In the heart of the Upper Hunter, between Kingdon Ponds and Dartbrook Creek, lies one of NSW’s most significant conservation areas.
The 40-hectares of Hunter Floodplain Red Gum Woodland is home to a population of naturally occurring river red gums (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) found east of the Great Dividing Range.
An area the size of the state's largest national park will be protected by private landholders under a new plan to be delivered by the NSW Government.
NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust Board Chair, the Hon. Niall Blair, said that under the new plan, permanent, privately managed conservation areas will grow to over 700,000 hectares - an area equivalent in size to Kosciusko National Park - by 2029.
When Fiona Lumsden and John French bought Kooragindi, near Koorawatha, in 2008, they were looking for more than just a weekend escape.
Since then, the 100-acre property, dominated by Western Slopes Dry Sclerophyll Forests, has become a living classroom, a source of inspiration for Fiona’s art and a permanent refuge for threatened species.
It’s one thing to appreciate the species you’re protecting on a conservation agreement. It’s another to have photographic evidence and have contributed to the most significant private land biodiversity data set ever collected in NSW.
For Newcastle trauma surgeon Zsolt J. Balogh, the operating theatre is where he’s spent years mending broken bodies with steady hands and a sharp focus. But beyond the hospital corridors, it’s the rugged beauty of our landscapes that drives a long-held passion for conservation beyond individual human lives.
Last month an extraordinary winter storm delivered the heaviest snowfall the Northern Tablelands had seen in more than 40 years, blanketing the region with up to 50cm of snow.
The rare event delighted locals with large, heavy flakes falling for hours and transforming areas into a winter wonderland.
