Even though I have been planting the equivalent of a tree every day for the past 13 years (4,500 to date), there are still sections of Windgrove that bear the scars of inappropriate land management.
This is especially noticeable near the cliff face on the southern side of the property where grazing sheep and the plowing of the infertile top soil 50 years ago led to bare patches still visible today even though the last sheep were taken off the property 30 years ago. Relentless winds and literally tons of salt spray swept up over the cliffs from crashing waves below have made it particularly difficult to re-establish any sort of new growth.
Earlier attempts have failed, but I keep trying to devise new strategies to overcome the past arrogance inflicted on this fragile landscape. What was planted thirteen years ago died. Last year, boobyalla (Tasmanian coastal shrub sometimes wrongly confused with coastal wattle) had mixed results. They survived the wind in their protective plastic bags, but the wallabies learned to reach inside the bags and browse the tender leaves.
Therefore, last week, at one tiny section of the cliff top, a small, woven circle made from entwined tree branches, limbs and logs was built to form a protective barrier from both the wind and the hungry wallabies.
For two days I hauled six truck loads from one spot of the property, where I had felled three small trees, to this other location (transfer of wealth?). Besides acting as a circular wind break and small fort from marauding wallabies, the branches will help replenish the soil with nutrients as they decay and they will also act as a net to capture wind-born seed and other debris.
In a way, I sacrificed living trees in order to get something started in this more barren section of property. Whether or not I can “kick start” the regenerative process in this matter or whether or not it is bio-ethically responsible, who knows?
I can only try and do what I feel is best for the health of the whole of Windgrove. Life and death and rebirth issues are always complex.
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