Our Stories
The Biodiversity Project - The Kahls
The Biodiversity Project
In partnership with Landcare Australia, we're supporting the regeneration of Australian farmlands with a focus on biodiversity.
Sales from our famous Verified Australian Cotton Heritage Sweats will help to fund the partnership, with a commitment of at least $600,000 over the next three years.
Biodiversity describes all living things that can be found on earth, including all plants, animals, insects and more. Biodiversity plays an incredibly vital ecological, cultural and economic role, which needs our support and protection, to sustain life as we know it.—Dr Shane Norrish, CEO, Landcare Australia
From the coast to the bush, the Australian landscape is home to a unique variety of native flora and fauna, which breathe life into the diverse backdrops we call home.
This variety of life is what makes up Australia's biodiversity and, as an iconic Australian brand, we recognise the important role we can play in protecting it.
Partnership
Landcare Australia is a not-for-profit organisation renowned for its dedication to restoring and preserving the natural environment.
Our partnership will assist Australian farmers in protecting soil health, providing natural habitats for threatened species, improving water quality across river systems and contributing to the productivity of the surrounding landscapes.
Landcare Australia shares Country Road's deep appreciation for what makes our backyard so special. Their vision of 'All Australians caring for the land and water that sustain us' is one that resonates, more so than ever, with both Country Road the brand and our wider community—Elle Roseby, Managing Director, Country Road
Project
The first project is designed to restore 30 acres of land along the Namoi River, in north-western New South Wales. It will be implemented by Landcare Australia alongside the Kahls, a cotton farming family who have lived and worked on the property for three generations.
The project will involve planting native trees, shrubs and grasses along the Namoi River, building fences and installing watering points for cattle, and protecting natural habitats for threatened species.
For cotton communities, biodiversity provides recreational and cultural areas, improved water quality and habitat for iconic Australian species such as the Koala and Echidna.—Stacey Vogel, Research & Development Manager, Cotton Research and Development Corporation
What does the land mean to you and your family?
Daniel: Our farms hold a special place for us. My grandfather arrived here in 1961 and so my brothers and I have grown up here, lived our whole lives on these farms. The land is really important to us in so many ways; it's home, it's our livelihood, it's where we work, rest and play. And as such it's really important to us that we take care of it and ensure what we do helps to not just maintain the land but improve it, so it can take care of us.
Sam: I consider it a privilege to have grown up on a farm. From exploring river banks as kids to helping on the farm, this experience has played a major part in my appreciation of the land. I now also live very close to the river and see wildlife everyday including echidnas, pythons, budgies and numerous other birds. Living amongst nature gives you a connection to it and makes you feel like you're a part of it.
An appreciation for the land has always been part of our family. We farmed in California for nearly five generations before we emigrated here in 1961. But further to that, you won't farm very long unless you realise that unless you look after the land it won't produce and look after you. So it's what you have to do, you need to do, to be productive as a farmer.—James Kahl, Managing Director
Why did you choose to participate in The Biodiversity Project?
Daniel: Looking after our natural landscapes plays an important part in our business and this project is a continuation of the work we've done in the past. We've fenced and protected riparian zones on other farms to conserve natural landscapes; we utilise nature corridors and the benefits of natural predators to reduce pesticide use; we conduct carbon audits of our farm to ensure we're doing our part to not just counteract our own emissions but do more than that. This project ties in with all of those endeavours.
You're part of a third generation farming family. How has that influenced who you are today?
Matt: Being part of the third generation to live and work here, we all share a desire to look after our farms. The plan is that the third generation isn't the last, so being part of an ongoing family farm and making sure that everything we do helps to improve our farming practices so we can be more efficient and minimise our impact is an important value for us.
What legacy do you hope to leave behind?
Daniel: I'd like to think that my children will have the opportunity to grow up on a place they will feel just as strongly connected to and whether they choose to farm or not, will understand the importance of taking care of the places in which you live and that if you do, it will take care of you.
Biodiversity is the variety of life.
Biodiversity encompasses all living things on earth, with every species playing an important role in helping nature thrive. From the plants that provide us with food and oxygen, to the fungi that fertilise our soil and the insects that pollinate our plants.
Biodiversity describes all living things that can be found on earth, including all plants, animals, insects and more. Biodiversity plays an incredibly vital ecological, cultural and economic role, which needs our support and protection, to sustain life as we know it.—Dr Shane Norrish, CEO, Landcare Australia
Who benefits from biodiversity?
Our World
Caring for the environment helps plants and animals to thrive. Planting and protecting native vegetation sequesters carbon to help reduce global warming.
People
When nature thrives, we thrive too.
Our health relies on the health of the environment; we’re all interconnected.
Farmers
Less erosion, healthier soils as well as beneficial insects, birds and microbats lead to more productive crops.
Wildlife
The protection of recreational and cultural areas leads to improved water quality and habitat for iconic Australian species.
The Australian cotton
landscape is home to:
192 bird species
From the Black Swan and Great Egret, to the Glossy Black
Cockatoo and Tawny Frogmouth.
490 vegetation types
Ranging from River Red Gum Forests, Coolibah Woodlands,
Black Box Woodlands, Weeping Myall Woodlands and more.
279 threatened plant
and animal species
Including the Koala, Squirrel Glider, Spot-tailed Quoll and Slender Darling-pea.
By purchasing a Verified Australian Cotton Heritage Sweat in Australia, you can actively support farmers in regenerating local landscapes.
It's our hope that together with Landcare Australia and local farmers, we can help to leave a biodiversity legacy for generations to come.
The Verified Australian Cotton
Heritage Sweat
For you and the ones you care about.
