A Rare Find

Whilst wandering the more than 4kms of Eco Trail pathways and boardwalks you might just spot our latest ‘rare’ resident – the Broad-shelled Turtle (Chelodina expansa).

The turtle was spotted by Tahbilk employee Paul Drayton – also known as ‘Snakeman’ but that’s another story!

Photo’s sent to the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) confirmed that it was a recently hatched Broad-shelled Turtle, a species that hasn’t previously been recorded in Nagambie.

“The confirmed sighting of the threatened Broad-shelled Turtle at the lagoon (Tahbilk Wetlands), confirms once again what a special site it is in the Nagambie area.” DSE Senior Biodiversity officer, Rolf Weber. “The lagoon was already regarded as a conservation ‘sweet spot’ because of the presence of the threatened Freshwater Catfish (Tandanus tandanus) and the threatened aquatic plant known as Watershield (Brasenia shreberi) that is not found anywhere else in the region.” 

Yellow Box Seed Harvesting

Tucked away on the property, close to a little place we like to call Mud Flat, is a collection of old and sturdy Yellow Box trees (also known as the Honey Box, Yellow Iron Box and the Honey Scented Gum).

Yellow Box is a native to the area and forms part of the eucalypt family. These trees would have covered the Estate when the early settlers arrived and, given the hardness and durability of the wood, most large trees would have been cut down to use for both fire wood and as posts on the property. Notwithstanding that, we still have one of the largest populations in the district and are looking to build on that by replanting this species back to its original population.

As part of our involvement with the Dookie Seedbank (see below), we have been harvesting the seeds from our Yellow Box trees and will be planting this species along with approximately 10 others to assist the species to regenerate. This will assist in maintaining an environmental balance and of course our furry koala friends have quite an appetite for them!

Tahbilk Indigenous Seed Production Trial Site

As you drive into the southern entrance to Tahbilk, past the 1860's vines, you will round the corner and notice on your right a large area of plantings - one of our new projects, the Tahbilk Indigenous Seed Production Trial Site.

The Indigenous Seedbank program, established in 2001, has seen 16 similar sites developed across the Goulburn Broken Catchment. These areas directly influence the health of native insects, birds, amphibians, fish, reptiles and mammals that so much rely on healthy, diverse, functioning ecosystems to survive.

The Seedbank has been a vital link in establishing 4,400 hectares of land to re-vegetation, providing habitat for wildlife, improving water quality, protecting soils and helping to provide a sustainable farming future. The Tahbilk project forms part of our Environmental Development Plan and we are committed to the future conservation of depleted local indigenous flora species.  To date three 'seed production areas' have been created as part of the Goulburn Broken Indigenous Seedbank Program. The plants selected are a diverse genetic collection of the last remaining populations of native plant species from the local Longwood Plains and the project will ensure the future supply of genetically healthy seed for direct seeding and tube stock re-vegetation projects on those plains.

The three Tahbilk sites currently contain 20 species: