A Green Adelaide grant has allowed Adelaide University PhD Student Max McQuillan, to help the Friends of Glenthorne decide on a best practice, to establish and expand Native Grassland areas over Glenthorne. The Project will run for the next two years, 2023-2024.
This project aims to recreate 5 hectares of a high biodiversity value endangered Grey Box Derived Grasslands ecological community through innovative design and emerging direct seeding methods at Glenthorne National Park – Ityamaiitpinna Yarta.
The project also aims to use the design, implementation, and management of the grassland to promote ecological knowledge through key partnerships.
A partnership with Nature Play SA involves co-design of the grassland for nature education for STEM courses, including at Urrbrae high school and at the University of Adelaide.
Both the inherent design of the grassland and creative interpretation through digital and physical content enhance educational opportunities at Glenthorne National Park.
Finally, the project will be systematically documented as part of a PhD which will also involve the development of a management plan to be implemented by the Friends group to care for the project in the long term.
Timetable
| Date (2023) | What happened |
| 20 Jan – 1 Feb | Measure out sites, Dig trenches, Lay Plastic sheeting – The sheets 1 & 2 were laid on relatively dry soil. – The sheets 3 & 4 were laid after a spray with water – The sheets 5 – 8 sheets were laid after 8mm of rain |
| 16 Jan | Inspect Project Sites on Glenthorne |
Subscribe to our eNewsletter to hear more about the progress of the project. Subscribe here