Mae Adams of Venus Bay Eco Retreat recognised for conservation efforts in Conservation Bulletin
Mae Adams, covenator and owner of Venus Bay Eco Retreat in West Gippsland, has recently been recognised for her efforts in conservation, as she tells her story to the Conservation Bulletin.
After years of travelling, Mae decided she needed to settle down, so she bought 5.6 ha of native bush on the Venus Bay peninsula and placed a Trust for Nature conservation covenant over the majority of the land. She spent her time learning about native plants and wildlife, building her home and establishing the Venus Bay Eco Retreat, which is Advanced Ecotourism and Climate Action Business certified.
The property is one of several Rural Conservation Zone bushland allotments on the Venus Bay Peninsula, and is a biodiversity of abundant wildlife, rare plants and scenic landscapes. After several incidents where nearby land was illegally cleared, Mae decided there was little protection for the land and placed a Trust for Nature covenant on the property, complementing neighbouring covenants.
To restore the land, careful management is required to foster the growth of native fauna and flora that has previously been destroyed by cattle, rabbits and weeds. Mae works with neighbours and public land managers and uses the 'Bradley' method of weeding, a little at a time, to take pressure off the native plants. The Bradley method keeps the balance by working where the strongest area of bush meets the weakest weeds, encouraging regeneration of native flora. Mae and her neighbours have also been re-introducing Snow Gums to the area, a species of Eucalypt that used to populate riverbeds in the region.
In 2009, Mae established Venus Bay Eco Resort so everyone could enjoy the natural environment experience. She says, "my commitment to biodiversity conservation and the need to earn a living are harmoniously integrated, and I hope to continue this in future years. My personal view is that wildlife deserves to live freely and safely in the wild as much as humans deserve to have clean air, clean water, clean food and a safe place to live."
To read Mae's full story, you will find it in Conservation Bulletin Issue 61, pages 14-15, click here.
To find out more about Venus Bay Eco Retreat, click here.