Sandhill pine woodlands and their protection in the Riverina was the topic of a field day held on 31 August 2017 at Oolambeyan National Park (approximately 90km south east of Hay NSW) which has one of the best examples of the Endangered Ecological Community Sandhill Pine Woodland in the Riverina. These woodlands are critical to the health of the region, supporting plants and animals and providing on-farm production benefits when integrated into farming systems.
More than 20 land managers attended the event, which highlighted the importance of the woodlands and promoted current funding opportunities available from Riverina LLS under the Sandhill Pine Woodland Restoration Project, which aims to protect and enhance areas of remnant pine sandhill woodlands through fencing, revegetation and rabbit control.Â
Land managers were walked through the landscape by ANPC Project Manager, Martin Driver, who discussed the importance of the fragile landscape and how to best manage livestock grazing for the future, and revegetate sandhills through natural regeneration, planting and direct seeding.
Highlights of the day included demonstrations of boxthorn removal using brush-cutters, hand planting, rabbit control techniques in hard to get places and tree seeding machinery.
   
Left: Tracked Bobcat with hydraulic cutter arm and poison spray for large scale Boxthron removal.  Right: KB direct seeder demo.  Photos: Martin Driver
The field day was hosted by Riverina Local Land Services and Greening Australia, in collaboration with the ANPC, Coleambally Irrigation and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Programme and NSW Environment and Heritage. Â
Michael Fayle
Land Services Officer, Riverina LLS
Michelle Ballestrin (NSW National Parks and Wildlife), Greg Conlon (NSW National Parks and Wildlife), Martin Driver (Australian Network for Plant Conservation), Frank Headon and Eric McCullough (Hay) at the Sandhill Pine Woodland Field Day. (Photo: Riverina LLS)
  