Connecting nature – practical changemakers podcast
Basil has coordinated many projects linked to landcare, eco restoration, wetland conservation and farm forestry. Basil is passionate about promoting Gondwana Link, and in this series chats to Louise about the large scale conservation program that aims to reconnect habitat across 1,000km of country across the lower South West.
Basil Schur is the Project Manager for Green Skills, an NGO dedicated to working for sustainability initiatives. He has been with the group based in Demark, WA since it was formed in 1988 and over the years has coordinated many projects linked to landcare, eco restoration, wetland conservation and farm forestry.
In 2021, Basil was awarded the NRM’s National Landcare Manager Award. Read on to discover his passion for promoting the Gondwana Link, a large-scale biodiversity restoration project that aims to reconnect habitat across 1,000km of land in the lower South West.
Why is biodiversity restoration important?
Yarra in the South West is a biodiversity hotspot, there is over 8,000 species of plants alone and many of them endemic, making this region particularly precious because many of these species are under threat. Basil’s role is to work alongside the agriculture sector in this region where most of this damage is occurring and to see what he can do to protect the land here.
What is the Gondwana Link and why does it matter?
The Gondwana Link is a large-scale conservation initiative that aims to reconnect and restore ecosystems across the southwest of Western Australia. The name itself is inspired by the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, which one incorporated the landmass that now comprises Australia.
The project aims to address environmental degradation caused by human activities such as agriculture, logging and urbanisation and seeks to create continuous corridors of restored and protected habitats, linking together existing conservation areas and national parks.
The main objectives of the Gondwana Link include:
• Biodiversity conservation;
• Ecosystem restoration;
• Sustainable land use; and
• Climate change mitigation.
How is Carbon Positive involved with the Gondwana Link?
Our Totanellup project on Minang Noongar Country forms an important part of the Gondwana Link Project. In collaboration with Green Skills, we aim to restore the native habitat and provide a strategic link between the Tootanellup Nature Reserve and a Water and Rivers Comissions Reserve.
In 2021, the site was planted with a biodiverse mixed species designed to replicate the surrounding marri woodland. Marri (Corymbia calophylla) is not only a high carbon species, but provides an important food source for birds, including the endangered Carnaby’s cockatoo.
You can find out about the amazing biodiversity outcomes that have already happened on site and hear from Basil how you can get involved in protecting biodiversity by listening to the podcast on Apple or Spotify.
