Kangaroo Island’s natural environment has received a boost thanks to the combined efforts of local volunteers, private landholders and scientists from the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre (SASCC).
The habitat restoration project, led by the SASCC – who are part of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of SA, saw community members come together to conserve one of the island’s most endangered ecosystems: the KI Narrow-leaved Mallee plant community.
Through a carefully planned program, timed with seasonal rainfall, community members joined SASCC staff to plant more than two thousand native seedlings of 11 different species, which range from vulnerable to rare both in South Australia and nationally. Among these are species unique to Kangaroo Island that face a serious risk of extinction.
Focusing on three key locations on the island, the reintroduction of these species will support the recovery of this endangered habitat, as well as having insurance populations of the rare plants.
Landholders Janine Mackintosh and Richard Glatz have already undertaken a threatened plant translocation project on their property and were delighted to be involved again.
“The SASCC is doing important work helping to conserve Kangaroo Island’s biodiversity. The first rare plant conservation project on our land was a success so it made sense to continue the collaboration with new plantings. The plantings are also proving to be useful sites for research into pollination biology of these plants, which could have further conservation outcomes,” said Mr Glatz.
A standout moment of the project was the introduction of the threatened Kangaroo Island Spider-orchid. Landholders and volunteers became scientists for the day, carefully separating, measuring, and planting orchid seedlings. The hands-on activity was met with enthusiasm, with participants commenting on the rewarding experience.
Bec Mussared and Andrew Schofield were also part of this project. Ms Mussared said:
“We really enjoyed the opportunity to work with the SASCC to reintroduce rare plants on our property. We’re so impressed by their knowledge and great work ethic and feel very grateful to have these plants on our place.”
They both continue to visit the planting area and monitor the success:
“We’ve loved being able to regularly check on the orchids; it’s made us much more focussed on small plants on the ground and we’ve found some great ones, like trigger plants, for the first time. We’ve also loved watching the great sun orchid as it has slowly grown and then produced the most beautiful flowers,” said Bec.
Morning tea, lunch, and plenty of community goodwill and laughter helped fuel the effort. The dedication and spirit of the landholders continues as they regularly check-in on their plantings and provide progress updates to the SASCC team.
Jerry Smith, Senior Scientific Officer at the SASCC, said the success of the project is a testament to the power of collaboration:
“The local community showed incredible dedication and care for their environment. It’s inspiring to see how science and community action can come together to make a real difference. The volunteers donated more than 400 hours to this project, working across almost 5 hectares of land, and we’re extremely grateful for their support,” he said.
This project received funding through the ecological restoration component of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife Landscape Resilience Project.
