Couple Grows Endangered Forest From Scratch in Tasmania

John Thompson and Annette Vojinov stare up at towering white gums, blackwood, and myrtle trees thriving on land that was once a weed-choked wasteland. The Tasmanian retirees spent 16 years growing a native forest from scratch, restoring a critically endangered ecosystem one tree at a time.

Back in 2010, the couple faced four hectares of degraded land on their 18-hectare property in Gunns Plain, Tasmania. Blackberries and onion twitch strangled the ground where 200 years of farming had stripped the earth of native seeds.

With no background in botany or ecology, they dove into books and sought advice from anyone who would help. "There is no textbook or manual for growing a wet viminalis forest from scratch," Thompson said.

The work became another full-time job. Long days outdoors controlling weeds, planting trees, and protecting seedlings from possums tested their resolve at every turn.

Slowly, the forest responded. Some plantings died while others survived, and natural germination began filling in the gaps. Birds, wind, and flooding brought new seeds that took root in the healing soil.

Their property now protects part of a 70-hectare stretch of critically endangered Tasmanian white gum forest. The land is bound by a conservation covenant, meaning current and future owners must legally protect its natural values forever.

The Ripple Effect

The couple's success represents a growing movement across Australia. Nearly 7 million hectares of private land are now protected under conservation covenants, with landowners stepping up to meet national biodiversity goals.

Professor Benjamin Richardson from the University of Tasmania says this shift from "lock it up and leave it" to active conservation is crucial for meeting the global goal to protect 30 percent of land and sea by 2030. But he warns that landowners need more support, noting that government agencies and conservation groups often fail to provide promised financial aid and technical assistance.

Australia recently launched the Nature Repair Market, allowing landholders to earn certificates for biodiversity projects they can sell to investors. New programs are being developed specifically to support projects like Thompson and Vojinov's that safeguard and improve existing conservation land.

Now in their 70s, the couple is preparing to pass their beloved property to the next custodians. "We thought well, we might as well go out before we're carried out," Vojinov said with a laugh.

Thompson sees improvement of "1,000 percent" in the land they've nurtured back to life, and their legacy will continue growing long after they're gone.