General News
26 April, 2022
New signs of life at Lake Cobrico
FOUR years on from the St Patrick’s Day fires, a swamp wildlife reserve at Lake Cobrico has a new lease of life after an Australian-first drone reseeding program.
FOUR years on from the St Patrick’s Day fires, a swamp wildlife reserve at Lake Cobrico has a new lease of life after an Australian-first drone reseeding program.
Monitoring of the recovery of Lake Cobrico is showing positive results after the 2018 high intensity fires burnt more than 40,000 hectares.
Due to concerns the lake’s ecosystem might not be able to regenerate naturally, drones were used to distribute 32 kilograms of native seeds over 40 hectares of the burnt lake bed.
The drones released the seeds from up to five metres above the ground, avoiding the need for hand seeding which would have further disturbed the fragile terrain.
Technology company XAG conducted the work, supported by Heytesbury District Landcare Network (HDLN).
HDLN and ecologists Landtech Consulting have monitored the results with aerial surveys, comparing the regrowth in sections which have undergone aerial seeding to areas which have been left to revegetate naturally.
Landtech Consulting ecologist Peter Austin will present the findings at a community information session at the Cobden Civic Hall on Wednesday, May 4 from 7pm to 9pm.
Ecologists assessed the impact of the drone on revegetation/recruitment, comparing images taken from drone flights in 2020and 2022.
Mr Austin said Lake Cobrico includes isolated small patches of an endangered scoria cone woodland.
“The area has a lack of corridors that allow key species to disperse and maintain genetic diversity, but the successful drone reseeding will assist,” he said.
Drones have been used for many years to sow seed in broadacre agriculture-based contexts, however they are rarely for seeding natural areas and it is understood this is the first time in Australia in a fire recovery program.
“Access to Lake Cobrico was difficult for many reasons, so it was good to try drones with intelligent spreading systems,” MrAustin said.
Higher rainfall from La Nina weather conditions in 2020 and 2021 resulted in significantly increased vegetation cover.
From the baseline, the assessment found more vegetation in the areas reseeded by the drone.
In areas where the seed concentration was doubled, the research found even more indigenous vegetation cover.
“At Lake Cobrico drone-seeding has enhanced this increase in land cover,” Mr Austin said.
“This experience suggests drones could be used in other areas failing to naturally regenerate in the future."
“It demonstrates that drones can undertake important work in fire affected peat swamps in a safe and non-intrusive way, limiting exposure to risk for staff and contractors."
“This information will be important in climate adaption management.”
HDLN co-ordinator Geoff Rollinson said Lake Cobrico was showing a new lease on life following the innovative aerial seeding work which distributed a blend of 12 differentnative seeds.
“We can expect the regrowth has led to more wildlife in the area, more food, harbour and shelter for a range of birdlife, as well as other animals such as kangaroos and wallabies,”he said.
The community was invited to an evening information session to hear directly fromMr Austin.
A slideshow over supper will show photos of the great flush of diverse growth along roadsides after the fires.
Copies of Devastation to Restoration, an account of the fires, will be available.
Interested residents can RSVP by May 1 to admin@heytesburylandcare.org.au or contact 5598 3755.
A three-page summary of the report is available at https://www.heytesburylandcare.org.au/drone-lake-cobrico.