Baranduda Landcare

Baranduda Landcare is a peri-urban Landcare group and comprises members of the local community who are interested in improving biodiversity and its value to the community.

Baranduda Landcare includes the riparian areas of Middle Creek and the Yackandandah Creek, Parklands Baranduda on the northern end of the Baranduda Range and extends to the western side of the Kiewa River.

We work to restore native vegetation and habitats to create a biodiverse, weed free, sustainable and productive environment.

We are doing this through:

• A nest box program which began in 2000. We now have over 250 nest boxes.
• Education programs with local schools and residents
• Revegetation.  Baranduda Landcare has been celebrating Planet Ark National Tree Day every year since 2000. Revegetation activities have focused on connecting the range with Middle Creek and the Kiewa River and to provide corridors for wildlife to move between these locations. To date over 50,000 trees, shrubs and grasses have been planted
• Strengthening and protecting wildlife corridors
• Monitoring threatened plant and animal species. The Baranduda area is home to threatened species such as the Silky Swainson Pea (Swainsona sericea), Sloane’s Froglet, Brush Tailed Phascogale (Tuan) and the Squirrel Glider.
• Weed and feral animal control.
• Roadside vegetation enhancement
• WREN (Wodonga Retained Environment Network) Reserves activities

Find out more about our group through these videos.

You can also access a revegetation guide for Baranduda Landcare area through our Resources section and a video on Baranduda Landcare here.

Long before Landcare, as we know it began, bringing groups together to care for the land, there were individuals whose foresight and actions paved the way for the Landcare movement of future years.    Some of these key individuals were the Whyte brothers, Hugh, John and Kevin, who were pioneers of tree revegetation of the Baranduda district.

After World War II, the Whyte brothers decided to plant their properties at Baranduda with locally occurring species – Red Gum, Yellow Box, Red Box, and But But. Realising that too many trees had been removed, they saw the need to replant trees.  After collecting seed and growing mainly natives, their plantations were protected from stock by a sloping tree guard, which was easier and quicker to erect than strainer posts. The idea was to attach barb wire onto steel posts sloping inwards toward the trees so that stock would connect the barb with their fetlocks and not push the fence in any further.

The Whyte brothers, John and Hugh, won the inaugural ABC National Tree Care Award 1983 to recognise their achievements in planting trees and the design of the Slope Guard. This award was set up to encourage landholders to plant trees. The Tree Care Award later became the National Landcare Award to cast a wider net for environmental protection.

Today, the results of the brothers are now evident with large plantations of aged trees across the farm at Baranduda, whilst the next generation continues their work to plant and protect trees.

Built on the back of this strong foundation, the official Baranduda Landcare Group was formed more than 20 years ago and has also brought about transformational change through revegetation, weed control, and the protection of threatened species in the Baranduda area.  With many significant achievements, including celebrating a Planet Ark National Tree Day every year from 2000 to 2023, the results of thousands of hours of coordinated volunteer effort are truly remarkable.

For further information on the Baranduda Landcare Group, its projects or membership please contact the Kiewa Catchment Landcare Groups facilitator on facilitator@kclg.org.au / 0407 227 814.