Climate Adaptation Workshop 2 - Riparian Restoration

Riparian vegetation in the Midcoast area forms vital ecological corridorrs along waterways in the Manning, Wallamba, Hastings and Karuah Catchments. It stabilizes riverbanks and protects against erosion, filters agricultural run-off, and provides crucial habitat for iconic species, such as the Platypus, Rikali, freshwater crayfish, as well as threatened species such as koalas, squirrel gliders, and the Manning River Turtle.  Impacts from over clearing for agriculture and development have fragmented many riparian ecosystems, resulting in thin, linear corridors with high weed loads and low ecosystem functionality and resilience that are heavily impacted by extreme weather events such as drought, fire and floods.

This workshop will be a practical day of learning, led by restoration expert, Peter Dixon and meteorologist, Graham Creed.  We will touch on the basics of climate science and best practice ecological restoration before heading out into the field to observe the real-world effects of climate change on the Riparian Rainforest Vegetation at Mill Creek in Stroud – including post-flood recovery; bank erosion; weed management and other human-related impacts. We will discuss how we can safeguard the values of our Landcare projects and build climate resilience both in our communities and our land.

You will be given practical restoration tips that support ecosystem functionality and resilience recovery, which you can then apply in your own projects.

This informative workshop is free for all MidCoast2Tops and Hunter Regional Landcare Members, but places are limited.  Non-members are also welcome to attend, but a small booking fee will be charged.