Restoring Nature To Prevent Erosion, Pollution And Habitat Loss

Riparian restoration, the planting of native vegetation around waterways, helps protect the health of water systems that connect farms, forests and coastal ecosystems.

For Greenfleet, riparian planting is another way our forests can deliver environmental benefits. Beyond removing carbon from the atmosphere, these plantings help stabilise banks, filter runoff before it reaches waterways, create habitat for species that depend on wet and sheltered areas, and support healthier catchments over time.

A riparian zone at our Strzelecki Nature Link, with old willow logs visible in the background, retained to create habitat for wildlife as the vegetation matures.

What Is A Riparian Zone?

Riparian zones are the area of land around rivers, creeks, wetland and other waterways, and their condition has a strong influence on water quality, soil stability and habitat.

These types of landscapes deliver enormous environmental benefits, which is why Greenfleet includes their restoration in our revegetation strategy. In agricultural regions where waterways have been cleared, grazed or overtaken by weeds, banks are left vulnerable to erosion and the natural filtering benefits from native vegetation is lost. Reestablishing locally native plants helps rebuild those functions while also creating habitat and connectivity for wildlife.

Healthy riparian vegetation works like a living buffer. Plant roots help hold soil in place, reducing erosion and bank collapse. Grasses, shrubs and trees slow the movement of water across the land, allowing sediment, nutrients and pollutants to be filtered before they enter streams. Shade from trees helps keep water cooler, which benefits aquatic life such as fish, frogs and invertebrates.

Photo: A riparian zone at our Strzelecki Nature Link, with old willow logs visible in the background, retained to create habitat for wildlife as the vegetation matures.

Water flows more slowly through this riparian zone in our Strzelecki Nature Link than it would through non-vegetated land, filtering sediment and pollutants and improving water quality.

How Greenfleet Is Restoring These Vital Waterways

In South Gippsland, we are restoring riparian areas in our Strzelecki Nature Link, where creeks flow into the Lang Lang River, a perennial river of the Western Port catchment. These plantings are intentionally dense compared with other forest restoration and required us to first remove highly invasive willow trees to make room for locally appropriate native species to improve the waterway. In some areas, cut willow logs have been left in place so they can gradually break down and provide habitat complexity.

Our focus is on aquatic and semi-aquatic species that can tolerate changing water levels, including ground-storey plants like Tasman flax-lily (Dianella tasmanica) and pale rush (Juncus pallidus), understorey shrubs like hop goodenia (Goodenia ovata), and the midstory tree blackwood (Acacia melanoxolyn). Our approach is still evolving, and we are continuing to learn which species perform best in these wet, dynamic parts of the landscape.

Protecting new plantings also takes persistence. Fencing helps manage pressure from cattle, deer and other animals, but local wildlife does not always follow the restoration plan. Wombats, in particular, can push through fences as they move through the landscape. These challenges are part of working in living systems: restoration requires careful planning, monitoring and adaptation over time.

Photo: Water flows more slowly through thisriparian zone in our Strzelecki Nature Link than it would through non-vegetated land, filtering sediment and pollutants and improving water quality.

Animals That Depend On Healthy Waterways

Our recently planted riparian areas will become important habitat for wildlife as they mature. Koalas, wombats and sugar gliders already inhabit our forests at Strzelecki Nature Link. Bluetongue lizards, water skinks, frogs, native rats and echidnas are likely to use the vegetation surrounding the waterways, and we hope that longer term, we will see native bats move in too.

An aerial view of the riparian zone at our Territory forest at Strzelecki Nature Link in South Gippsland.

Support Our Riparian Restoration Work

Donations to Greenfleet help fund our riparian restoration at Strzelecki Nature Link, improving water quality, strengthening habitat for wildlife, protecting soils and building ecosystem resilience.

Our Strzelecki Nature Link is legally protected for up to 100 years, ensuring it cannot be cut down for any reason. After planting, we continuously monitor and assess the health of these projects, with a focus on genuine, long-term action to protect our climate and restore nature.

With Greenfleet, you can help grow our forests, restore nature, and grow climate hope. Find out how to make a tax deductible donation or become a recurring donor.

Photo: An aerial view of the riparian zone at our Territory forest at Strzelecki Nature Link in South Gippsland.