Sheoak Grassy Woodland recovery
The critically endangered Drooping Sheoak Grassy Woodland on calcrete is a threatened ecological community, located on the calcareous soils of the Eyre Peninsula where annual rainfall exceeds 350mm.
This vegetation community is generally found to the east and south of Ceduna with high priority remnant areas around Streaky Bay, Lake Newland, Elliston and Sheringa. Only approximately 3% of this community remains compared to the vast areas of Eyre Peninsula it used to cover prior to European settlement. This has led to the decline or localised extinction of numerous native animals on Eyre Peninsula including the Greater bilby, Brush-tailed bettong, Tammar wallaby, bandicoots and Diamond Firetail bird.
Over the years, we have been involved in projects to help the restoration of this valuable ecological community. This includes being involved with petitioning works that resulted in it being listed as critically endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act (1999).
Recovery project
In mid-2024, we began work on the ‘Undertaking recovery actions for the critically endangered Drooping Sheoak Grassy Woodland on calcrete of the Eyre Yorke Block Bioregion, Eyre Peninsula, South Australia’ project. Works are being implemented over a 700,000 hectare area on priority sites with the aim of improving the condition of the community through threat abatement activities and increasing distribution through revegetation.
During the project we will be collaborating with key land managers and First Nations people to implement priority on-ground work activities including managing total grazing pressure by limiting the impacts of livestock, kangaroos, rabbits, goats and deer, and environmental weed control.
Restoration activities will also be implemented through revegetation work, and community education to increase the knowledge of sheoak grassy woodlands and the conservation restoration activities that can be undertaken to enhance the condition of the community.
Ongoing vegetation and bird surveys will be key to monitoring the outcomes of this project. We are hoping that the community will be able to get involved in helping with this monitoring.
News & resources
This project is funded by the Australian Government Natural Heritage Trust and delivered by the EP Landscape Board, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners Panel.
