Nick's Recommendation:
A Great article by Rhiannon Stevens from the ABC about the importance of Revegetation on rural land which features Stephen Murphy's approach as detailed in his book 'Recreating the Country' A fantastic read that challenges our previous ideas to Revegetation and champions biodiversity
Originally published by em PRESS for Ballarat Region Treegrowers, Recreating the Country challenges landholders and land managers to consider new ways of thinking about how we might reverse the inexorable decline and disappearance of Australian plants and animals from rural landscapes.
The updated and expanded Second Edition builds on 15 years of hard-won experience in rethinking revegetation strategies to match ten key design principles, as observed in nature by the author and ecologist, Stephen Murphy. The Second Edition includes three new chapters, along with revisions based on further observations of nature in action since 2009.
In a new chapter highlighting personal case studies, many landholders attest to having applied Stephens’ design principles and the results are now in – wildlife, in all its wonderful diversity, is returning. As fellow ecologist and Adjunct Professor, Richard Loyn, remarks in the Foreword: 'The beauty of this book and its predecessor is that they are written by and for active participants in the business of ‘recreating the country.’
We have all read about the relentless decline of Australia’s plants and animals and the need to repair the natural habitats we have lost. Stephen’s binary response to this challenging dilemma involves planting wider ‘biorich’ plantations that mimic nature, while integrating ‘useful’ plants for human harvest. Incorporating 20% of plants in revegetation for personal use makes significantly wider biodiversity plantations attractive to landowners and provides a lifeline for Australia’s flora & fauna.
Stephen writes a regular blog on the environment, which is posted on his website. His clear informative articles have been republished in national community newsletters, as well as academic journals. You can visit his website – www.recreatingthecountry.com.au
Pages: 208, Cover: Paperback, Publisher: EmPress Publishing, ISBN:9780955777868