The proof is in the paddock: conservation data from a Glen Innes farm shows healthy results

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Video transcript

How ecological monitoring reveals conservation success on a Glen Innes farm

My name is Catherine
and we have a 2,000 acre property just outside Glen Innes
on the Northern Tablelands
my family has owned the property for over 50 years
and it's absolutely magic.
It's a very very special place.
We considered a BCT agreement,
and one of the main reasons I really wanted to do
was to focus on more of the pest control
and weed management.
The team at BCT are professional.
They're experts in what they do,
so it's just a win-win.
Monitoring the ecological integrity of conservation agreements,
like what we're on today,
is vital for detecting change over time.
Monitoring how those conservation actions
are translating to improvements in biodiversity
we see through the analysis of the data that we capture
between our monitoring periods.
What we've learned through the monitoring
and through looking after
the pest control and weed management
has really helped us
take those best practices from the biodiversity
and move it into the farmland as well.
We have seen a massive increase in vegetation now
the bird life has returned
and we have now seen evidence that koalas exist
back in the in the forest as well
which is very exciting.
Each landholder is critical to the
monitoring of their site they are on-ground every day.
They see things that we don't see
because we are not there as much as they are.
We develop management actions
and monitoring plans that help
effectively remediate issues that come up.
As part of the biodiversity agreement
we do monitor every year and at first it was slow
but now we've seen continual growth,
which is fantastic.
Working with landholders
means that we can conserve more
biodiversity across NSW
and expand our conservation network
outside our public reserves.
We are proof that you can have a productive farm
and by diversity and conservation on the same property.
Being part of the biodiversity and conservation
is a wonderful opportunity
to show that we can put back into the earth.
we can
We can and we are doing something to make a real difference.

Catherine Rankin’s 809 ha property on the Northern Tablelands has been in her family for more than 50 years with both grazing and cropping part of the farm mix.

In 2018, the family signed a NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust (BCT) agreement to establish a conservation area and manage pests and weeds to maintain a healthier landscape.

Ongoing annual reporting and an ecological survey every 5 years has become central to that effort and is key to managing biodiversity across all conservation areas funded with an annual BCT payment.

Each year, Catherine returns to fixed monitoring points across her property, recording observations and photographing conditions over time. While changes are not always noticeable, the consistency of monitoring has made long-term trends visible.

“Conservation results aren’t immediate. It’s long term and for future generations,” she said.

"It’s slower than what you might expect as a farmer, but we have seen a big increase in vegetation. Because of that, the birdlife has returned and it's spectacular, with lots of black cockatoos, galahs, and rosellas.

“We’ve also had an abundance of animals return, including evidence that koalas have made their way back to the area.”

For Catherine, reporting on the observed changes provides a practical way to track these shifts and understand what’s working. The insights gained are not limited to conservation areas, they are also influencing how the broader farm is managed, reinforcing the link between productive land use and biodiversity outcomes.

This on-ground effort is supported by a consistent scientific approach. BCT ecologists use the Ecological Monitoring Module, a standardised method that measures vegetation structure and species composition within fixed plots, revisited over time.

Ecologist Michael Hewins said this method, used consistently over all privately conserved areas with an annual management plan, was critical to understanding change on each conservation area, across regional areas and the state.

“Long-term monitoring is vital because it allows us to detect change over time,” he said.

“We repeat surveys every 5 years to understand how management actions undertaken by landholders are translating into biodiversity improvements on the ground.”

In some ecosystems, including temperate grasslands, change can be slow and difficult to detect without detailed data. Monitoring helps build a clearer picture, revealing trends such as increased plant diversity and improving vegetation condition.

Importantly, the data collected supports better decision making. It provides an evidence base to adapt management practices and improve outcomes over time.  Without that data, Michael says, “we’re effectively flying blind”.

“Ultimately, good data leads to good decisions,” Michael said.

“By collecting high-quality ecological data, we can better understand these ecosystems and ensure our conservation efforts deliver meaningful results over time.”

In NSW, where about 80 per cent of land is privately managed, monitoring connects individual properties to a wider biodiversity map, building a more complete understanding of habitat health and species spread.

For Catherine, that broader purpose is part of the motivation.

“We’re proof you can have a productive farm alongside biodiversity and conservation on the same property,” she said.

“Being part of biodiversity conservation is a wonderful opportunity to give something back to the land. You can’t rely on national parks and state forests alone, private landholders have a role to play too, and we are making a real difference.”

Thanks to consistent and careful monitoring, those individual efforts are captured, measured and understood providing the evidence needed to support conservation now and into the future.