Dear ,

We hope you have a Blessed Christmas and a safe and healthy 2026.

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Table of Contents:

• Bushcare Information
• Visit to Haigh's
• FoG Third Sunday BBQs
• COOTS Plant Sale – Resumes on Sunday 1st March 2026.
• What's with the Plastic Sheets?
• Looking after our Ducks
• Tours of Glenthorne
• Friends of Kauwi-marnirla
• Barossa Group Request Your further Help
• Acknowledgement of Country

"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it" - Margaret Mead (16/12/1901 – 15/11/1978) an American cultural anthropologist, author and speaker, who appeared frequently in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s.

Did you miss a Newsletter? Catch up on all our previous eNewsletters on this webpage https://www.friendsofglenthorne.org.au/news-letter/

The Bushcare Day to be held this Saturday, 6th of December, has been cancelled. We apologise for any inconvenience. Bushcare Days will resume on Saturday 13th of December, weather permitting

As usual for Bush Care Days, we meet at Carpark One behind the Shearing Shed. (To get there, follow the Park Road down from the Ranger’s Station, then turn right into Carpark 1.)

If you need any help finding us, then please ring one of the following.

Martin:  0403 804 306
Alan:     0411 595 910
Bob:     0419 408 851

Bushcare Events at Glenthorne NP-IY:

• Each Wednesday - 9am to noon.
• 1st  & 2nd Saturday 10-4pm
  3rd Sunday 10-4pm

At RDA (Riding for Disabled) 

• 4th Saturday:   9-12pm  (RDA Front Garden) Volunteers from the Riding For Disabled will be joining us for these Bush Care days at RDA.

Always be mindful of the forecast weather and our Hot Weather Policy.  If the BOM forecasted temperature is 34 degrees or higher, the Bushcare Day is cancelled. See the BOM O'Halloran Hill Forecast Information

If you are unwell, please do the right thing and stay at home.

Bushcare Mailing List

If you want to receive irregular Bushcare Notifications, subscribe to our BushCarers E-Mailing List. To do this, just send an email to BushCarers-Join@FriendsOfGlenthorne.org.au

Bushcare: It’s not Rocket Science, it’s much more difficult than that.

Would you like to join the Royal Commonwealth Society - SA's visit to Haigh's Chocolate Factory?

Monday 8th December, 2025

Email your RSVP to Julie, to receive further details.

Each month, on "The Third Sunday", the Friends of Glenthorne are hosting a BBQ.

We will start BushCare as normal, at 10am, and then break for lunch to host a BBQ.  Bring your family, invite your friends, or invite one of the Park Users to join us for a bit of social interaction.

GrassLand BushCare

Also, on the Third Sunday of each month, recent doctorate graduate of Adelaide Uni, Max, will continue BushCare on his Glenthorne research area, the Community Grassland. This Grassland BushCare will also start at 10am.

There is much to learn about Grasslands, and Max is willing to share his knowledge.

See the Glenthorne Grassland Website at: https://www.glenthornegrassland.com.

There will be no Plant Sale in December 2025 to February 2026. The COOTS Plant Sale will resume on Sunday 1st March 2026”

On each First Sunday of the Month, the Australian Plant Society - COOTS(*) group host a Plant Sale at their Clubrooms in Goodwood.

Where: 1 Minute Walk North from the Goodwood Railway Station.  21a Richards Tce. Goodwood. (East/Hills Side)

When: This Sunday, from 12 noon to 3.00pm.

There will be knowledgeable environmentalists attending so if you have any questions about native plants, birds, insects and other such matters, please come along and have a chat with the COOTS team.

The Glenthorne History book will also be on sale for just $35. Cash and credit card facilities available.

* COOTS = Conservation Of Our Threatened Species.

On your recent visit to Glenthorne, have you noticed plastic sheets that have appeared among the weeds?

As an extension to the Grassland Project, the very large, very cumbersome plastic polarisation sheets that were used to prepare the ground (and kill the weed seeds), have been cut up, and re-positions to Solarise other smaller areas, ahead of plantings in the near future.

If you happen to see that the wind has helped one of these plastic sheets to "escape" from its tie-down, if you are able, please stretch it out again, and re-position it's weights, so that the ground preparation can continue until the end of summer/autumn.  Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to Erin Thompson MP

The Treasures not Targets coalition against duck shooting in SA includes the RSPCA, Birds SA, Fauna Rescue, Protect our Native Ducks, and the Sentient Institute for Veterinary Ethics.

The public has little knowledge that this cruel sport still happens to this day in South Australia. South Australia and Victoria are the only states that have not banned this inhumane activity. Why? Political fear of losing a few votes of the shooters.

In recent months the coalition ran a petition, asking the public to stand up and show that they were against duck shooting by signing a petition which would be presented to the State Parliament. It was hoped that 10,000 signatures could be obtained as this would mandate that the relevant Minister would have to respond. Independent surveys showed that the vast majority supported this action and by the 13th of November over 22,500 signatures were achieved!

The Friends of Glenthorne National Park are proud to say that on the morning of November 13th, one of our local members of parliament, MP Erin Thompson, the member for Davenport, accepted the many boxes of petitions on the steps of Parliament along with Ian Hunter and Tammy Franks.

Given that both major parties in South Australia have been, until now, too afraid to make a stand against this cruel and inhumane sport, it was a brave act on behalf of Erin. The petition will now be presented to Parliament and the relevant Minister is bound to respond.

Hopefully now we can see the Malinauskas Labor Government act and ban duck shooting forever.

Well done, Erin.

David Speirs is still offering Tours of Glenthorne, covering the Past, Present, and Future of the Park.

David would love to see you.

To register for a tour, either:

• Click this link , or
• Point your phone camera to the QR Code below, and then go to the Webpage that the QR code identifies.

Are you interested in helping out along the Field River?  Below is the contents of an email sent out by Restoration Ecologist Angus Droogan-Turniski.  Send an email to Angus if you want to received further communications about this group and their activities.  His email address is: Angus.Droogan-Turniski@sa.gov.au

🎒 What to Bring

• A hat
• Drinking water
• Some snacks (We’ll break for morning tea halfway through the session)

🧤 What’s Provided

• Gloves, safety glasses, and tools
• A first aid kit, NPWS/Green Adelaide staff will be the designated first aid officers
• All relevant safety documents

📝 Sign-In & Safety

• All attendees must sign in on arrival
• A brief safety induction will take place before we begin

Back in July we forwarded to you a request from the Barossa group, who are trying to block a planning approval for a significant development.

The State Government is seeking community feedback on the Southern Barossa Winery and Tourism Project (SBWTAP) now, and formal submissions close on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, at 11:59 pm.

Your submission is one of the few things that can directly influence whether this project is approved, so it is vital that as many people as possible lodge an objection before the deadline.

You can make a submission via email in just one short sitting. Please visit PreserveAndProtectBarossa.org and find out how to lodge your objection before 17 December so your voice is counted.

The Friends of Glenthorne acknowledge that Glenthorne National Park - Ityamaiitpinna Yarta is part of the traditional lands of the Kaurna people and we respect them and appreciate their innate and spiritual connection with the land and waters of Glenthorne.

We aspire to work alongside them in taking care of this land and community to restore Glenthorne to be once again, a healthy native habitat.