Recreating the Country. A blueprint for the design of sustainable landscapes
The companion text for this website
Recreating the Country is sold out. Please check your local library for a copy
Recreating the Country is sold out. Please check your local library for a copy
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Peer reviews
"In this well-researched and considered book, Stephen Murphy challenges us to ask what it would take for our plantations to make a real difference, forever. How wide must a shelterbelt be and what species must be included if it is to provide meaningful and sustainable habitats that will last well into the future?"
- Rowan Reid, Australian Master Treegrower Program, University of Melbourne |
Description
At the heart of Recreating the Country are ten design principles observed from nature for land managers to apply a new form of revegetation - the 'Sustainable Biorich Landscapes'. Integrated with other forms of vegetation like farm forestry, biorich plantations aim to enrich biodiversity across rural landscapes not just for our lifetime but for centuries. This easy to read designers guide will give landholders all they need to put trees back on our rural landscapes in an environmentally and economically sustainable way. It includes practical chapters on choosing good tubestock, direct seeding and natural regeneration; selecting species for difficult sites and how to use grazing, thinning and fire to maintain the health and diversity of a biorich landscape. Fully illustrated in colour this practical designers guide will be an asset in any personal library. Edited by Gib Wettenhall and Ian Penna, RtC was funded by Ballarat Region Treegrowers, a branch of Australian Forest Growers. |
Peer reviews continued.
In this delightful small book, Stephen Murphy presents his unifying vision of why [revegetation] needs to be done and how it can be done, recognising the common principles that can apply to commercial plantations, shelterbelts, revegetation and the myriad types of planting in between.”
- Richard H. Loyn, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental
Research, DSE, Victoria
“I found it refreshing, informative and innovative. Most of it is not designed for quick reference, but for study and thoughtful consideration. All readers will find it useful in any of their tree-planting efforts.”
- from a review by naturalist Roger Thomas in the Ballarat
Courier
"Steve Murphy, who working amongst trees, observing, thinking, analysing, making hypotheses, recording and rethinking, and compiling this useful and gutsy book, has made an important contribution to our craft"
- Rob Youl, National Landcare project officer, author, forester and farmer.
“I found it interesting and very informative. There are some light touches, too! It's clearly laid out and ‘user-friendly.’ I certainly agree with the overall thrust of the book. I have always been critical of ‘revegetation,’ which only includes trees, as if the lower storeys don't matter. I also like the recognition given to fauna.”
- well-known author and botanist Leon Costermans
In this delightful small book, Stephen Murphy presents his unifying vision of why [revegetation] needs to be done and how it can be done, recognising the common principles that can apply to commercial plantations, shelterbelts, revegetation and the myriad types of planting in between.”
- Richard H. Loyn, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental
Research, DSE, Victoria
“I found it refreshing, informative and innovative. Most of it is not designed for quick reference, but for study and thoughtful consideration. All readers will find it useful in any of their tree-planting efforts.”
- from a review by naturalist Roger Thomas in the Ballarat
Courier
"Steve Murphy, who working amongst trees, observing, thinking, analysing, making hypotheses, recording and rethinking, and compiling this useful and gutsy book, has made an important contribution to our craft"
- Rob Youl, National Landcare project officer, author, forester and farmer.
“I found it interesting and very informative. There are some light touches, too! It's clearly laid out and ‘user-friendly.’ I certainly agree with the overall thrust of the book. I have always been critical of ‘revegetation,’ which only includes trees, as if the lower storeys don't matter. I also like the recognition given to fauna.”
- well-known author and botanist Leon Costermans
