Located in the south-west corner of the century-old Gunning Showgrounds, the bush block is a 2.2 ha area of mixed vegetation that includes sections of endangered Box Gum Grassy Woodland. With the support of Council and the Showground s355 Committee, Gunning District Landcare has just received funding from the Australian government for rubbish removal, site preparation and to plant a number of native tree species.

Box Gum Grassy Woodland is a threatened ecological community. It is estimated that only a few percent of the land area originally represented by this community remains, and most of it is fragmented and sparsely dispersed across south-east Australia. We are fortunate to have a space within the village of Gunning that contains this kind of vegetation, the only such ecological community within 2.5km. In many cases, fauna needs to be able to move from one remnant to another. The Showground bushland represents an important link in this connectivity chain and, significantly, is a rare example of this endangered ecosystem within the heart of a village.

 

This project received funding from the Australian Government’s Planting Trees for The Queen’s Jubilee Program, and represents the first step towards preserving and enhancing the existing habitat.

More details will be published as the project progresses, and community engagement is particularly welcomed. For more information, contact Sonya at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..