Logo primary
Logo secondary
Mudlark Permaculture
Mudlark Permaculture
Details
Commenced:
01/08/2013
Submitted:
27/01/2012
Last updated:
07/10/2015
Location:
100 Lambert Street , Ararat, Victoria, AU
Climate zone:
Mediterranean





My Projects

(projects i'm involved in)

Transition Beaufort

Transition Beaufort

Beaufort, AU

Mudlark Urban

Mudlark Urban

Ararat, AU


Followers
Alexander Ihlo Andrew Francis Ann Cantelow Carlene Kidwell Daniel Morrison david spicer Desmond Ford Duygu Baslican Evan Young Gordon Williams Jake Hill Jeff Cardinale Jody Wall Joel Catchlove JORGE CADENA Kate Johnson Kate Marsh Kerri Paine Klifford J Fyshwick Michelle Stephenson Nick Huggins Nickolas Mcsweeney Olmec Sinclair Penelope Kothe Peter Coulson Rasili O'Connor Scott Hall Scott Morgan Simone Rethus Thomas Pierias Tom Kendall Wendy Lehman William Park

Back to Mudlark Permaculture

Kangaroos and Wallabies-an aussie problem

Project: Mudlark Permaculture

Posted by Carolyn Payne-Gemmell about 12 years ago

A few hints and tips for dealing with these unique Australian characters.

Kangaroo and Wallaby guards and protection

The 34 acre site that is now the home of Mudlark Permaculture is an open grassland  strip 250mts wide and 500mts long,  set between native Australian bush land and a 280 mt diameter artificially created wetland.

The land was considered so poor by its previous owner that it had not been fenced or stocked for 30 years.

The only things to graze this land for years have been a few rabbits, hares, the odd wallaby and around 100 kangaroo.

Kangaroo come on to the property every evening to drink.

In taking all those things into context, I had to acknowledge that I was basically on the kangaroos turf and I better learn how to live with it.

I have to say that kangaroos are unique in that they are incredably stupid, they can not be trained in any way. Electric fences are of no consequence to them as they do not touch them, get a shock and remember for next time.

Kangaroos jump in very long powerful strides and are very fast when they have to be. Anything that may be in their way will be jumped on or over.

The expense of a 2mt high, everything proof fencing, was not an option first up.

So I have had to be a little creative in order to slow down the collateral damage to the first vestiges of my permanent human centered activities.

Most of the original 'bull wire' fencing was still in position, but on the ground, with the fence posts all having rotted off at ground level. This wire is very heavy gage and stiff. I have cut it into aprox. 2 mt lengths as I worked my way along cleaning up the old fence lines.

I replaced the fence with simple steel posts and plain wire strands, and ring lock mesh in a few sections, dependant on finances at the time.

 I have been working my way back along the fence, weaving the lengths of old bull wire vertically into the new fence, securing it with small lengths of tie wire.  It does look interesting and it is very functional, it is slightly springy if the kangaroo do try and jump it.

The old wire is very heavy, stiff and rusty, it can not be straightened without breaking it

                     ------------------------------------------

Acacia thinings for poles

In other sections, were the old wire was too rusted  to be of use I have been vertically weaving in long slender thinnings into the fence to add height.  Some of these are from a local acacia species that is regenerating in large clumps which then self thin, by about half of them dying at around the 10 year mark. These are often 6-7 mts tall with a base diameter of less than 10cm. I can often get 2 or 3 poles out of them.

Poles woven through ringlock netting.

Detail of pole tie wire.

I have around 3kms of perimeter fence to work on over time  and I haven’t intended to block all the wild life out over night, more a case of slowing them down for now.

              -----------------------------------------------------------

Another great ‘free’ fencing material that abounds in the 1st world is the shipping pallet. I usually don’t leave home without the trailer as there are always ‘free’ resources to be gathered around the country side, building sites, backs of shops etc (I always ask first!)

Pallet triangles.

Some of the ways I have used these pallets is arranged in a simple triangle with very long screws through the corners. This is working well on single trees that are regenerating out in exposed areas of the property.

 

Pallete corral, with damaged tree on the outside.

In sections where natural regeneration is appearing in clumps, I have put up ‘corrals’ using 10 to 20 pallets. Set slightly in a zigzag to help with stability.  The kangaroos won’t jump inside these corrals, as they are too small to jump out of. For the most part the kangaroos don’t eat these acacia, but the pressure of continually being jumped on or having the growing tip knocked off really retards their growth. Once protected by the ‘corral’ they take off in height and become excellent candidates for stem pruning.

Inside and outside the corral- spot the difference-after 18months these inside trees are now large enough to withstand kangaroo pressure and this ‘corral’ will be unscrewed and moved over.

                         ----------------------------------------------

 The excellent plant growth experienced on the new swales has frustratingly been matched by the wallaby populations desire to eat it all. With over 1km of swale this has called for a plan where I have had to pick my battles. 

A fresh young apricot tree with cover crop-prior to being striped by a wallaby.

The local wildlife have avoided some plants and I will be re-seeding and replanting more of those varieties in autumn. Anything completely devoured as a wallaby favorite will be chalked up to ‘experience’.

The kangaroo apples were almost the only plants left untouched, they have made very fast growth, I will be planting these by the hundreds next autumn.

Picking my battles has meant favoring the precious fruit trees first and foremost. I did this by placing large branches gently in a cage type formation around the tree. This has acted to slow down the curious wallabies. This open stick basket has still allowed the cover crop to grow, especially the vetch which likes to climb.

Young apple tree in the middle of an acacia branch cage.

Comments (1)

You must be logged in to comment.

Rasili O'Connor
Rasili O'Connor : Hi Carolyn (or Mudlark Permaculture),

I've been searching for information/ideas regarding kangaroos given I've just put in a 45 metre swale for a food forest (and more planned) and there are many, many kangaroos roaming this property. Am inspired by your ideas. Could you tell me anything about how you are going with your food forest now, three years on (regarding wallabies and kangaroos)? Cheers, Rasili (O'Connor)
Posted almost 9 years ago

Report Rasili O'Connor on Kangaroos and Wallabies-an aussie problem

Reason:

or cancel

Courses Taught Here!
Project Badges
Urban Residential Demonstration Educational
Administrators
Carolyn Payne-Gemmell - Admin
Team Members

Report Mudlark Permaculture

Reason:

or cancel

Hide Mudlark Permaculture

Reason:

or cancel

Hide Kangaroos and Wallabies-an aussie problem

Reason:

or cancel

Legend of Badges

Note: The various badges displayed in people profiles are largely honesty-based self-proclamations by the individuals themselves. There are reporting functions users can use if they know of blatant misrepresentation (for both people and projects). Legitimacy, competency and reputation for all people and projects can be evidenced and/or developed through their providing regular updates on permaculture work they’re involved in, before/after photographs, etc. A spirit of objective nurturing of both people and projects through knowledge/encouragement/inspiration/resource sharing is the aim of the Worldwide Permaculture Network.

Member

Member

A member is a permaculturist who has never taken a PDC course. These cannot become PDC teachers. Members may be novice or highly experienced permaculturists or anywhere in between. Watch their updates for evaluation.

Male memberFemale member

Permaculture Matchmaker

One of these badges will show if you select your gender and the "I'm single, looking for a permaculture partner" option in your profile.

unverified

PDC

People who claim to have taken a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course somewhere in the world.

verified

PDC Verified

People who have entered an email address for the teacher of their PDC course, and have had their PDC status verified by that teacher. Watch their updates for evaluation.

pri_verified

PRI PDC

People who’ve taken a Permaculture Research Institute PDC somewhere in the world.

pdc_teacher

PDC Teacher

People who claim to teach some version of PDC somewhere in the world.

pri_teacher

PRI Teacher

With the exception of the ‘Member’ who has never taken a PDC, all of the above can apply to become a PRI PDC Teacher. PRI PDC Teachers are those who the PRI recognise, through a vetting board, as determined and competent to teach the full 72-hour course as developed by Permaculture founder Bill Mollison – covering all the topics of The Designers’ Manual as well as possible (i.e. not cherry picking only aspects the teacher feels most interested or competent in). Such teachers also commit to focussing on the design science, and not including subjective spiritual/metaphysical elements. The reason these items are not included in the PDC curriculum is because they are “belief” based. Permaculture Design education concerns itself with teaching good design based on strategies and techniques which are scientifically provable.

PRI PDC Teachers may be given teaching and/or consultancy offerings as they become available as the network grows.

pri_teacher

Aid Worker

The individual with this badge is indicating they are, have, or would like to be involved in permaculture aid work. As such, the individual may or may not have permaculture aid worker experience. Watch their updates for evaluation.

pri_teacher

Consultant

The individual with this badge is indicating they are, have, or would like to do paid permaculture design consultancy work. As such, the individual may or may not have permaculture consultancy experience. Watch their updates for evaluation.

community

Community Project

Community projects are projects that help develop sustainable community interaction and increase localised resiliency.

Report Kangaroos and Wallabies-an aussie problem

Reason:

or cancel