Sylvia Leighton and Peter McKenzie on their property in Western Australia.
Australian Government Landcare Farming 2022 award winners Sylvia Leighton and Peter McKenzie have transformed their Wilyun Pools Farm in Western Australia.They are hoping other land owners will take their lead and regenerate their properties.
Dynamic sustainable farming duo Sylvia Leighton and Peter McKenzie were awarded the 2022 Australian Government Landcare Farming award on August 24 for their work on Wilyun Pools Farm, near Wellstead on the south coast of Western Australia.
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Using their wealth of scientific knowledge and experience in biology, ecology, community landcare and soil science, Sylvia and Peter have transformed Wilyun Pools Farm into a recognised haven for biodiversity.
The highly productive farm now boasts thriving wildlife corridors connecting to the remnant bush comprised of Kwongan shrubland, swamp banksia, and Yate woodland communities.
“We’re humbled to receive the 2022 Australian Government Landcare Farming award for our work on Wilyun Pools Farm and hope that it inspires others to take action on their own patch,” Sylvia said.
Sylvia and Peter planting the first seeds of 2022.
“Wilyun Pools Farm is a testament to our whole community including Landcare WA, Southcoast NRM, Green Skills and the Noongar Elders, who have supported our work to restore health to this precious, biodiverse part of the planet.
“Revegetating Wilyun Pools Farm has taught us how much easier it has become to farm sustainably — if we can do it, others can do it too. It’s exciting to be in a new chapter for agriculture where being ecologically friendly is commercially valuable and commercially relevant.”
Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt congratulated Sylvia and Peter on their achievements saying they were paving the way for Australia’s sustainable farming future.
“Sylvia and Peter serve as an inspiration to the farming community across Australia. Their motto of ‘seeking balance’ exemplifies what landcare farming is all about: production, community and environment,” Senator Watt said.
The couple has regenerated 120ha of land.
“Thank you to Sylvia and Peter for your ongoing commitment to create a stronger, cleaner and greener agriculture industry here in Australia, and I look forward to hearing about the ongoing success of their work on Wilyun Pools Farm.”
The Australian Government Landcare Farming Award acknowledges an individual, group, network or organisation that has demonstrated excellence and leadership in implementing sustainable and integrated land management practices on a farm property, or properties, that protect soils, water, vegetation and biodiversity.
Sylvia scatters “waste’’ nuts from their summer seed collection at the site.
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A summary of Sylvia and Peter’s work
Sylvia Leighton and Peter McKenzie have been regenerating Wilyun Pools Farm, their sheep grazing property near Wellstead, WA, since taking over as managers in 2014. The property motto is “Seeking Balance”.
Using their wealth of scientific knowledge and experience in biology, ecology, community landcare and soil science, Sylvia and Peter have transformed 120ha of the 1214ha property by revegetating it as wildlife corridors which also act as shelter belts for the property’s paddocks.
Sylvia with a banksia.
Sylvia has a long-standing personal connection to the property and its regeneration, as it was her family who cleared much of the native bushland in the 1960s. She says that following land in the area being released for agricultural use in 1963, an estimated 55 million plants were killed on the farm.
Engaging in regenerative farming has given Sylvia and Peter a network of fellow landholders with similar philosophies and language.
They have adopted the three pillars of landcare and regenerative agriculture: healthy environment, healthy society and healthy economy. They believe in taking actions to increase their own and rural communities societal wellbeing and are concerned about the loss of populations in rural areas brought on by the amalgamation of properties.
Sylvia and Peter have also been working closely with Traditional Custodians, inviting the Noongar Elders, who have recognised an area of their farm as a gathering/corroboree site, back onto their land.
