THE WOODLAND

CONSERVATION CONVENANT

Two-thirds of Highfield is under a conservation covenant protecting one of Australia’s rarest habitats: Box Gum Grassy Woodland. This habitat was once common throughout eastern Australia, but since European settlement, up to 80-95% has been cleared for grazing and cropping.

These woodlands now occur mostly in isolated fragments on private land on the western New South Wales slopes of the Great Dividing Range.

Highfield protects one of those precious fragments of woodland. Our woodland is a haven of life and a refuge for the threatened. We have recorded 141 different species of birds on Highfield, including the critically endangered Regent Honey-eater and other classic woodland birds such as the Crested Shrike-tit, Brown Tree-creeper, Hooded Robin, Speckled Warbler and Diamond Fire-tail. Wildflowers once common in these woodlands are now returning to the forest floor.

We are given valuable advice and support in our efforts by the Nature Conservation Trust of NSW.

CORRIDOR PLANTING

In addition to our protected area of woodland, we are also working towards making our farming area wildlife friendly by linking conservation areas through corridor plantings, adding paddock trees and fencing off sensitive drainage lines and grasslands. This is all part of our environmental projects.

OUR SUSTAINABILITY PROMISE

Two-thirds of Highfield protects Box Gum Grassy Woodland – a critically endangered habitat. This habitat now only exists in 5% of its former range. The remaining one-third of Highfield is largely native grass pasture. Disturbingly native temperate grasslands only exist in 1% of their former range and yet are not protected. These statistics have resulted in us considering the whole of Highfield as a site for environmental repair.

This is our purpose, our motivation.

At Highfield, everything we do is aimed at addressing the climate and extinction crisis, increasing biodiversity, protecting our soils and improving the health of our waterways.

VIEW OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS