Fresh hope for vulnerable malleefowl

The discovery of three active malleefowl mounds in the Gawler Ranges in areas where predators are controlled is highlighting the importance of the work to the malleefowl’s survival.

Read more about the malleefowl here

Property planning gets underway

A property mapping program is underway in the region, supported by the Board’s Building Pastoral Sustainability (BPS) project.

Six properties were selected as part of the BPS project’s Property Management Planning (PMP) program.

You can find out more about the program here

Grant projects to build pastoral sustainability

Grants for pastoral businesses to trial practices and technologies to adapt to climate and market changes, and improve business sustainability, have been offered as part of the Board’s Building Pastoral Sustainability Project.

Grants were awarded to two projects in round one of the Pastoral Sustainability Grant program, with applicants receiving up to $30,000 in funding.

Find out which projects were supported

Field day farewelled until 2021

The recent COVID-19 restrictions meant the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board had to postpone its Pastoral Field Day for a second time, but it has locked in 2-3 December 2021 as the date for the event.

A summer series of webinars featuring presenters will also start from next week

Read more.

Grassroots Grants projects begin

Fifteen projects received more than $100,000 in funding in the first round of Grassroots Grants to be offered by the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board.

Projects include the reintroduction and monitoring of threatened species, soil conservation, control of pest plants, support for volunteer and community groups, provision of equipment for shared community use for wild dogs and support for the publication of an Adnyamathana book on plants of the Flinders Ranges.

Find out which projects received funds

Early intervention important for weed control

The importance of early intervention for weed control was discussed with rangers during a visit to the Nantawarrina Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) in November.

Sharing information with the rangers were Weeds Botanist Chris Brodie from the State Herbarium, PIRSA’s Newly Established Weeds Facilitator Shannon Robertson and SAAL’s North Flinders Community Landscape Officer Matt Westover who visited the IPA during a trip around the North Flinders district.

Read more

Monitoring a rare daisy

Rainfall at just the right time has provided the right conditions to stimulate a mass germination of the endangered Showy Groundsel (Senecio megaglossus) in a valley near the Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park, near Quorn.

The large, showy yellow daisy flowers and their foliage have coloured the steep dolomite hills in blue-grey and vibrant yellow, with close to 6000 individual plants recorded

Take a look at the Senecio megaglossus flower and find out more about the monitoring 

Board’s five-year plan

The SA Arid Lands Landscape Board is currently developing its five-year Landscape Plan, which will guide investment in managing the region’s landscapes, and is a requirement of the new Landscape South Australia Act 2019.

Read more

Rain brings return of native grasses to Quorn

A group of keen Quorn locals went on the hunt for native grasses and plants during spring, in a walk organised by the Quorn Community Landcare Group and assisted by the SA Arid Lands Landscape Board’s Community Ecologist Ben McCallum.

The group found about 10 different native grasses around the town’s parklands, along with some flowering native herbs.

What did they find?

Draft WAP with Minister

The final draft of the Water Allocation Plan (WAP) for the Far North Prescribed Wells Area was provided to the Minister for Environment and Water, David Speirs, for his consideration and adoption on 6 October 2020.

Read more

Partnering for Springs conservation

Damage to the Gosse and McLachlan Springs by hard-hooved animals on the Stuart Creek pastoral lease is the focus of the latest partnership between the Friends of Mound Springs (FOMS) and rangers from the Arabana Aboriginal Corporation.

Gosse and McLachlan Springs, located south of Lake Eyre South, are within a conservation area set up in an agreement between the South Australian Native Vegetation Council and BHP, as the holder of the Stuart Creek pastoral lease.

Read more

School of the Air Wool Show now online

The School of the Air Annual Wool Show, which was to be part of the SA Arid Lands Pastoral Field Day is now online.

Fleeces entered in the show will be judged privately next week, and the charity auction, raising much needed funds for the School of the Air and the Royal Flying Doctor Service will start online this Friday at 8.30am and remain live until Friday 11 December.

See what auction lots will be offered and place a bid

Investigating Mulga dieback in drought

A partnership between Bush Heritage Australia and Arid Recovery will investigate the impact of the recent drought in an effort to understand some long-term and future implications for biodiversity and productivity in the rangelands.

Drought conditions in the region have been well-documented, with well below average rainfall recorded in 2018-19 coinciding with long, hot summers and record temperatures.

Find out how you can be involved

Enabling properties to control wild dogs

The control of wild dogs through baiting without compromising organic status was the focus of three workshops held at Nonning, Anna Creek and Mundowdna in November.

Thirty eight participants took part in the workshops, representing 18 properties that covered more than 46,000km2 (or 4 million hectares) of the South Australian rangelands.

Read more

Studying the Southern-hairy-nosed wombat

Researchers from Bush Heritage Australia and the University of Adelaide are planning to use a combination of remote sensing techniques and genetics to try and understand more about the Southern hairy-nosed wombat and are calling on landholders to report sightings.

The lifestyle of the wombat, as an extreme water and energy conservation species, makes them difficult to study. They spend long periods of time below the ground in extensive burrow and warren networks, with more than 90 per cent of the population found on private land.

Read more

Drought support funding available

A variety of support services are available to families and businesses in the region facing hardship due to the ongoing drought.

Read more about the services available 

Got something to share?

Got some feedback? Or some suggestions for content? We always love to hear from our readers. Email saal.landscapeboard@sa.gov.au