Bird orchids

It is late spring here in central Victoria on my 'bush block'. It's been a drier season than usual but not as dry as a lot of eastern Australia. We have had approx 30mm of rain this month. Most of it was a down pour over an hour or so of 22mm. So it is reasonably green.

Unlike many bush blocks in my area I don't graze, burn or slash the forest under-story. Where many people fear leaf litter and plant debris, considering it fuel that may imperil their life if an uncontrolled fire comes through, I see leaf litter and plant debris (bark, twigs and branches) as a vital component of biodiversity. Debris makes habitat and breaks down to create a soil ecosystem that feeds plants and animals and makes everything healthy.

Improving biodiversity with leaf litter

I have some magnificent patches of bird orchids at the moment. Thankfully the local grazers (feral and native) swamp wallabies, grey kangaroos and hares don't find them delicious.

Bird Orchid Chiloglottis valida

Taller Bird Orchid possibly Chiloglottis trapeziformis

Since 1970 humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals birds reptiles and fish.
(Living Planet Report - WWF)

I'm guardian to 6 acres of reasonably high quality forest. It really doesn't take a lot of effort to do no harm. My recipe:

• I only use a small portion of it for my own home, garden and livestock (5 chickens).
• Slow down water that moves across the landscape, this replenishes soil moisture and avoids erosion. I do this with earth barriers or logs and debri.
• Allow habitat corridors so that animals can move freely across the landscape.
• Leave lots of logs and fallen branches to become homes for bugs and other larger creatures
• Be a good host. Provide water bowls for birds. Don't use barb wire fences that bats, possums, kangaroos and wallabies can get entangled in.
• Avoid using pesticides and herbicides that can impact through the ecosystem in damaging ways.

I have about 12 very old trees, I'd guess 100- 200 years old that are full of hollows used by a variety of animals. The noisiest and most notable are sulphur crested cockatoos, corellas, kookaburra, possums and ducks. These trees are mostly in decline with replacements still 50-150 years away.

Some other lovely things...

Native Bluebell Wahlenbergia sp

Flowering native Milkmaid lilies Burchardia sp