PROTECTING A PIECE OF HOME THESEEDINGFUTURE RARE SPECIES ARE IN SAFE HANDS IN SAFE HANDS A Trees For Life Publication SPRING 2022 ISSUE 163
pring is a season of hope, renewal and new beginnings. As we slowly unfurl from the darker, colder months of the year, the natural world is bursting with life. Nature is always full of wisdom, and if we watch and listen closely, some of this wisdom can pass onto us.
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We don’t take this trust for granted, and it is vital that we continue to strive for improvement, especially
ways of tackling the new threats and uncertainties that are challenging us to think deeply about how we work and what is most important.
In this edition of ReLeaf we share exciting stories about new approaches to regeneration that build on our existing knowledge and expertise. We’re very excited about the trials of a new direct seeding machine that has been designed to use less seed and improve our capacity to deliver successful large-scale habitat restoration projects in a changing climate. We also share an inspirational campaign to bring rare species back to some of our Bush For Life sites in the Adelaide Plains.
MESSAGE FROM our President and CEO
CPresidentJeanetteGellardEONatashaDavis 1
Both stories remind us that continuing to evolve is part of nature’s wisdom. Ensuring our work remains effective requires investment and hard work. The findings of Australia’s recently released State of the Environment report are a timely reminder that we must dig deep and make the most of our collective experience, networks and wisdom in order to continue to protect and create connected and healthy ecosystems across the state.
IN THIS ISSUE 2 PROTECTING A PIECE OF HOME 5 SEEDING THE FUTURE 7 RARE SPECIES ARE IN SAFE HANDS 11 WORKING TOGETHER TO REVIVE THE LAND 13 What's happening 14 What’s on
Trees For Life acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of our land and waters and we pay our respects to Elders past and present. We acknowledge and respect the deep spiritual connection and relationship that First Nations peoples have to Country.
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seedlings.
Cover Bush For Life Field Officer with Brachyscome diversifolia (tall daisy)
At Trees For Life we are proud of the knowledge, networks and practical approach we have built up over four decades and the many ways this is expressed and continues to grow. The examples are endless — landholders creating successful revegetation projects or restoring health to native bushland. Volunteers who are so skilled at bush regeneration, seed collection and seedling propagation that they can work independently, and, in turn, pass on their wisdom to others. Partners who work with us over years, even decades, because they value the way we work and results we generate. Donors who trust us to make the best decisions about where to use their generous donations for greatest impact.
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healthy by providing critical volunteer training through workshops, safety tools and equipment, and transport so our dedicated volunteers can travel to bushland sites. Equipping our staff with monitoring tools to measure the ongoing health of each site is also imperative. Thank you for making this possible. We look forward to keeping you posted on our progress over the coming months.
ince we were last in touch we’ve run two Bush Action Teams in the Hills and Fleurieu region with 17 volunteers attending across the two days. Three more Bush Action Team days are scheduled at Victor Harbor, Mylor and Hahndorf with new and experienced volunteers.
Your support is helping to keep our precious South Australian home
Thanks to your support for our ‘A Piece of Home’ appeal, our Bush Action Teams are on the move! 2
Bush For Life volunteers in action.
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PROTECTING A PIECE OF HOME
rees For Life has built a trusted reputation spanning 40 years of commitment to restore and protect our landscape. We have the expertise and people power to undertake restoration projects across the state in many different environments.
ince 2008, Earth Greetings has donated a portion of their profit to Trees For Life which has helped plant over 50,000 native tree seedlings. Now we’re excited to announce that our 14 year partnership is entering a new era. Since July 2022, Earth Greetings will donate the cost to grow a native tree seedling for every order they send.
Now, thanks to support from Harbour Town, we have the specialised equipment to back up our expertise and to help our staff give newly planted seedlings the best chance of survival.
TOP LEFT: Heide, Earth Greetings Founder, with Natasha, Trees For Life Chief Executive, at our Westwood Nursery.
Earth Greetings is Australia’s original earth friendly card, gift and stationery brand. Founded on a love of nature and a vision for a better way to live and work; to tread lightly on the planet and give back generously to restore the wild places we love.
Thank you to Heide and the Earth Greetings team for their continued support and for taking action for the land we all love.
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To browse their range of Earth friendly cards and gifts visit earthgreetings.com.au
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OUR CAPACITY TO RESPOND
TOP RIGHT: The new water cart in action.
HARBOUR TOWN HELPS BUILD
We’re often planting in areas that don’t have a readily accessible water supply. Given our unpredictable weather patterns — South Australia is the driest state on the driest continent on Earth — there’s been an increase in the amount of watering support we need to provide for the survival of Fundedseedlings.by Harbour Town, our new 2,500 litre water cart will increase our current watering capacity by 250%. It can water up to 2,000 seedlings and allows two operators to water, essentially doubling our efficiency. Some seedlings require between three to five litres of water. Having this equipment means we can devote more time and resources to restoring the land; helping secure the future for all of us who call South Australia ‘home’.
Trees For Life teams deliver a number of planting projects to revive our landscapes and help restore the balance for our native flora and fauna. It is essential that we provide life giving water to these newly planted seedlings to help them survive and thrive.
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We’re grateful to Earth Greetings for choosing to enrich their support, and for sharing our vision of creating a brighter future for our wildlife and our planet. Every time you order from Earth Greetings you’re contributing directly to this brighter future.
EVERY TREEGROWSORDERAFORLIFE
Australia’s first certified carbonneutral wine brand.
e’re thrilled to welcome Hither & Yon to the Trees For Life family through our exciting new partnership. From their warm and welcoming cellar door in Willunga, to their vineyards scattered throughout McLaren Vale, (hence the name Hither & Yon), the family motto is “by virtue, I grow”. In their own words, brothers Richard and Malcolm Leask say, “We don’t want to be fashionable, we just want to see what is possible. Rooted in the love for our earth, our passion is to make wines that go down easy for how scarce they are.”
We’re grateful to the team at Hither & Yon for their commitment to their piece of home and reaching out to partner with Trees For Life.
HITHER & YON’S COMMITMENT TO BIODIVERSITY
This partnership was seeded from Hither & Yon’s focus on the whole biodiversity and ecosystem of their properties. This includes natural habitat restoration and extensive native species planting, creating healthy corridors for birds and bees.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Richard (left) and Malcolm (right) Leask at Hither & Yon’s Cellar Door at Willunga taken by Meaghan Coles.
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Richard and Malcolm focus on two key elements in the winemaking process; increasing microbial and microflora soil diversity, and storing and building carbon. They’re walking the talk and last year became South
fter almost two hours on the road, the changes in the landscape become more evident as I approach my destination. The thick coverage of trees and shrubland dwindle away and everything gradually becomes flatter. If it weren’t for the surrounding hills of Angas Valley, in some patches the horizon would seem infinite.
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In our autumn edition of ReLeaf, we shared our new Direct Seeding project which was developed to investigate and trial new technologies and methods to increase effectiveness and resilience of our landscapes in a changing climate. Our Direct Seeding team designed a climateready machine — through funding from the QBE Foundation local grant program — to test in three different locations, covering a range of climatic conditions with a variety of vegetation. In this edition, Trees For Life’s Communications & Marketing Officer Isaac Freeman catches up with the team for an update on how the innovative project is going.
THESEEDINGFUTURE
By Isaac Freeman
I pull over to the side of the road after seeing two figures in fluro ‘high vis’ next to a couple of cars and a tractor with a piece of machinery in tow — the very thing I have come toI’msee.meeting David Hein, Trees For Life’s Direct Seeding Manager, and Alex Molnar, Direct Seeding Field Officer, who are well underway with the first trials using their newly designed direct seeding machine. If successful, these trials will provide our Direct Seeding team with an innovative way to transform flat, bare landscapes into biodiverse habitats and create large scale change.
Sitting down with David and Alex I ask them how the trials are going, why the development of this machine is so important and their hopes for the future of the project.
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A general rule with our direct seeded plants is that whatever the height of it is above ground it’s probably got five times that depth in its root, so if it was about 30 centimetres high above the ground it would most likely have its roots down about 1.5 metres. Then it’ll start using moisture from a different strata. There’s a lot of moisture under these sandy mallee sites, even though it’s quite dry there’s a lot of moisture down there. A lot of these annual weeds don’t have their roots down far and there’s a lot of space available given the bareness of it all. If you were to go out into the dense shrubland and dig you wouldn’t find as much moisture down there compared to here due to its inhabitants. So where we are now we’ve got a great chance of success.
As I climb back into the car and take one last look at the freshly seeded land I reflect on the many decades of experience shared by David and Alex. David with 40 years covering land management and extensive revegetation projects and Alex, with a mechanical engineering degree and qualifications in Conservation and Land Management coupled with his manufacturing and revegetation experience — it’s clear that the future of Trees For Life’s Direct Seeding program is in safe hands.
What is the monitoring process for these sites?
David: Well, we wanted to do three trials. One that’s considered a low rainfall area, so this is between 250 and 300 millimetres per year. There’s another trial site we want to do in the medium rainfall range which is from 350 to 400 millimetres average annual rainfall and there’s one other site with probably 500 plus millimetres per year. Out here in the low rainfall area is where a majority of our large sites are and the person who owns this land doesn’t graze or crop — she just wants to revegetate it.
What type of species of seeds have you chosen for the trials and why?
Alex: In future trials and evolutions we could probably reduce it even further. If this is successful we can use less quantity of seed and reduce the cost by being more targeted with our plants.
David: In the past it has been difficult to get a natural looking structure in direct seeding as we’ve just been seeding in a continuous row. We view it as planting pioneering species. It’s the first stage of a restoration project, who knows what it might look like in 50 years? There might have been a few fires, or it may have become a thriving system that creates habitats for birds to come through. They would bring seeds in and then start the next stage. This is just the start.
Alex: The complication I found was the difference in the types of seeds as they have to be ploughed in at different depths. You’ve got big seeds, small seeds, some go here, others go there. Some fall into the rollers nicely, some don’t so that was a practical challenge trying to have a uniform system.
David: Because it was a new concept our thought processes had to change direction a number of times to achieve what we wanted. We only had one opportunity to make it, so we had to make sure it was made right from the start. It’s been a very labour intensive process.
Alex: We’ve got a mix of eucalypts from this area including mallee and two mixes of acacia species, both smaller and larger variations, a mix of small shrubs and callitris. So we’ve got a lot of seed that represents what grows in this area.
David: We will return to the site at a later date and do an inspection to see how things are going. If we see some plants starting to emerge we will do a count and record all the different species that have germinated and then another count in a couple months or so for the more late germinating species. Then in 2023, we will do another count as whatever has managed to survive through the summer is probably going to survive for the long term.
What is the general structure of the trial?
TOP LEFT: One of the three trial sites.
Alex: She wants to leave a legacy and turn it back to what it was as much as she can.
David Hein, Associate Professor Patrick O’Connor from The University of Adelaide and Alex Molnar.
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David: We’ve buffered this trial site with normal direct seeding practices ... which is 500 grams per kilometre with mixed species. Then we’ve done some of those rows in the trial as control rows out of the 15. Then we’ve got some rows that use the same amount of seed as our normal rate (500 grams per kilometre) but are dispersed intermittently so that it’s not a continuous row. We’ve then got rows that are 80% of our normal rate, 65% and 50% of the normal rate. The reason we are doing this is because seed is getting more difficult to collect with climate change and becoming more expensive to purchase, having increased in cost by 50% in the last 18 months or so.
We’re grateful to our donors who have given gifts to support our Direct Seeding projects. If you would like to help shape the future of our landscapes, please contact Maureen McKinnie, Fundraising & Marketing Manager, at maureenmck@treesforlife.org.au.
BOTTOM LEFT: (Left to right)
What makes this site the best to conduct these trials today?
What have been the biggest challenges in developing the machine?
RARE SPECIES ARE IN SAFE
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Green Adelaide Ecologist Jason van Weenen says that the rare plants, including the tall daisy (Brachyscome diversifolia) and golden billy button (Pycnosorus chrysanthes), needed help to improve their chances of survival locally. "We worked closely
The Adelaide Plains were once rich and fertile grasslands and open woodlands, filled with a vast diversity of plants and wildlife cared for by the Kaurna people. Trees were few and far between, like sentinels in these wideButplains.withlarge-scale clearance, the loss of Kaurna cultural practices like burning, introduction of grazing animals, use of fertilizers and widespread invasion of weeds, many plant species have been lost fromSomeAdelaide.remnants of these once abundant grassy ecosystems still exist in the Adelaide area and many are cared for by Bush For Life volunteers. Sites such as Tuthangga in the South Parklands, Blackwood Hill in Mitcham and the Jo Gapper reserves in Playford, support native species diversity that once thrived on the Adelaide plains and hills face.
BELOW: Volunteer Sofie helping to plant at Banksia Park.
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Working alongside Green Adelaide ecologists and council biodiversity officers, and following advice from the SA Seed Conservation Centre at the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia, Trees For Life staff and volunteers have been reintroducing some of these lost plant species. Our Westwood Nursery staff and volunteers carefully propagated seed, which is in very short supply
with Trees For Life to propagate rare and locally extinct plants, and this project saw these unique plants re-introduced to metropolitan Adelaide's environment," Mr van Weenan said. "The seven species had largely disappeared from around metropolitan Adelaide since European settlement due to land management changes, disturbance and weeds. Through this project, we are hoping to learn more about the conditions and management needed to keep these species persisting in the landscape."
aist-high grasses waving gently in the breeze.
LEFT: Rare species re-introduced at Mount Osmond.
We worked closely with Trees For Life to propagate rare and locally extinct plants, and this project saw these unique plants re-introduced to metropolitan Adelaide's environment.
due to the rarity of these plants. The seedlings were then planted by Bush For Life staff and volunteers in June and July. The Bush For Life sites were selected for their suitability for these rare plants: open woodland or grasslands with very low weed load.
Ancient towering gums watching over the land. Small animals darting to and fro, catching abundant insects. Trickling streams filling permanent clear pools, brimming with small fish. Vast open and clear blue skies. Brightly-coloured wildflowers attracting pollinators.
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FAR LEFT: Volunteers at the rare species planting day at Mount Osmond.
› Brachyscome diversifolia (tall daisy)
This project will also allow some experimentation with sites, conditions and management regimes to find
those which are most suitable for these species. The aim is to plant them across a range of these factors and monitor the result.
› Cullen parvum (small scurf-pea)
› Podolepis jaceoides (showy copper wire daisy)
The plants we've selected were once widespread across the Adelaide region. Bringing them back and helping these plant populations to thrive will have the knock on benefit of supporting native wildlife and helping our ecosystems to be richer and more resilient.
› Dianella longifolia grandis (arching flax lily)
› Glycine latrobeana (clover glycine)
This project is funded by Green Adelaide.
Bush For Life sites are the ideal location to return these colourful wildflowers, these lost plants. With most of the weeds either removed or under control, these sites have the space to plant the new seedlings. Given a safe haven in which to thrive, with our volunteers ready to ensure they have the best possible chance of growing and producing seed, ecologists can then collect seed to re-stock seed banks and use for further propagation and, hopefully, re establish natural populations.
botanist Dan Duval says this was an important step in helping to boost biodiversity across metropolitan Adelaide. "The plants we've selected were once widespread across the Adelaide region. Bringing them back and helping these plant populations to thrive will have the knock on benefit of supporting native wildlife and helping our ecosystems to be richer and more resilient," said Mr Duval.
LEFT: diversifoliaBrachyscome (tall daisy) propagated at our Westwood Nursery.
› Pycnosorus chrysanthes (golden billy buttons)
Daisies, peas and lilies are the focus of re-introduction efforts, using seed from remaining populations in adjacent regions. Bush For Life volunteers work on removing the pressure from weeds, encouraging native species to flourish and naturally regenerate. For the range of lost species, there is no chance of them returning naturally as they have not been seen for decades. To see these plants back in the Adelaide plains and hills face, they need to be grown andSAplanted.SeedConservation Centre
› Swainsona behriana (Southern swainson-pea)
Green Adelaide, Trees For Life and the SA Seed Conservation Centre at the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia partnered to deliver a unique rewilding project which re established seven rare plant species at more than 20 sites across seven of Adelaide's metropolitan council areas. The project goal is to re introduce some of the rarest species to ensure their survival, to improve their conservation status, to increase the species diversity on sites, and to provide an ongoing seed supply for the SA Seed Conservation Centre seed bank.
Rare species
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Prior to the 2019 Cudlee Creek bushfire our property was well on the way to having a good amount of tree cover. We had grown and planted 2,500 to 3,000 trees by winter 2019. In addition, Trees For Life invited us to be a part of the Paddock Tree Project and had planted 170 trees, complete with stock proof guards and mulch. These were more advanced when the fire struck.
The impact of the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/20 can still be seen today. As the land continues to heal, our dedicated volunteers and staff have been busy restoring the land we all love. Over the winter of 2022, we’ve been back out planting on bushfire affected properties. While we can’t replace what’s been lost, we can bring hope by planting the next generation of trees to create habitat and revive the landscape.
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ur partnership with Ahrens Group has seen 2,500 seedlings planted each year since 2020, on bushfire affected properties in the Adelaide Hills. By talking with landholders like Trevor and Lee it’s clear what a difference these Bushfire Recovery Planting Days can make.
How was your property prior to the bushfires?
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Where were you when the fires struck?
I (Lee) was at work at Mount Barker and Trev was at work in Port Lincoln when the fire struck. It was the day of our office Christmas lunch, which we cancelled due to most employees having landholdings in the fire path. I was hesitant to leave work and head home because I thought the fire was miles away from our property but, by
The most difficult part of fire recovery is seeing all our years of hard work turned to ash. Once we found a way to get over that, we picked ourselves up and started sowing next season's tubes (the very next day!). The most difficult part was realising that all our pasture had disappeared and been replaced with more weed species than ever before. That loss is uninsurable and runs into the tens of thousands of dollars. Being a rocky area it will not be easy to reinstate pasture.
Many of our planted trees managed to fight their way back as multi stemmed varieties of themselves. The 500 tubes planted in winter 2019 did not make it as they were so young, however it was quite amazing to find the odd one re sprouting out of the melted tree guard! Probably most heartbreaking was losing at least three of our very ancient gum trees, which were home to so much wildlife.
How has your land recovered since?
What has been the most difficult part of your recovery from the bushfires?
How has the Bushfire Recovery Planting Day made a difference to your property?
LEFT: Hundreds of native seedlings were planted by our volunteers.
BELOW: Volunteers at a Bushfire Recovery Planting Day at Trevor and Lee's property.
It was nice to meet volunteers who are so generous in giving up their time to help others. We can't thank them enough.
the time I got home mid-afternoon, all four corners of my road were ablaze and I had to double back and find another way home so that I could get our sons and animals out of danger.
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FAR LEFT: Trevor and Lee at their Adelaide Hills property.
The planting day helped us cut our usual planting time of up to two weeks down to just over half a day so it certainly was a blessing to save that time and be able to spend it commencing replacement of our burnt fencing. It was nice to meet volunteers who are so generous in giving up their time to help others. We can't thank them enough.
THANK YOU TREE AWARDS
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ustralian native seedlings love summer. That means it’s the main growing period for our Westwood Nursery which raises up to 200 different native plant species every year to help landholders, local government and conservation groups meet their revegetation goals. We grow herbs, grasses, ground covers, shrubs and trees from across the state, helping South Australians create homes for native creatures and bring landscapes to life. If you’re not sure where to start, our nursery team would love to share expert advice on species selection. Our years of experience and specialist knowledge mean we can suggest the perfect plant for your project or property. We’re also able to grow rare and threatened species for projects*. We’ll collect seed and cuttings suitable to your local provenance, or can collect seed from your own property by request, at cost. Have a chat to our friendly team and see what we can do to help. We grow a minimum of 50 seedlings, and a minimum of 20 plants per species, to order at a very competitive price. The deadline for summer sown orders is Wednesday 30 November. Please get in touch earlier if you have specialist provenance requirements. *Conditions apply.
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ost depots will open their gates on Sunday 13 November, 9.00 am to 12.00 pm this year for Tree Scheme volunteer growers to collect everything needed to raise native seedlings. If you’ve registered to grow, you should have received a confirmation that we received your offer. If you haven’t heard from us regarding whether you’ve been allocated to grow by late-October, please get in touch.
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ominations for our Thank You Tree Awards are now open and we encourage you to nominate a fellow member or volunteer to recognise their outstanding contribution to Trees For Life. For more information, and to access a nomination form, please visit our website: treesforlife.org.au/latest-news. You can also call us on 8406 0500, or email info@treesforlife.org.au to receive a nomination form. Nominations close Friday 28 October.
ou’re invited to celebrate the contribution and achievements of our Trees For Life community. This year’s event will be held at the Adelaide Showground on Wednesday 30 November, 6.00 to 8.00 pm. Thank You Tree Awards will be presented on the night and we encourage you to nominate a fellow member (see below). Bookings will open in October and places will be limited, so please watch our website for updates: treesforlife.org.au/latest-news. Thank you to the Adelaide Showground for making this event possible.
Volunteer Grower Workshops (allocated growers only, bookings 20 Oct – 5 Nov
If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer on one of our Bush For Life sites, or would like to learn more about managing your own bushland, come along to a Bushcare Workshop. Workshops are free for our members. Or Come and Try a Bush Action Team day. COVID-19 protocols apply.
Happy Valley 4 Nov Encounter Bay 21 Dec on our website and Facebook page.
COVID-19 NOTICE: Due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 restrictions, please check the advertised dates closer to the event by calling our office or checking for updates
Cherry Gardens 7 Oct Hindmarsh Island 12 Nov St Agnes 11 Oct Fairview Park 22 Nov
Mt Barker 24 Sep Aldgate 18 Oct Willunga 9 Nov
Nursery Summer Seedling Orders 1 Sep – 30 Nov
Blackwood 5 Oct Greenhill 10 Nov
Freeling 15 Oct Hallett Cove 26 Nov
Flagstaff Hill 21 Oct Penfield Gardens 2 Dec
Bridgewater 25 Oct Lonsdale 6 Dec
Blackwood 1 Oct Eden Hills 8 Nov
Heathfield 3 Nov Hillbank 16 Dec
Bridgewater 19 Oct Littlehampton 30 Nov
Dingabledinga 27 Oct Eden Hills 8 Dec
BUSHCARE WORKSHOPS
Echunga 29 Oct Willunga 14 Dec
TREE SCHEME AND NURSERY
Materials Collection Day for Tree Scheme Growers Sunday 13 Nov*
Introduction to Seed Collection Workshop Kuitpo (free for Trees For Life members) 18 Nov
BUSH FOR LIFE EVENTS
essential)
*dates may change across depots, check your grower letter for details.
COME AND TRY BUSH ACTION TEAM DAYS
WHAT'S ON Regenerate in the Adelaide Park Lands Caring for mental health and wellbeing through bushcare and guided nature walks (International students and City of Adelaide residents 55+) Held every month in 2022 10 am – 1 pm Annual General Meeting 13 Oct Thank You Tree Award Nominations Close 28 Oct Nature Festival 2022 Visit: naturefestival.org.au 6 – 16 Oct End of Year Party 30 Nov 14
Banksia Park 13 Oct Green Hills Range 24 Nov
South Australian Government entities not shown above include the Department for Environment and Water. THANKS TO 5 May Terrace Brooklyn Park SA 5032 08 8406 0500 info@treesforlife.org.au treesforlife.org.au@treesforlifesa#treesforlifesa
