Rivers of Carbon

Working with landholders to protect and restore Australia’s wetlands and waterways

Rivers of Carbon is the on-ground component of the Australian River Restoration Centre.

Rivers of Carbon supports NSW and ACT landholders to secure funding to help plant trees, fence off stock, build small-scale erosion control, alternative stock watering point, and rehabilitate the habitat.

Worked closely with 306 landholders across 314 sites
Planted 222,675 new trees
Delivered 529 hectares of weed control
Fenced 329kms of our waterways
Protected and restored 1,979ha of riparian land
Built erosion control across 49 sites

We pay our respects to the traditional Aboriginal Peoples of this country, and acknowledge Aboriginal Peoples, past, present and emerging, as the original natural resources managers of this land.

Image: River Dreaming image. Artist: Richie Allen (Ngunnawal/Kamilaroi), Traditional Aboriginal Owners Corporation.

What is a ‘River of Carbon’?

The term “River of Carbon” refers to a concept within environmental restoration projects where the focus is on connecting landscapes along rivers and streams to promote carbon sequestration.

It involves linking reforestation efforts in riparian zones (the areas along riverbanks) with broader environmental goals, such as enhancing biodiversity, improving water quality, and, notably, capturing carbon from the atmosphere to mitigate climate change.

Current projects

What landholders are saying

  • “Being involved with RoC has complemented my holistic management approach to grazing.”
    — Matt Doyle
  • “The birdlife has increased with revegetation, and the fenced out gully area becomes a fodder bank for dry times.”
    — Tom McCormack
  • “The RoC program encourages and helps people to do work that they otherwise may not do.”
    — Richard & Patricia Wilkinson
  • “The RoC program has resulted in a big difference on the ground, with a lot more regeneration of casuarinas.”
    — Shaun Young
  • “Livestock do much better when excluded from gullies, and the fencing has also resulted in natural regeneration of native vegetation.”
    — Rob Fraser
  • “I plan to continue revegetating my stretch of the Numeralla River and involve neighbours in improving fish habitat.”
    — Brett Jones
  • "The RoC program staff have a good understanding of farmers’ needs, matching conservation to the farm plan."
    — Ben Noble
  • "The RoC program has helped me to almost totally rehabilitate a gully site affected by erosion and salinity issues."
    — Alan Della

Events

Explore our in-person and online events that showcase the amazing work being delivered in partnership with landholders.

Resources

Browse unique and carefully curated content about the restoration of Australian rivers and waterways.

Meet the Rivers of Carbon on-ground team

From left to right: Siwan, Izzy, Lucy, Lori, Mikayla and Kate

Meet the Rivers of Carbon on-ground team

From left to right: Siwan, Izzy, Lucy, Lori, Mikayla and Kate

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