Verterra Recognised as Stewardship Leader with SL25 Win for DROVER Land Management
Brisbane, 9 October 2025 – Verterra Ecological Engineering is delighted to announce that it has been named a Stewardship Leader in the prestigious Steward Leadership 25 (SL25) for its groundbreaking DROVER Land Management service.
Presented by Stewardship Commons, the SL25 recognises exemplary projects across the Asia-Pacific that demonstrate steward leadership in action—uniting purpose and performance to deliver systemic, sustainable change. Verterra was selected for its pioneering work in advancing land stewardship through the development of DROVER Land Management, a science-backed, whole-of-property solution designed to improve productivity, build climate resilience, and unlock environmental market opportunities for Australian graziers and landholders.
“This recognition affirms our belief that stewardship is not just a philosophy—it’s a practical pathway to economic and ecological value,” said Dr Glenn Dale, Founder, Managing Director and Chief Technical Officer of Verterra. “DROVER equips land managers with data-driven insights and the support they need to care for country, improve the land, and access emerging markets—all while delivering measurable outcomes for the environment and future generations.”
Transforming Land Management Through Steward Leadership
Developed by Verterra, DROVER Land Management integrates ecological science, remote sensing, and on-ground expertise to provide a holistic service that supports:
Smarter pasture and livestock management decisions
Erosion control and improved water quality
Measured improvements in soil health and biodiversity
Simplified compliance and sustainability reporting
Market participation in Reef Credits, carbon and biodiversity markets
The service is underpinned by DROVER Monitor – a powerful decision-support service that benchmarks land health against locally matched control points, enabling landholders to isolate the impact of their land stewardship from seasonal or climatic “noise”. More than just a technical platform, DROVER represents a new model of stewardship—one is backed by verifiable data demonstrating economic and environmental outcomes.
On-the-Ground Impact: Case Study
A compelling example is the Calliweera grazing property in Queensland’s high-priority Reef catchment. Working with Verterra, the property became a test-case for the development of DROVER with the landholders implementing rotational grazing, erosion control, and revegetation strategies. Using DROVER, Verterra were able to demonstrate a 74% increase in average pasture biomass, improved drought resilience, reduced erosion risk, and visible improvements in land health.
“The transparency was mind blowing. After identifying the interventions that work, the land responds quicker to rain, with more filtration into the soil and less runoff,” said Nathan Warnock, landholder at Calliweera. “There’s more grass than I’ve ever seen. We’d absolutely recommend this to any graziers looking to make better use of their land.”
DROVER Monitor was developed in conjunction with landholders implementing rotational grazing, erosion control and revegetation strategies.
About the SL25 Environment Award
Now in its fourth year, the SL25 honours projects that demonstrate exceptional leadership in addressing ecological challenges through innovative, scalable, and measurable action. Verterra is proud to join a distinguished group of organisations advancing a new model of sustainable leadership in the Asia-Pacific.
2025 SL25 recipients were formally recognised at the Steward Leadership Summit in Singapore on 8th October.
About DROVER Land Management
DROVER Land Management is currently running pilot projects with landholders in Queensland, with a nation-wide launch scheduled for October/November 2025. To find out more or register your interest in the service, visit www.droverlandmanagement.com