Gippsland Family Donates 105ha Property for Permanent Conservation, Creating a Template for Landholders Across Australia Maffra West Upper, Gippsland — A pioneering act of generosity by a local Gippsland family is helping shape the future of private land conservation in Australia.
The Phillipson family of Maffra West Upper has formally donated their 105-hectare property, North Paddock, to not-for-profit organisation BioDiversity Legacy for lasting protection and ecological stewardship.
This significant contribution – the first of three planned property donations from the family – establishes a powerful model for other landowners considering succession planning and long-term conservation outcomes for their land.
Ecological Significance
Located on Gunaikurnai Country, North Paddock comprises Lowland Forest, Herb-rich Forest (depleted) and Swamp Scrub (endangered) communities. It supports a variety of threatened plant species and forms a crucial ecological link between the Coongalla Bushland Reserve, the Avon–Mount Hedrick Scenic Reserve and the Victorian Alps.
A New Model for Succession Planning
The Phillipson family — Jim, Heather, David and Kate — began their conservation journey by restoring an adjacent property on the Macalister River, securing further parcels of land for nature, and establishing the EcoGipps venture to share conservation knowledge with the local community.
While this work produced meaningful outcomes, the family grappled with the question of what would happen to the land when they could no longer care for it. BioDiversity Legacy provided the answer, offering a secure not-for-profit ownership structure that ensures properties are protected and kept in community stewardship – not sold, subdivided or repurposed.
BioDiversity Legacy will partner with EcoGipps on the long-term management of North Paddock, as well as a further 253 hectares of adjoining conservation land to be donated in the years ahead.
A Gift Designed to Last
“Landholders across Australia are increasingly seeking ways to ensure their restoration work endures. The Phillipsons’ partnership with BioDiversity Legacy demonstrates a clear pathway: enduring protection, trusted stewardship and opportunities for community involvement in caring for nature,” says BioDiversity Legacy’s Head of Science & Environment, Abi Wills.
“This gift demonstrates what’s possible when landholders want to protect their land beyond their lifetimes and offers a replicable, practical template for other landholders thinking about succession and long-term stewardship.
“This is what intergenerational conservation leadership looks like – it’s generous, forward-thinking and deeply rooted in place. We hope others will be inspired to follow.”
On a property that already boasts significant habitat for birds (around 150 species sighted at the spring Birds on Farms survey), a casual visitor to the EcoGipps farm might wonder why we have been busy strapping salvaged hollow logs to tree branches. After all, birds can live in any kind of tree … can’t they?
Well, yes and no. It all depends on the bird! Around 15% of Australian bird species rely on tree hollows for shelter and breeding. On the EcoGipps farm, Striated Pardalotes, King Parrots, Kookaburras and a pair of broody Wood Ducks are just some of the bird species on the lookout for hollows to call home.
Mature eucalypts form the ideal hollows for nesting, but it takes time – hollows start to form when trees reach around 90 years old, with the smallest hollows taking up to 120 years to develop. More suitable, larger hollows can be found in very mature trees, often 2-300 years of age. With many of these giants having been felled for farmland, timber harvesting and urban development, hollows are in short supply.
Hollows ready to goEnd caps being installedEnd cap in placeLarge hollow for lizardsHollow installed Hollow in large eucalypt
At EcoGipps, we engaged local arborist, Agile Tree Works, to help strategically install a series of salvaged eucalyptus hollows into trees around the farm to encourage birdlife to shelter and nest. Although one hollow was so heavy, it ended up on the ground to be a future home for lizards! A wooden end cap was attached to each piece to ensure the hollow was more secure and cosy for their new inhabitants.
Salvaging existing hollows bound for the firewood heap is just one option for improving habitat for hollow-loving birds. Purpose-built nesting boxes also provide a suitable home for birds. For the boxes to be most effective, it’s important to build boxes to suit specific species. Your local Landcare group may be able to help with plans for nesting boxes. For those of you in Gippsland, Maffra & District Landcare Network have put together Nest Boxes for Gippsland Region; an excellent place to start.
Over the coming months, the EcoGipps team will monitor these hollows to see who has made themselves at home.
Check out this entertaining YouTube video by our South Gippsland friends at the Tarwin River Forest, which celebrates the importance of bird hollows.
BirdLife Australia’s Birds on Farms project works with rural landholders to protect and restore agricultural landscapes and create bird-friendly habitat for woodland bird species.
Landholders can take part in seasonal surveys with Birds on Farms supporting farmers along the way, providing resources and mentors to help locate and identify birds. The information collected during the surveys is used to not only monitor the health of woodland bird species populations, but to create habitat plans, identify areas of value and assist landholders to create bird-friendly habitat.
EcoGipps has been conducting seasonal Birds on Farms surveys since 2018. Beginning with 4 survey sites and roughly 10 bird species identified on each site, EcoGipps now has 13 survey sites, with an average of 20 birds identified on each site, depending on the season.
Heather considers Birds on Farms to be an important seasonal activity at EcoGipps.
“Participating in the bird surveys requires us to quickly tune into the birds around us. We only have 20 minutes on each site to identify birds, which can be quite intense”, says Heather.
“Our knowledge of local and migratory bird species has definitely improved as a result of the bird surveys”.
Sharing knowledge and capacity building amongst the EcoGipps team is another important aspect of Birds on Farms surveys. Jim and Heather are fortunate to have some of Gippsland’s most active and knowledgeable bird-watchers help with the seasonal surveys, and they willingly share their passion with others.
EcoLands Collective People and Purpose team member, Louise Spensley, says: “I love participating in the EcoGipps birds surveys! It’s such a beautiful day, and I appreciate the time to be immersed in the landscapes and really leaning into the visual and auditory experience of listening and looking for birds. The company is also top tier, and each time I learn a little bit more about these beautiful birds and landscapes.”
Swift Parrots (photo with thanks to Dan Brown)Gang Gang Cockatoo
The Birds on Farms surveys occur in summer, autumn, winter and spring. In the seven years that they have been taking part, over 139 different species of birds have been identified at EcoGipps, including the critically endangered Swift Parrot, Gang Gang Cockatoo, Rufous Fantail, Crested Shrike-tit, Painted Button-quail, Bassian Thrush, Leaden Fly-catcher and Spotted Quail-thrush, plus birds like the Channel-billed Cuckoo, which is out of its normal range.
In April 2025, a group of Sustainable Landscapes students from the University of Melbourne were welcomed to EcoGipps.
This visit was part of the master’s student’s weekend adventure to Gippsland – a two-day tour to understand different land management practices across the Gippsland region.
Led by Dr Andrea Rawluk from the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences with the support of Biodiversity Legacy Projects Officer, Jyoti Kala, students visited multiple properties and were immersed in conversations about regenerative agricultural practices, the Commons and community environmental campaigns. Over the weekend, the students also spoke closely with landowners who are working hard to find solutions for a complex variety of land management challenges.
The weekend tour included visits to:
Tarwin River Forest, a covenanted rainforest in South Gippsland, where forest stewards Stuart and Victoria took the students on a walk to a rainforest gully, where they saw critically endangered Slender Tree-ferns. They shared stories about their rainforest work, looking after the covenanted property and protecting Gippsland’s forests via Gippsland Forest Guardians.
The students also visited:
EcoGipps, where they learned about the broad vision, the four properties that make up the EcoGipps venture regeneration activities, tree planting and weed management.
NeavesMirams Agriculture, Regenerative Dairy Farm, Newry – where leaders Kate and Pete shared their journey to regenerative agriculture practices. The students learned about farm impacts on pasture production, milk production and productivity. They also enjoyed a walk to look at multispecies pastures, trees and birds.
Woodcote Farm, Holistic Agriculture, Perry Bridge, where leaders Ruth and David shared their wisdom about agricultural practices in balance with nature – recognising natural systems, grasses, underground livestock and above-ground livestock. They highlighted their philosophy of ‘do no harm’ – how caring for the cattle, combined with mosaic-style grazing, supports both wildlife and soil health.
We would like to acknowledge Dr Rawluk for organising the trip and for all her excellent work teaching and inspiring the students.
Something exciting is happening at the community-managed wetlands situated in the Gippsland town of Heyfield.
A small section of the Wetlands is now home to the Seeding Succession project. Started by Maffra & District Landcare Network, the project aims to showcase local plant species found in the Gippsland Grassy Plains bioregion and ensure that expert knowledge is shared amongst the wider community.
EcoGipps has partnered with the Heyfield Wetlands, Avon Landcare and community volunteers to continue this project. The second phase of the project began with the establishment of a range of plants within a small, fenced area.
“These plants will easily get lost amongst the shrubs and grasses commonly found within the open areas of the wetlands, so the fenced area provides them with a buffer to get established,” explains wetlands committee member, Mike Kube.
The diverse range of plants, grown by Woolenook Nursery and local plant expert, Martin Swanson, have been chosen for their ornamental value to encourage locals to plant them in their own gardens.
Some of the species include the Vanilla Lily (Arthropodium minus), Matted Bush-pea (Pultenaea pedunculata), Yellow Buttons (Chrysocephalum apiculatum), Kangaroo Grass (Themeda Triandra) and the Yam Daisy or Murnong (Microseris lanceolata), which was an important food source for the Gunaikurnai people.
As the plants grow, cutting material and seeds will be collected for propagation, with new plants being shared among other community groups, including Landcare and the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail. The space will also be used for propagation workshops and plant ID activities to educate the community on the Grassy Plains bioregion and share knowledge of local plant experts among the wider community.
