Private Forests Tasmania has launched an interactive knowledge hub for Tasmanian landowners to learn about the positive impact integrating commercial trees can have on their properties.
The Tree Alliance Knowledge Hub and its content have been developed in consultation with a broad scope of state and nationally-renowned forestry, agricultural and biodiversity experts to ensure landowners can glean the best advice and support from the information resources.
The $400,000 project was supported by the TAS Farm Innovation Hub through funds from the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund, PFT and supported by 10 other stakeholder project partners.
The Knowledge Hub, developed by Walker Designs and Cavalletti Communications, consolidates accessible and user-friendly information and tools that highlight how integrating trees on farms through whole-farm planning can improve farm resilience through environmental and economic shocks such as droughts.
People can visit the hub to:
• Discover how to integrate trees into your farming operations to maximise productivity, and generate economic, ecological and societal benefits
• Learn about the experiences of farmers who have successfully planted trees on their land
• Explore the results of Tasmanian case studies measuring the productivity and environmental impacts of trees on farms
• Access tools that support decision-making from carbon estimation, to forest mapping, to species selection
• Find practical step-by-step resources backed by the latest research, market insights and industry knowledge
• Gain information and advice from leading forestry professionals on each aspect of the tree-growing process
• Begin planning their own tree-growing journey for a thriving future
Included in the hub is PFT’s new Farm and Forest Mapper tool to help simplify the farm-planning process for landowners, consultants, planners, contractors and land agents.
The Farm and Forest Mapper, developed by Esk Spatial, in consultation with Private Forests Tasmania and the Forest Practices Authority, is a FREE set of mapping and decision support tools and calculators where users can easily plan, map and manage their properties to expand their plantation estate and leverage the multiple benefits that trees on farms can provide.
PFT Chief Executive Officer Dr Elizabeth Pietrzykowski said the Knowledge Hub would be a key resource for many Tasmanian landowners to learn more about the benefits of trees on their farms and then find what help is available to enable them to make the best decisions for their enterprise.
“The Knowledge hub is an extension of PFT’s strategic program Tree Alliance, which works with forestry, agricultural and environmental stakeholders to raise awareness of farm forestry and the benefits of trees on farms,” she said.
“Longer-term, we hope the outcomes of this project will be more trees of the right type, in the right places across the agricultural landscape, improved farming businesses’ drought resilience and better carbon and other natural capital asset outcomes.
“We know farmers are interested in integrating trees into their whole farm plans, however, in many cases, they don’t know how or where to start.
“This Knowledge Hub, developed by the forestry and agricultural sector, will provide them with key information and direction of the process and who to talk to make sound economic and environmental decisions.”
Director of the TAS Farm Innovation Hub Sandra Knowles said the project supported the hub’s aim of helping farmers access information and drive innovation in their business.
“As our climate changes and becomes more variable, we need to build climate resilience into communities, economies and environments at all scales,” she said.
“We know that a critical part of this is ensuring farmers are able access information they need to make the best decisions for the future.
“The Knowledge Hub will be a fantastic resource as it uses a variety of methods to show farmers how integrating trees on farmers and whole farm planning can improve their financial, social and environmental resilience to drought and climate variability.”
The TAS Farm Innovation Hub is one of eight hubs nationally funded through the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund. The hub is based at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of Tasmania and delivered through a network of industry and community partners.
The Tree Alliance Knowledge Hub can be explored at pft.tas.gov.au by clicking on the Tree Alliance tab in the top right-hand corner and people can call PFT’s free Helpline on 1300 661 009.
