“BUCKET GULLY” Woolein Qld | 11 The speed with which this country recovered from the extended dry ending in 2019 is testament to the integrity of the resources available in a diverse ecosystem. We have observed this landscape move from its original forested state 110 years ago, through phases of ring-barking, tordonning and pulling in the period up to the 1950s, to its present condition. Nancy Nott, in a journal entry in the early 1970s, noted scalding and bare areas and was of the opinion they were the results of earlier broad scale clearing and intensive grazing. Nancy responded by employing the management practice of thinning 2 out of 3 young trees every 15 to 20 years to encourage a balance of forest and pasture. The long-term benefits of this practice are easy to observe today. The last thinning was in 2001. Much science is available promoting the benefit of trees and herbage in grazed landscapes and Bucket Gully surely is evidence of this science. Not only do treed landscapes attract rain, they also aid in the capture of dew and transpired moisture and cool the landscape, reducing the extremes between maximum and minimum temperatures, providing soil conditions supportive of healthy soil biology. Water infiltration is increased, soil water holding capacity is increased and stock are provided with a much more comfortable, less stressful environment in which to graze. It is easy to appreciate the foresight of Nancy Nott in allowing this property to re-forest. Fifty years of stewardship have built a resilient landscape full of possibilities for the future.
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