In late May and early June 2022, Gunning District Landcare organised two mesh cutting sessions as part of the Paddock Tree Project.

Heavy duty steel mesh finally arrived after a national shortage, and we didn't waste any time in getting it cut up into tree guards and handed out to our participating landholders! There were 18 participating landholders who received between 5 and 24 trees and guards. About one third were 'sheep' guards standing 1.2m high, and the remainder were 'cattle/horse' guards, standing 1.65m high.

In total, 276 protected trees will be planted under this project - helping to replace the old and dying paddock trees that serve a vital role in our landscape's ecology. 

As well as the tree guards, participants received paddock tree seedlings and weed mats. Yass Landcare Nursery supplied the tubestock of 5 different eucalypt species (Yellow Box - E. mellidora, Blakely's Red Gum - E. blakelyi, Apple Box - E. bridgesiana, White Box - E. albens, and Red Box - E. polyanthemos).

There is quite an art to safely and efficiently cutting up the heay duty mesh, and we are grateful for guidelines prepared by Upper Lachlan Landcare, and the YouTube instructional video from Hovells Creek Landcare. 

A big thanks goes to our participating landholders as well as Susan and Janelle Medway, John Storey and Janet Heffernan who made it such a smooth operation.

Local Land Services provided the funding for this project, which enabled us to offer the subsidised trees and guards to our participants.