“BirdCast is a practical tool that can support farmers and land managers to protect and conserve our shared natural heritage. It enables farmers to predict what birds might utilise woodland areas on their farm, and to understand how the bird species present might change under a range of scenarios,” Ms Young said. Ms Young is pictured with Sustainable Farms ecologist Eleanor Lang at the awards ceremony in Sydney.

“At a time when many species of plants and animals are threatened by extinction, woodland areas on farms are extremely valuable, providing food and homes for many of these species. It’s important that management of these areas are supported by science to help protect biodiversity. The BirdCast tool gives land managers a solid indication of how their own changes in management might have a real-world impact on biodiversity,” Ms Young said.

“It can sometimes be difficult for the farmers and other land managers who are stewards of our natural heritage to access real science to inform their decision making on farms, and this tool can support these decisions when it comes to managing woodland areas on farms.”

The BirdCast tool.

The BirdCast tool draws on two decades of research undertaken on farms by the Sustainable Farms team at the Australian National University. Sustainable Farms is a research and extension project demonstrating the value of natural assets – such as native vegetation and farm dams – for environmental health and farm profitability.

The National Trust Heritage Awards are an annual celebration of outstanding practice in heritage conservation, protection and interpretation, including of natural heritage. The Sustainable Farms BirdCast tool received a Highly Commended Award in the category “Resources and Publications”. View the complete shortlist and winners on the National Trust website.

BirdCast was built by Kassel Hingee, with input from many members of the Sustainable Farms team at The Australian National University. Support was provided by Meat and Livestock Australia. Photographs and descriptions of birds have been generously provided by BirdLife Australia and BirdLife Australia Photography, and CRE8IVE provided expert advice on the webtool interface and functionality.

Click here to access BirdCast.

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Anecdotally, many farmers report great satisfaction and increased personal wellbeing from engaging in practices such as tree planting and from observing the results of these practices. Kimberly Brown, mental health and wellbeing researcher at the Centre for Mental Health Research and Sustainable Farms at The Australian National University, and colleagues used data from the University of Canberra’s Regional Wellbeing Survey to test whether these relationships could be quantified.

“We found that tree-planting on agricultural land was linked to higher levels of social connectedness,” Ms Brown said. “This makes sense because many farmers engage in these practices as part of a local group, such as Landcare. Farming can be isolating work, and participating in NRM programs can give farmers a chance to connect with others in the community, which is so important for their mental health.”

“We weren’t able to identify a significant relationship to personal wellbeing, but this is likely because so many factors influence an individual’s wellbeing that a specific practice like tree-planting is unlikely to be a determining factor,” Ms Brown said.

“However, the study also looked at the impact on wellbeing when farmers undertook tree-planting as part of broader, farm-scale change in their NRM practices – and in this case positive impacts on wellbeing were identified.”

Michelle Young, Director of Sustainable Farms, said the findings highlight the complexity of factors at play for farmers who may enhance natural assets on their farms.

“Our natural asset farming framework provides many pathways for farmers to undertake specific NRM projects on farms. This research demonstrates how those specific projects can support social connectedness, which is really key to the health of farmers and to the sustainability of rural communities,” Ms Young said.

“Many farmers tell us that they begin their natural assets journey with one small project such as planting a shelterbelt, often in collaboration with a local community group such as Landcare, but over time often they undertake several projects that cumulatively have a transformative effect on their farm, and on how they feel about their farm environment. This research really aligns with these farmers’ stories. The key insight in this new research is that planting trees can lead to social connectedness, but over time a broader approach to the farm landscape is associated with greater farmer wellbeing.”

“The work provides some important insights into farmer adoption of conservation practices, and how the social benefits of NRM can keep farmers engaged in conservation over the long term. Importantly, it also highlights the importance of ensuring that programs engaging farmers in NRM actively incorporate social gains in their design and implementation,” Ms Young said.

“This particularly important at a time when climate change and the extinction crisis are having a real impact on farms and on farmers. Participation in NRM activities and adoption of practices such as tree-planting are going to be key to the ability of farmers and rural communities to adapt and respond.”

The paper is available online here for journal subscribers. Contact Sustainable Farms directly for alternative access options.

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