Transforming the typical Australian farm dam into an ecological ‘wonderland’

Trudi Refshauge’s property at Wyangala, in Central West New South Wales, was once described as a “moonscape”, but today it is a refuge for birds, reptiles and insects. 

The transformation began with the Sustainable Farms project run by the Australian National University, which looked into the far-reaching benefits of improving the biodiversity around dams on farms. 

Ms Refshauge fenced off the livestock, planted an array of native trees, shrubs and reeds, and built an island for frogs in the middle of the dam.

“It’s a…