As the days get longer and temperatures begin to climb, spring growth can make it easier to see what’s happening around your property.

It’s a particularly good time to keep an eye out for pest plants. Some become much easier to spot as they put on new growth or begin to flower. This is a key window to control weeds before they flower and set seed, which can help prevent a much bigger problem down the track.

Take a walk around your property and check the places you might miss. If something unfamiliar has popped up, or you’re unsure about the best time to control it, get in touch with your local Landscape Officer.

>> Explore our pest plant resources

Across the events, students planted 1,460 native seedlings on rural properties, along creek lines, within school grounds and at council restoration sites.

It was a great opportunity to take the classroom outside, combining planting with cultural and nature education activities that encouraged students to explore and learn more about their local environment.

Schools can keep that learning going through our Nature Education program, with cultural educator sessions, teaching resources and support for environmental projects available across the region.

>> Discover more about our Nature Education program

With improved seasonal conditions and the Hart trial site looking strong, this year’s program will explore how primary producers can make the most of the season while keeping an eye on longer-term challenges.

Among the sessions is Revegetation Made Easy, presented by our Resilient Ecosystems Ecologist Elly. Using the Hart Field Site revegetation plot as a working example, Elly will share practical advice on getting revegetation established and keeping it going. She’ll cover how to plan a site and choose species that suit what you want to achieve.

You’ll also find the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board team at our stall throughout the day, so stop by for a chat.

>> Get tickets

This session is supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program and delivered by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board, a member of the Commonwealth Regional Delivery Partners panel.

Waterbug BioBlitzes bring the community and aquatic ecologists together for a hands-on look at waterway health. After some training, citizen scientists head out to collect samples and test water quality before regrouping to identify the macroinvertebrates they’ve found.

Those observations help build a clearer picture of local waterway condition and how it changes over time. The results are also entered into the National Waterbug Database, adding what we find here in Northern and Yorke to freshwater data collected across Australia.

The first BioBlitz lands in Auburn 25 September, followed by Nuriootpa 30 October. No experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to get your hands wet.

Control has been underway throughout the year, with landholders and professional contractors continuing ground operations across the region. Aerial control builds on this work by targeting population hotspots that remain.

Feral deer can have significant impacts on both natural and agricultural landscapes. Their presence puts pressure on native vegetation and waterways, while also creating problems for livestock and crops.

September will mark the program’s third aerial operation, following operations in July 2025 and June 2026 across more than 60 private properties and public land throughout the Mid North region.

Keeping control consistent is important to prevent populations from rebuilding and continue to drive numbers down.

>> Learn more about the Now or Never project

Three new roadside nursery sites were also established in the Wakefield Regional Council area, providing places for plume moth populations to build up before spreading naturally or being collected for release elsewhere.

A return visit to one of last year’s roadside release sites found plenty of caterpillars still present and feeding on horehound, a promising sign that the population is establishing.

Plume moths are one of several biocontrol agents at work across Northern and Yorke. Cochineal is being used against opuntia cacti, alongside a recent trial release of the brown prickly pear stemborer beetle, while several insect species help control Salvation Jane.

For horehound, biocontrol can be particularly useful in tricky locations where manual removal or herbicide control is difficult, including steep hillsides and creek lines.

Reach out to your local Landscape Officer to find out whether biocontrol could be an option on your property.

>> Contact us

For community groups and not-for-profit organisations, Bite-sized Grants can help turn smaller ideas into action. For primary producers, Grazing Management Grants can contribute towards fencing and water infrastructure to support changes in how grazing is managed.

Both programs are about helping get worthwhile work happening on the ground, whether that’s a community project or an improvement on your property.

Take a look at the details below to see what’s available and whether one of the grants could work for you.

>> Northern and Yorke grants and funding

Ag Institute Australia SA Chair, Craig Davis, presents the 2026 Jim McColl Young Consultant Award to Dr Molly O’Dea, alongside Project Planning and Reporting Manager, Libby Duncan, and Northern and Yorke Landscape Board member, Peter Angus. Image credit: Ag Institute Australia.

The award recognises Molly’s leadership, service and contribution to agriculture, and comes after a busy year working with primary producers across the Northern and Yorke.

Molly has supported more than 44 extension events reaching over 480 landholders, including delivering the Carbon Farming Outreach Program and leading the Adapting to Climate and Emissions Farmers project.

She also completed her PhD in May, exploring how partnerships between industry and schools can help young people better understand the breadth of careers available in agriculture. She’s done all of this while running a broadacre farming enterprise at Yongala.

A very well-earned recognition. Congratulations Molly!

>> Keep up-to-date all things sustainable ag

Find the latest information and opportunities for people working in agriculture in the Northern and Yorke region, via our Sustainable Ag Update. Sustainable Agriculture Facilitator, Molly O'Dea keeps her finger on the pulse and updates this page regularly to help keep you informed.

>> Sign up to receive the Sustainable Ag Update to be the first in-the-know.

SEPTEMBER

07 | National Threatened Species Day
11 | UNFS Crop Walk, 1:00pm - 4:00pm, Jamestown
12 | Weekend Opening Gawler Environment Centre, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Gawler
15 | Hart Field Day, 9:00am - 4:30pm, Hart Field Site
18 | UNFS Crop Walk, 1:00pm - 6:00pm, Booleroo
25 | Waterbug BioBlitz, 8:30am - 5:00pm, Auburn
25 | UNFS and Nelshaby Ag Bureau Crop Walk, 8:30am - 5:00pm, Nurom
30 | Native Grassland Walk and Talk, 1:30pm - 3:30pm, Ardrossan Parklands

Bite-sized Grants | now open
The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board's Bite-sized Grants offer between $200 and $2,000 to community groups and not-for-profit organisations for small, short-term projects. The aim is to deliver positive environmental and landscape management outcomes, such as weed control, revegetation projects and pest animal management.

Grazing Management Grants | now open
The 2026 Grazing Management Grants help primary producers improve grazing practices through fencing and water infrastructure. Funding covers $10 per hectare improved, up to $5,000, and it's first come, first served from a $250,000 pool.

Golden hour captured by Caring for Country Officer Josh.

Do you have a landscape or nature photo to share? If you've taken a striking photo somewhere in the Northern and Yorke region, we'd love to share it in an upcoming edition of the Yakka.

>> Email Anna with your images