Stephanie is the owner of a property situated in Wombat Forest, Victoria, managed as a home and wildlife sanctuary. She is managing serrated tussock and blackberry on the land, and plans to plant more native grasses and shrubs to create habitat for small birds and insects. Stephanie wishes to keep the land unfenced on the front and back to allow movement of wildlife and plans to remove barbed wire fencing on the block. She is also considering protecting the land in-perpetuity with a covenant.
The property covers 20.2 hectares on the lower edge of the Wombat State Forest and features a creek, two dams and an off-grid house. The land is largely comprised of eucalypt woodland with a cleared area of native grass. The property is not farmed and has no history of fires, but historical logging has reduced the number of old-growth trees.
A wide range of wildlife is found on the block including eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus), short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) possums, brush-tailed phascogales (Phascogale tapoatafa) and an abundance of birds, snakes, frogs, spiders and insects. Southern greater gliders (Petauroides volans) may also be present.
