Wild Habitats Inc. is pleased to announce that we have successfully received funding through the Federal CEP (Community Environment Program). Our grant is to restore Provest Creek in Hornsby Heights Sydney back to a healthy creek.

Provest Creek is fed primarily by stormwater collected in the local urban catchment. At the top of the catchment is Montview Oval which was created from an old landfill site. A quarry operation mining clay shale and fireclay was also in operation from 1960 to 1975.

The restoration will focus on the areas of the creek that are part of Berowra Valley National Park with the permission of NPWS (NSW Parks and Wildlife Service.)

We will be attempting to do the restoration by applying the SERA (Society of Ecological Restoration Australiasia) standards.

The challenge is that we need to incorporate knowledge which is normally difficult to obtain for Bush Regenerators. The grant will allow us to use the services of an ecologist so that we can try and make sure that our regeneration benefits the local fauna.

SERA standards require us to assess the site based on the following attributes with a one to five star rating. This allows us to create a Recovery Wheel and is a good measure of our progress when viewed at the beginning and end of a project.

Attribute	*	**	***	****	*****
Absence of threats	Further deterioration discontinued and site has tenure and  management secured	Threats from adjacent areas beginning to be   managed or mitigated	All adjacent threats being managed or mitigated	Larger scale threats starting to be managed or mitigated	All threats managed or mitigated to high extent
Physical conditions	Gross physical and chemical problems remediated (e.g. pollution, erosion, and compaction)	Substrate chemical and physical properties (e.g. pH and salinity) on track to stabilize within natural range	Substrate stabilized within natural range and  supporting growth of characteristic biota	Substrate maintaining conditions suitable for ongoing growth and recruitment of  characteristic biota	Substrate exhibiting physical and chemical characteristics highly similar to that of the reference ecosystem with evidence they can indefinitely sustain species and processes
Species composition	Colonizing indigenous species (e.g. ∼2% of the species of reference ecosystem); no threat to regeneration niches or future successions	Genetic diversity of stock arranged and a small subset of characteristic indigenous species establishing (e.g. ∼10% of reference); low threat from exotic invasive or undesirable species	Genetic diversity of stock arranged and a small subset of characteristic indigenous species  establishing (e.g. ∼10% of reference); low threat from exotic invasive or undesirable species	A subset of key indigenous species (e.g. ∼25% of reference)  establishing over substantial proportions of the site, with nil to low threat from  undesirable species Substantial diversity of characteristic biota (e.g. ∼60% of reference) present on the site and representing a wide diversity of species groups; no inhibition by undesirable  species	High diversity of characteristic species (e.g. >80% of reference) across the site, with high similarity to the reference ecosystem; improved potential for colonization of more species over time
Community structure	One or fewer strata present and no spatial pattering or trophic complexity relative to reference ecosystem	More strata present but low spatial pattering and trophic complexity relative to reference ecosystem	Most strata present and some spatial pattering and trophic complexity relative to reference ecosystem	All strata present Spatial pattering evident and substantial trophic complexity developing, relative to the reference ecosystem	All strata present and spatial pattering and trophic complexity high Further complexity and spatial pattering able to self-organize to highly resemble reference ecosystem
Ecosystem function	Substrates and hydrology are at a foundational stage only, capable of future development of functions similar to the reference	Substrates and hydrology show increased potential for a wider range of functions including nutrient cycling, and provision of habitats/resources for other species	Evidence of functions commencing, e.g. nutrient cycling, water filtration and provision of habitat  resources for a range of species	Substantial evidence of key functions and processes commencing including reproduction, dispersal, and recruitment of a species	Considerable evidence of functions and processes on a secure  trajectory toward reference and evidence of ecosystem resilience likely after reinstatement of appropriate disturbance regimes
External exchanges	Potential for exchanges (e.g. of species, genes, water, and fire) with surrounding landscape or aquatic environments identified	Connectivity for enhanced positive (and minimized negative)  exchanges arranged through cooperation with stakeholders and configuration of  site	Connectivity increasing and exchanges between site and external environment starting to be evident (e.g. more species, flows, etc.)	High level of connectivity with other natural areas established, observing control of pest species and undesirable disturbances	Evidence that potential for external  exchanges is highly similar to reference and long term integrated management arrangements with broader landscape in place and operative

Table 1. Summary of generic standards for recovery levels 1–5.

Meaning of Star Rating

 (Note: Modeled on an appropriate local indigenous reference ecosystem)

 

1	Ongoing deterioration prevented. Substrates remediated (physically and chemically). Some level of indigenous biota present; future recruitment niches not negated by biotic or abiotic characteristics. Future improvements for all attributes planned and future site management secured.
2	Threats from adjacent areas starting to be managed or mitigated. Site has a small subset of characteristic indigenous species and there is little if any internal threat from undesirable species. Improved connectivity arranged with adjacent property holders
3	Adjacent threats being managed or mitigated. A moderate subset of characteristic indigenous species are established and some evidence of ecosystem functionality commencing. Improved connectivity commencing.
4	A substantial subset of characteristic biota present (representing all species groupings), providing evidence of a developing community structure and commencement of ecosystem processes. Improved connectivity established and surrounding threats being managed or mitigated.
5	Establishment of a characteristic assemblage of biota to a point where structural and trophic complexity is likely to develop without further intervention. Appropriate ecosystem exchanges are enabled and commencing and high levels of resilience is likely with return of appropriate disturbance regimes. Long-term management arrangements in place.

Our next step is to engage an ecologist and collaborate with Hornsby Council to help us create the Recovery Wheel based on the above attributes. We will then engage a team of Bush Regenerators to implement our plan. At the end of the project we will have another look at the Recovery Wheel and use this as a measure of the ongoing progress.