Snowy Monaro Regional Council’s ‘Boosting Biodiversity at North Ridge Reserve’ project will be extending beyond the reserve boundaries to include Cooma North neighbours willing to make their gardens more nature friendly.

Council’s project involves two cultural burns, expected to occur earlier this week, at Cooma’s North Ridge Reserve. Run in partnership with the North Ridge Reserve Bushcare group and Merrimans Land Council, the five-year funded project is designed to improve the sustainability of native plants and animals at North Ridge.

Cooma North residents are being encouraged to participate in the third part of the project – ‘Backyards for Biodiversity’.

Tein McDonald, co-ordinator of North Ridge Reserve Bushcare, said residents can play an important role in the sustainability of the reserve by some simple yet effective actions in their own backyard.

“Backyards for Biodiversity is about making sure that what happens in our backyards protects the natural environment that we all love,” Ms McDonald said.

“It’s about getting more whole-of-community action on protecting natural bushland from invasive plants and providing the right kind of habitat for local fauna.”

The program is starting in the streets within a few blocks of North Ridge Reserve, where woody weeds have been an increasing problem.

Ms McDonald said while volunteers have been removing weeds from the reserve, it is not sustainable without removing the source weeds from neighbouring gardens.

“As part of our ‘Boosting Biodiversity at North Ridge Reserve’ project we will be asking nearby residents to get involved in removing particularly priority woody weeds from their gardens, to complement the efforts of community volunteers and contractors removing these weeds from the reserve over recent years,” Ms McDonald said.

Residents can apply to have their tip fees paid for if they are removing bird-spread woody weeds such as Cotoneaster and Pyrocantha. Participants will be given replacement plants.

To access the funding, willing residents must submit an expression of interest. These will be submitted into a draw in one of two categories - single properties or groups of neighbouring properties – and the winners will receive vouchers for the plants and tip fees.

Ms McDonald said the ‘Backyards for Biodiversity’ is open to all Cooma North residents near the reserve.

“The project is suited for the fastidious gardener, weekend warrior or even the gardening avoider,” Ms McDonald said.

Local building designer and member of the North Ridge Reserve advisory committee, Pat Swain, said the project is needed to improve the long-term health of flora and fauna in the reserve.

“It’s been a very long time since cultural burns have been conducted in our region, and bringing them back is important to help us better relate to our bush, and learn how to live with fire in a low threat way,” Mr Swain said.

The ‘Boosting Biodiversity at North Ridge Reserve’ project will be ecologically monitored over five years.

“The aim is to substantively restore the condition of open forest habitats across at least 60 ha of the 123 ha North Ridge Reserve, including habitats that support the endangered Gang Gang cockatoo,” Ms McDonald said.