Two men in hats and glasses standing behind a trailer full of seedlings

Ballardong Noongar Country

Gabbin, WA

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Seedlings Planted
Species
Planted

Project overview

Latest news

Woman filling up her planting bucket with seedlings ready for planting from back of a ute.

Infill planting

July 2023

The CPOZ team were joined by Ros (Sandalwood Solutions) and a fantastic group of volunteers to infill patchy areas of the site. The team hand-planted a total of 3,488 seedlings (Eucalyptus and Acacia species) and sowed an additional 25 kg of sandalwood nuts next to established host species across the site.

A man wearing a black t-shirt with "PaperCut" written on the front flagged by two women wearing green shirts with "Carbon Positive Australia" on the front. All three are holding a seedling out to the camera.

Infill planting

July 2022

An additional 7,400 Acacia acuminata (‘Jam wattle’) seedlings were hand-planted across the site to increase the number of sandalwood host trees. Ros and the CPOZ team were joined by Jamie, a representative from PaperCut, who are long-time supporters of our work.

Person standing in the distance of a paddock

Monitoring

May 2022

The first complete monitoring assessment was conducted in May, with 14 permanent plots set up across the 52 hectares. Results showed promising high survival rates overall, however, the average density was variable between plots. This is most likely due to different areas being more susceptible to wind and water erosion.

A bucket of Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) seeds de-husked and ready to be sown.

Sandalwood Planting

April 2022

In April, Ros MacFarlane and her team planted 50 kg of Sandalwood seed into existing rows, alongside Acacia acuminate (‘Jam wattle’) hosts.

Two people on either side of a trailer filled with seedling trays

planting

July 2021

After several rain delays, Ros MacFarlane (Sandalwood Solutions) and the Avongro team hand-planted approximately 18,000 Acacia acuminate (‘Jam wattle’) seedlings across the site. The team used pottiputkis (hand-held mechanical planting devices) to speed up the process.

Bare yellow soil with ripped lines and sparse tree line in the distance

site prep & seeding

May 2021

In May, the site was mechanically ripped and seeded. Ripping helps to loosen the topsoil, making it easier for seedling roots to penetrate and establish successfully. Approximately 6 kg of native seed mix was sown across the site. This mix included several Acacia species which are popular hosts for the hemiparasitic sandal species.

Barren paddock with the front of a car in the bottom left corner

Site Assessment

November 2020

An initial site assessment was undertaken in November 2020. Two areas were recommended for planting, both of which had experienced significant erosion during a recent wind event. The species mix was determined and orders for seed and seedlings were placed with local nurseries.

What we planted

Acacia Illustration

Acacia

7 species
sandalwood host
short lifespan
nitrogen-fixing​

Eucalyptus Illustration

Eucalyptus

2 species
high survivability in nutrient-poor soils
fast maturing tree
utilised for canopy cover

Illustration of a Hakea

Hakea

1 species
endemic
fire-adapted (germination)
hardy shrub

Sandalwood Illustration

Santalum

1 species
hemiparasitic
aromatic timber
medicinal properties

Project gallery