Yardea Station

Yardea Station is a Human-Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project located in the Gawler Ranges of South Australia, approximately 74km north-northeast of the township of Wudinna. Registered in March 2023, the project covers a vast area of nearly 250,000 hectares. The region is historically significant for pastoralism, specifically sheep grazing, which has been the primary land use since the station was established in the mid-19th century. The property sits adjacent to the Gawler Ranges National Park, an area known for its stunning volcanic rock formations and biodiversity.

The project operates under the Human-Induced Regeneration methodology, which involves implementing land management changes to facilitate the regrowth of native forest. For Yardea Station, this specifically entails managing the timing and extent of grazing activities to stop the suppression of vegetation. By controlling livestock pressure, local native species, such as mulga, black oak, and mallee, are able to regenerate from in-situ seed sources like rootstock and lignotubers, eventually reaching permanent forest cover.

Environmentally, the site is situated in a semi-arid zone characterized by hot, dry summers and cool winters. The area typically receives low annual rainfall, often averaging between 200mm and 300mm. The landscape features a mix of rugged rhyolite ridges and valleys with soils that range from skeletal and rocky on the hills to red duplex soils and sandy loams on the plains and calcareous flats. Interestingly, Yardea Station is not only a massive carbon sink but also a site of geological curiosity; it was the location of a meteorite fall recorded in 1972.