How one couple is restoring habitat in the Derwent Valley

Land for Wildlife Coordinator Phil Wise has visited many Land for Wildlife properties, but Rom and Jane’s Derwent Valley hillside felt like stepping into another world.

It was a cool, foggy autumn morning when I wound my way up a steep dirt road in the Derwent Valley to visit Rom and Jane for a Land for Wildlife assessment. As I pulled into the driveway, a large blue gum caught my eye and I wondered if swift parrots occasionally stop by for a feed.

Rom greeted me and apologised for the lack of views – though he seemed more delighted than sorry.

‘The colder, the greyer, the wetter, the better!’ he laughed.

The low cloud clinging to the slopes seemed to add to the mystical feel of the place.

It didn’t take long to see that caring for nature lies at the centre of life for Rom and Jane.

Rom recalls that even as a child he was drawn to neglected places and enjoyed helping them recover. Today, he says his motivation is simple: to leave the world a better place than he found it.

Creating habitat at home

Their energy-efficient home sits on a southwest-facing hillside, overlooking a landscape of wet eucalypt forest, sandstone cliffs and lush tree fern gullies. Around the house are signs of years of work: ponds under construction, native plants grown from seed and areas being restored for wildlife.

Jane and Rom purchased the 6.5-hectare property in 2020. Parts of it had previously been cleared, with berries and sheep once occupying some of the land. Today, the couple are steadily restoring habitat for wildlife.

Close to the house, they’ve created two big ponds for local amphibians, while gabion cages filled with rocks offer shelter for reptiles and invertebrates. Native plants are dotted throughout the fenced area near the house to encourage birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Some of these plants have been grown by Jane from seed in a small greenhouse nearby. Seeing black cockatoos feeding in three mature silver banksias gave her the idea to grow more.

Teaching herself propagation techniques through YouTube videos and plenty of trial and error, Jane has successfully grown dozens of banksias from seed. Some are now flowering and, after years of nurturing them, Jane and Rom are waiting expectantly to see black cockatoos feeding in them too.

Beyond the garden, areas that were once cleared are steadily being reclaimed by native vegetation. Jane and Rom estimate they have planted around 1,000 native trees and shrubs over the years. Around 400 have survived and some are already five metres tall. Blue gums (Eucalyptus globulus), black gums (Eucalyptus ovata), silver gums (Eucalyptus cordata), tea tree (Leptospermum sp.) and even fagus (Nothofagus gunnii) are beginning to establish where there was once open ground.

Getting the weeds under control

I was blown away by the effort Rom and Jane have put into weed control. What began on their own properties has grown into a collaborative effort spanning 30 hectares across five neighbouring properties.

Long before they purchased their current home, Jane and Rom bought a nearby 11-hectare bush block. When they purchased the property in 2009, weeds such as Californian thistle, blackberry and foxglove were widespread. Jane recalls one summer when Rom spent months removing weeds and helping native vegetation regain a foothold.

Through years of persistence, trial and error, and cooperation with neighbours, the weed burden has been dramatically reduced.

‘We have fabulous neighbours who all do their bit,’ says Rom.

Together, they have reduced thousands of thistles to just a handful of plants and Rom estimates the overall weed load has been reduced by around 99 per cent.

But the work is never really finished. With thistles and blackberries largely under control, attention is now turning to species such as Spanish heath, while foxglove is gradually being pushed back.

A hidden world in the gully

One of the highlights of my visit was a tour of Rom’s ‘happy place’ – the creek gully. The narrow, slippery track descends deep into the steep-sided valley. Fungi seemed to emerge from every fallen log and mossy bank while the creek rushed below us.

Sandstone overhangs and arching tree ferns form a ceiling overhead, filtering the light into a kaleidoscope of green and leaving parts of the gully almost as dark as night. In some places, it felt almost cave-like – cool, damp, ancient and otherworldly.

The forest on the surrounding slopes is spectacular. Tall swamp gums (Eucalyptus regnans) and blue gums (Eucalyptus globulus) dominate the canopy, while dogwoods, musk daisy bushes and a myriad of ferns fill out the middle storey.

Bit by bit, Rom has been improving access through the gully while ensuring minimal impact on this habitat. As we made our way upstream, he explained that some parts of the gully are best left alone. Although he knows the area well, he deliberately limits visits to the more remote sections to reduce the risk of spreading weeds. He told me he had only ventured this far up the creek once in the previous five years.

Wildlife clearly thrives here. Beneath one sandstone overhang we discovered fresh devil prints and even the track of a devil that had been scent marking in the sandy ground. Rom and Jane have picked up many devils on their wildlife camera and were excited to share that they had even recorded a spotted-tailed quoll.

Back at the house I presented Rom with a Land for Wildlife sign before heading off. As I drove away, the fog had lifted, revealing sweeping views of the Derwent Valley and the rugged sandstone escarpments to the southwest. After a day spent beneath green canopies and fern-filled gullies, it felt a little like returning from another world.

By Phil Wise, Land for Wildlife Coordinator

Banner photo supplied by Jane Springall.