A heritage listed farm estate in East Gippsland has celebrated a landmark in tree plantings, with further aims to improve local soil quality.
Strathfieldsaye Estate, located 24 kilometres east of Stratford, was initially founded in the 1840s when Irish immigrant William Odell Raymond grazed sheep in the region.
It is now a part of a reforestation project aimed at capturing carbon and restoring local ecosystems, and has recently achieved 350,000 tree plantings on the property over 87 acres.
Estate trustee and Australian Landscape Trust board member Pamela Parker said the project supported crucial habitat restoration and improved "ecological connectivity for locally threatened species".
These species include orchid species, the Growling Grass Frog, and numerous species of birds.
"We also hope to see improvements in local soil quality, resulting in increased water retention and pasture production," Dr Parker said.
"Reduced runoff across the area will help enhance water quality of Lake Wellington."
The farm is one of 14 rural properties involved in the Nestlé Global Reforestation Program, which, in Australia, aims to establish 10 million new trees.
Nestlé Oceania director of sustainability Margaret Stuart said the program was party of the company's aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
"This is about much more than just planting trees - this program aims to improve biodiversity, help restore habitats, and provide environmental and economic benefits to local communities," Ms Stuart said.
Mr Raymond had originally acquired the Stratford run where he ran 6,000 sheep prior to purchasing the 64,000-acre Strathfieldsaye Estate, which carried a capacity of 18,000 sheep and 1,000 cattle.
It was later sold to William Henderson Disher, whose family operated on the farm for three generations.
In 2003, responsibility of the Estate was transferred to the Australian Landscape Trust.
