Jill and Terry’s Sanctuary

“We want our property to be not only our sanctuary but a sanctuary for wildlife as well…”

“…The benefits have already been apparent through the appearance of Scarlet Robins, Flame Robins, Yellow-Rumped Thornbills and many other species – so delightful to see these birds!”

Jill and Terry McGovern recently moved onto a small farm just east of Yass, NSW. When they moved in, the block had no infrastructure and very little vegetation, but they had a dream to create a farm that would be both financially and environmentally sustainable, providing habitat for native birds and other species. They named the property ‘Tighnacomraich’ – which, broadly translated from Gaelic, means “our sanctuary home”.

Jill and Terry received a grant through the Murrumbateman Landcare – Linking Biodiversity project to plant shelterbelts across their property, creating corridors for wildlife to move between the nearby Mundoonen Nature Reserve and the Yass River.

They also received assistance from our Green Team volunteers and Green Army participants, who planted 1,190 local native trees and shrubs across the property.

“Through Greening Australia we have realised a dream of having shelterbelts around our property. The shelterbelts will provide an important resource to our small grazing enterprise but, just as importantly they also provide key connectivity for animals, and in particular, small birds to move through the landscape.”

The project is a six year partnership between Greening Australia and Murrumbateman Landcare, funded by the Australian Government, with landholders committing to 10 year stewardship of their sites through a written agreement.

The aim is to restore biodiversity and ecological function across a 38,944ha area between Picaree Hill Nature Reserve and the Mundoonan Ranges Nature Reserve including areas close to the small town of Murrumbateman. This area was targeted as it has declined significantly since agricultural settlement in the 1830s.

Jill and Terry are among 32 landholders who have undertaken works on their properties, and many others have participated in bird and plant identification workshops and information field days. In total the project has far surpassed its targets, with over 2500ha of revegetation and remnant protection, and over 800ha of weed control.

“…We have been so overwhelmed by the support from Greening Australia, Local Land Services and the Green Army in helping us provide infrastructure that supports not only our enterprise but the environment as well. We are looking forward to a future that will support both.” -Jill and Terry McGovern.

If you have a property and would like to undertake revegetation or remnant protection, please contact us to find out about active projects in your region, please CONTACT US

Help us to grow millions of native plants each year create more new habitat than anyone else and reconnect communities with the land by becoming a member of Greening Australia BECOME A MEMBER