Rejuvenation Trees Founding Project
Rejuvenation Trees Founding Project
The Kardutjaanup property (previously known as Sardi Farm) was purchased by Rejuvenation Fund founding partner, the Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (ETNTAC) in early 2022.
Kardutjaanup is located in the south-eastern mallee wheatbelt region of Western Australia approximately 102km north-west of the town of Esperance and 21km west of Salmon Gums.
The property is adjacent to the Southern Greater Western Woodlands Wilderness area, Northern Macro Corridor, and a significant Kardutjaanup- Benwenerup Cultural Corridor and cultural sites.
The long term cleared farmland and cropping history of the property resulted in soil compaction, loss of organic soil carbon, and increased water retention in clays preventing plant root access, thus requiring significant rejuvenation activities to support local ecosystems and communities.
The total area of the property is 4,000ha, with the aim being to revegetate 2,000ha of the property with local native species for the purposes of biodiversity and carbon storage.
The remaining arable land will be used for regenerative agricultural purposes.
ETNTAC has now embarked on the ecological restoration of the first 200-hectare parcel of cleared land within the Kardutjaanup property, thanks to proceeds from the sale of Rejuvenation Trees.
Social Outcomes of the Kardutjaanup Rejuvenation Project
Beyond the contributions to land restoration, the Esperance First Nations community has benefited from increased employment and capabilities that support complex land rehabilitation programs such as these.
There is also the mental health, physical and spiritual benefits gained from connecting to Country as a community.
New skills include:
• Native plant identification
• Seed collection and sorting
• Tree planting
• Machinery operation such as tractors and revegetation machines
• Fencing, work planning, monitoring
• Communications and community engagement
Key Impacts
Total property area: 4,000 hectares
Equivalent to 11 central parks
Area of planned native planting: 2,000 hectares
Equivalent to 800,000 olympic swimming pools
Area for planned regenerative agricultural practices: 2,000 hectares
Equivalent to 40,000 basketball courts
78,000 Year one seedlings planted across 135 hectares
Equivalent to 80 Melbourne Cricket Grounds
25
Total first nations people employed in additional support
35
Total first nations people employed in planting operation
27
Seedling species planted in first phase planting
78
Direct seeding species planted in first phase planting
