Eco-restoration and Environmental Education
Where and what is Tootanellup?
Tootanellup is a conservation property in Perilup, WA held by Green Skills Inc. The property, Lot 2249 Rocky Gully Road, is between Rocky Gully and Frankland River, in the Upper Kent catchment in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. The 49.5 ha (122 acres) property has about 18ha of remnant bush and 31.5ha of cleared land. The property is a strategic link between the Tootanellup Nature Reserve, and a WA Department of Water (DWER) reserve which encompasses Boggy Lake, which in turn is part of a group of 3 freshwater wetlands of very high conservation value.
Eco-restoration on the property is being undertaken to strengthen the linkage between these reserves. In 2021, 25 hectares of cleared land (including a wetland) was carefully restored according to current best gold standard eco restoration practices. There are then bushland eco-linkages all the way down to the Mt Roe National Park and up to Poorrarecup Lagoon, a Shire of Cranbrook reserve.
The Tootanellup eco-restoration property provides the opportunity for Green Skills to undertake eco restoration community activities with a citizen science focus. One of our flagship projects is restoring bushland to support on a key Noongar traditional stable food, the Zamia cycad. This project has included supporting research on this species across the Upper Kent catchment, as well as understory cultural species planting on 25 ha Tootanellup eco-restoration site.
as a component with cultural engagement plan implementation. This component of our Tootanellup initiative will be a ‘Walking Together’ project with Noongar Elders and Ranger teams, as well as upskilling novice environmental project staff and volunteers to help carry out this program, by sharing and learning together.
Why is Tootanellup Important?
1. It joins up missing sections of Gondwana Link
Green Skills Inc has been an active part of the Gondwana Link program for over 14 years helping to link priority biodiversity areas on public and private land across a thousand km arc between the West Coast and the Great Western Woodlands.
A 2006 study of the south coast identified major corridors that could be created from existing remnant vegetation in the landscape. Tootanellup sits right on top of one of those lines, linking up remnant vegetation to Mt Roe National Park to the south of Muir Highway.
2. Opportunity to enhance management of nearby reserves
There is opportunity for Green Skills Inc to be involved in improved management of adjoining Boggy Lake property, which is free hold land held by the WA Government for water catchment protection, as well as other bushland reserves and remnant vegetation on farmland in the area. Permission has already been granted to Green Skills Inc to undertake bird and other environmental surveys, and seed collecting on the adjoining Boggy Lake property.
3. Provides a facility for ecological education and citizen science
Green Skills Inc developed a plan for the Tootanellup property that provides a clear framework for how the property will be restored and managed. Green Skills Inc, in collaboration with Pardelup Prison Farm and local contracts, has installed a picnic bench, gazebo, composting toilet and interpretive signage for visitors.
Tootanellup Activities & Collaborations
Green Skills Inc has undertaken several projects on the Tootanellup property for eco-restoration, reconciliation and community collaboration. Some of these projects have included:
Revegetation in partnership with Carbon Positive Australia
Cultural Plantings with Noongar Ranger teams
Green Skills Inc has worked extensively with Nowanup Rangers, Southern Aboriginal Corporation Rangers and Gnowangerup Rangers to undertake cultural plantings. This included Zamia seed collection in the adjacent Boggy Lake Nature Reserve with Ranger teams and the propagation of seeds for revegetation works at Tootanellup.
Eco-Art Outings
In 2023, Senior Project Manager initiated an Eco-Art landcare project ‘In the Footsteps of Bella Kelly’ to celebrate the life and works of the late, internationally renowned Noongar painter. In 2023 and 2024, a series of Art-Outings were held in the Great Southern region on Country with Elders, Noongar and Wajela artists. Tootanellup hosted one of these outings.
Contributors, Donors & Supporters
The following private donors have made vital contributions to the Tootanellup project:
Annie Nutter, Nikki Green, Bill Castleden, Bill Hollingworth, Jacqui Hamblin, Michele Payne, Karen Doyle, Theda Mandsholt, Mark Madlener, Jill Rule, Elsa Luhn, Greg Davis, Tim Leary, Nicole Hodgson, Michael Hoy & Helen Lynes, P Masters, G. Lynda, Bill and Jane Thompson, Lou Scampoli, Sonia & Lawrence Emery, Francis Smit and other donors who wish to remain anonymous.
Since 2020, Green Skills has received support from the Denmark based Koorabup Trust and Gondwana Link for building the case for conservation property acquisition in the area.
Green Skills Inc acknowledges the input and contribution of the following Noongar elders:
Lynnette Knapp, May Penny, Frank Krakouer, Caroline Narkle and Ezzard Flowers. Thanks also to Al Hordacre, David Deeley, Dr Geoff Woodall, Louise Tarrier, Mike Hemmings, George Knowlden, Blair Darvill, Sally Malone, John Maxwell, Andrew and Angela Dickinson, Carl Dusenberg, Ethan Silvester, Graham Lawrence, David Taylor, Heather Pickles, Keith Smith, Jenni York, Diane Blacklock, Adrian Baer, Mike Oakley, Don Hunt, John Stokes, Tom Sheard and others for their assistance and input. Appreciations also to the Green Skills Board and Staff, The Koorabup Trust, Carbon Positive Australia, Formosa Seeds, Gondwana Link, Denmark Men’s Shed, Great Walk Network, BirdLife WA, Greening Australia and the Mt Barker, Nowanup and Gnowangerup/Tambellup Noongar Ranger teams.
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