About Us
Hunyani Kanbowro Nature Reserve is a 41 Hectare (100 Acre) land and waterway project located on Gunbower Island, near the Murray River almost due North of Melbourne. The project was created and is funded by Siân Turner, a person committed to sustaining the environment.
The name Hunyani Kanbowro comes from the Zulu word Hunyani which means “To Save” and the name Kanbowro is the name of the area given by its indigenous inhabitants - the Yorta Yorta people. Siân purchased 20 Hectares (50 Acres) of land in 2018 and leases a further 21 Hectares (52 Acres) of Crown Land. Her challenge is to transform this land to a Nature Reserve completely. A Voluntary Conservation Covenant has been placed on the land (previously tobacco and grazing) ensuring that it remains a Nature Reserve in perpetuity.
The area is home to a wide range of flora and fauna. Much of the animal and plant life is endangered, particularly the turtles in the waterways and numerous bird species.
How You Can Help
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Sponsor a Tree
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Visit or Stay on the Reserve
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Donate money or items such as bird nesting boxes.
Privately Funded
Siân has invested most of her life savings in the Hunyani Kanbowro project. To continue to sustain the project she relies on income from her full-time teaching position in a country school and the sale of bio-friendly wine made from grapes grown on her vineyard in Boort, Victoria.
Wine sales contribute to the funding of bio sustainability for both the vineyard and the Nature Reserve. You can purchase wine online or through a variety of outlets around the Campaspe and Loddon Shire areas.
