Rosemont Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot Project ID 1194

Rosemont Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot Project ID 1194 is an environmental planting project located at "Rosemont," a property on Holy Camp Road roughly 5km southwest of the township of Grenfell in New South Wales. Registered in May 2022, the project covers approximately 50.5 hectares of land within the Weddin Shire. The project is managed by Mikla Katherine Lewis, a prominent local conservationist and Landcare advocate known for her work with native wattle species.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings methodology, which requires establishing native trees and shrubs on land that has been clear of forest for at least five years. As a participant in the Australian Government's Carbon + Biodiversity Pilot, this project goes beyond standard carbon sequestration by adhering to strict biodiversity planting protocols designed by the Australian National University. These protocols often dictate planting mixed species to provide habitats for local wildlife, rather than monocultures.

The Grenfell region acts as a transition zone between the Central West Slopes and the Western Plains, characterized by a sub-humid to semi-arid climate with an average annual rainfall of approximately 630mm. The landscape typically features red-brown earths and chromosol soils, which support mixed farming operations including wheat cropping and sheep grazing. This specific project site was previously used for cropping but has been rehabilitated through direct seeding techniques to restore native vegetation corridors.

An interesting feature of this project is its dual role as a working carbon farm and a community educational site. The property has hosted "Wattle Day" events where local landholders visit to observe the direct seeding results and the ecological benefits of reintroducing Acacia species to agricultural landscapes.