Darling River Eco Corridor #26

Darling River Eco Corridor #26 is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) project located approximately 110km west of Bourke in the remote Far West region of New South Wales. Registered in January 2017, the project covers a substantial area of 24,209 hectares.

The project operates within the Mulga Lands bioregion, an area characterized by semi-arid conditions and slightly undulating red sandy loam soils. The landscape typically supports Mulga (Acacia aneura) woodlands and shrublands, with dominant species including Turpentine (Eremophila sturtii), Silver Cassia (Senna artemisioides), and Rosewood (Alectryon oleifolius). The region is traditionally used for rangeland grazing, particularly for sheep and goats, which has historically suppressed native vegetation regrowth.

This project employs the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which does not involve planting new trees but rather assists the regeneration of existing in-situ seed sources, rootstock, and lignotubers. To achieve this, the project focuses on managing "suppressors", specifically through the humane control of feral animals like goats and the strategic management of livestock grazing timing and extent. This reduction in grazing pressure allows young trees to regenerate and eventually achieve forest cover.

An interesting feature of this project is its inclusion in the broader "Darling River Eco Corridor" aggregation managed by Terra Carbon (a subsidiary of GreenCollar). This initiative aims to create a contiguous zone of protected vegetation across the upper catchments of the Darling River system, enhancing biodiversity connectivity and reversing land degradation caused by decades of intensive grazing.