment in infrastructure and staff, the nursery is fully functioning and producing quality indigenous plants for a variety of projects across the region.

Lucy Eh Shee in the nursery. Photo courtesy Dalki Garringa.

Jess Gardner, Greening Australia’s senior ecologist in the Wimmera, said that they are so pleased to be working with BGLC and the Dalki Garringa nursery to deliver quality conservation projects that care for country.

“We know that breeding success for the South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo depends on having a reliable food source close to the nest, so the birds spend less time away foraging for food,” said Jess.

“The Eucalyptus arenacea or Desert Stringybarks supplied by Dalki Garringa will help ensure there’s that future food supply we need to increase populations of the endangered Red-tails.”

As well as providing quality plants to service the region’s conservation efforts, the nursery also provides opportunities in horticulture for Traditional Owners, such as Brian Steff who has just commenced an apprenticeship with the nursery.

Brian and Gav watering native plants. Photo courtesy Dalki Garringa.

Paul Lehmann, manager at Dalki Garringa, would like to remind people and project managers that now is the time to place plant orders for next year’s winter planting. Many indigenous species take over 8 months to grow to an appropriate and healthy size for planting.
 
For more information or to place an order with Dalki Garringa, visit dalkigarringa.com.au

For more information about this project to restore habitat for the South-eastern Red-tail Black Cockatoo, please send us an online query.

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