Brett Watkins is the owner of Yunda, a property situated in Federal, approximately 50km northwest of Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The property is a permaculture enterprise offering meditation retreats as well as work experience in environmental science, ecology and sustainable bio-dynamic agriculture. The property’s organic orchard is mainly comprised of native species and a self-regenerating natural area has been in place since 1984. Brett intends to continue developing these enterprises and is currently in the process of establishing an environmental education foundation CENTROPROECO based on Yunda.
Yunda covers approximately 20.23 hectares situated in the Noosa Beach Hinterlands of Sunshine Coast. The property is split into approximately three environments, with one-third comprised of native woodland and rainforest, one-third consisting of managed eucalypt forest and the final section comprised of previously cleared land undergoing restoration with native trees and grass species.
Native vegetation is widely variable and includes spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora variegata), grey gum (Eucalyptus propinqua), kauri pine (Agathis robusta), foam bark (Jagera pseudorhus), mutton wood (Rapanea variabilis) and hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii).
Wildlife known to live on the property includes lace monitors (Varanus varius), koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), swamp wallabies (Wallabia bicolor), flying-foxes (Pteropus spp.), sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), large-eared pied bats (Chalinolobus dwyeri), carpet pythons (Morelia spilota), coastal taipans (Oxyuranus scutellatus), eastern brown (Pseudonaja textilis) and red-bellied black (Pseudechis porphyriacus) snakes, possums and a variety of frog species.
The property also provides habitat for a wide range of native birds including nankeen kestrels (Falco cenchroides), pheasant coucals (Centropus phasianinus), wedge-tailed eagles (Aquila audax), yellow-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus funereus), pied herons (Ardea picata), red-capped robins (Petroica goodenovii), barn owls (Tyto alba), wood ducks (Chenonetta jubata), hummingbirds and a range of honeyeaters, parrots, finches and wrens.