Soaring to New Heights: How The Quoin is protecting Tasmania’s landscapes.
In the heart of the Tasmanian Midlands lies The Quoin, a 4,985-hectare property renowned for its towering eucalypt forests, with trees reaching up to 50 meters, and expansive grassy woodlands. This mosaic of landscapes forms critical habitat for various species, including the endangered Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunnii) and unique Long-nosed Potoroo (Potorous tridactylus).
The Long-nosed Potoroo hops through the undergrowth in search of fungi and roots — through which it plays a crucial role in the ecosystem by spreading mycorrhizal fungi that help the eucalypt trees grow. It’s this hopping that partly informs its nickname, the ‘kangaroo-rat,’ with its small stature and rodent-like features meaning it’s often confused as a rat.
Today, Long-nosed Potoroo numbers are estimated to be in the low thousands*, due to habitat loss from agriculture, urban expansion and predation by introduced foxes and cats.
Once a grazing enterprise, The Quoin is now a conservation property that aims to demonstrate best-practice regeneration on the global stage. This work is supported by Environmental Accounting, using the Accounting for Nature® Framework, which provides a scientific basis for monitoring, measuring and informing management of the property's natural assets.
Environmental Accounting and its role.
The Quoin’s Environmental Account will document and report on the condition of the property's key environmental assets across three categories: native vegetation, terrestrial mammals, and aquatic fauna. By implementing scientifically rigorous Accredited Methods such as the Tasmanian Vegetation Condition Method (NV-11), the EnviroDNA Aquatic Native Vertebrate eDNA Method (F-05), and the Accounting for Nature Mammal Condition Method (F-01), The Quoin team is setting a baseline for its natural environmental assets which will help track the impact of their conservation and land management efforts over time.
Establishing a baseline enables continuous monitoring and evaluation of the ecosystem's health. This data-driven approach ensures that restoration efforts can be consistently measured and any effective efforts to the habitat of mammals such as the long-nosed Potoroo and other species can be scientifically verified.
Impact and future.
Data collected over time through Environmental Accounting practices can provide rich insights into The Quoin's restoration projects and land-management practices. For instance, knowing the health status of the tall eucalypt forests will allow for targeted actions to enhance habitat quality, ensuring that native wildlife, including the majestic Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax), have a safe place to nest and thrive.
With the support of conservation covenants and collaborations with experts, including EcoTec and Bush Heritage Australia, The Quoin is not just preserving its natural heritage but also setting a standard for conservation efforts worldwide. The commitment to Environmental Accounting ensures that every step taken is backed by science, paving the way for a future where kangaroo-rats can hop in the understory and eagles can soar high above thriving eucalypt forests.
Join the journey.
Follow The Quoin's progress and learn more about their Registered Environmental Account on our Environmental Account Registry. Together, we can support and celebrate the remarkable journey of this iconic property and its inhabitants.
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*The endangered classifications are based on the IUCN Red List and relevant local conservation lists, which provide information on the conservation status of different species globally and regionally.
Photo Credit: Matthew Newton