In the heart of the Victorian Riverina, one of the most productive areas of agriculture in Australia and only 250 kilometres north of Melbourne, lies Budgerum, a farming district of flat, grassy plains alongside the Avoca River. Grassland communities are some of the most highly threatened ecosystems on the planet, with grassland reserves being reduced to small, fragmented patches across the landscape as land has been converted to agriculture. For this reason, protection of the remaining native grasslands across the Victorian Riverina is critical to the long-term survival of species that call this community their home. Examples of species dependent on these grassy ecosystems include the critically endangered Plains Wanderer and the nationally endangered Turnip Copperburr.

Budgerum Grasslands is a 90-hectare grassland and grassy woodland sanctuary of very high biodiversity, home to many threatened plants, including Chariot Wheels (Maireana cheelii), Bristly Love-grass (Eragrostis setifolia), Long Eryngium (Eryngium paludosum), the endangered Veined Peppercress (Lepidium phlebopetalum), Umbrella Wattle (Acacia oswaldii) and the rare Bush Minuria (Minuria cunninghamii).

Legal protection via a conservation covenant with Trust for Nature is only the first step in providing safety to the grasslands and the species that rely on them, with multiple threats needing to be addressed through careful and diligent land management. A conservation focus for this project is the recovery and security of the beautiful Carpet Python (Morelia spilota metcalfei).

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