Peninsula farmers, landowners and residents recently experienced ‘hands on ecology', dipping their toes into Pawson's Stream to discover the types of native fish and insect species living in the waterway. 

“The event was all about understanding ecology and discovering the biodiversity in our backyard,” said Banks Peninsula Conservation Trust (BPCT) Farm Biodiversity Officer, Josh Foster. “The number of residents and landowners joining us is a clear indication of their ongoing commitment and contribution to protecting the Peninsula’s biodiversity.”  

BPCT was founded by farmers over 20 years ago, and in the past two decades, it has grown from a grassroots, community-driven conservation group to a leader in delivering nationally significant biodiversity outcomes. 

 “Landowners understand more about their local ecosystems than they get credit for. Our farm biodiversity programme can help them track simple but meaningful ecological changes in their forest and freshwater resources that can inform future land management. The goal of the programme is to support landowners to continue to manage and enhance these environments to protect biodiversity, while also improving farm productivity and profitability,” said Foster. 

BPCT’s new farm biodiversity programme builds on the success of the organisation’s other well-established programmes, including the Pest Free Banks Peninsula programme and conservation covenants programme.