The Board provides strategic leadership on the region's land, water, pests and biodiversity, guiding the priorities that shape landscape management from the ranges through to the coast. Members bring local knowledge, established community networks and a genuine interest in the future of the region.

You don't need a particular background to nominate. People from all professions, cultures and stages of life are encouraged to put their hand up, and current members are welcome to reapply. Successful nominees are appointed by the Minister for Climate, Environment and Water for terms of up to four years, starting on 31 January 2027.

Nominations close 16 August.

>> Apply today

South Australia now has a central hub of information on H5 bird flu, bringing together the latest updates, advice and resources for primary producers, veterinarians, wildlife carers and the community. The website draws on expertise from SA Health, the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and the Department for Environment and Water (DEW), and complements the 24/7 Emergency Animal Disease Hotline.

If you come across a sick or dead bird or wildlife, avoid contact, record what you see, and report it to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

>> Explore site

First Nations Team, Andrew Case and Josh Strangways, bringing us together for NAIDOC Week.

Across the week they shared stories celebrating First Nations excellence in business, sport, the arts, culture and community leadership, a reminder of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to lead, innovate and strengthen communities and healthy Country.

The highlight for us was a cook-up at our Gawler office, where kangaroo tail soup with native flavours, roo tails and sweet potatoes cooked in the coals, fresh damper and a billycan of river mint tea brought people together over good food and better conversation. "The best kind of catering is the one where everyone sits around the fire, shares a laugh, and waits for the camp oven to work its magic," says Andrew Case.

We were joined by friends of the Board, Yundamarra, Nadia, Jaylan and Travis from the Red Centre team, who generously shared their knowledge before leading a smoking ceremony. Weeks like this are a reminder that strong communities, healthy Country and lasting partnerships grow from taking the time to listen and learn together.

Don't let the good looks fool you. This one is toxic to livestock, cattle especially, carrying glycosides that can cause serious illness or worse. It grows from underground corms that can sit dormant in the soil for years, then burst into life the moment conditions suit.

That is exactly why getting on to it early counts. Once it flowers, your window for effective control slams shut. Two versions show up here, one-leaf and two-leaf, and neither is any friendlier than the other. Over the next few weeks, walk your paddocks, fence lines and disturbed ground looking for fresh growth, and hit it while the plants are actively growing.

Want to get on top of it? We're running our Curious about Capes workshop on 21 August in Cromer, covering the impacts of cape tulip and practical control options for your property.

>> Let's control cape tulip

Dam enhancement means managing stock access, planting native vegetation around the edges, and adding features that bring in local species. Every step does a job. Fencing stock out prevents erosion, pugging and bogging. Cleaner water is more palatable, so stock drink more and hold condition. Native grasses, sedges and reeds along the banks filter nutrients and improve water quality, while vegetation higher up reduces wind and evaporation. Logs, rocks and fallen timber create shelter for frogs, native fish, birds and reptiles. None of it needs to be costly or complex, and good planning in the right order is what makes the difference.

Our recent Dams with Benefits workshop introduced landholders and staff to this approach, with more planned. Keep an eye on upcoming events and resources.

>> Keen to learn more? Reach out for a chat

Compliance Officer, Jess Cavallo, talks us through declared weeds in our latest podcast.

The latest What You Need To Know Now podcast sorts out where that line sits. Compliance Officer Jess Cavallo explains what earns a weed its declared status, why one species might demand eradication while another only needs containment, and what all of that means for the person who owns the land it's growing on. It's the detail that tends to catch people out, and knowing it early saves a lot of grief later.

Not sure what you're dealing with? Your local Landscape Officer can help you identify it and work out your next move.

>> Listen to podcast
 

The crew behind some recent winter monitoring. Flinders University's Nat and Steph led the way, with a hand from Matilda (Work Experience) and Northern and Yorke's Libby (Manager Projects and Reporting) and Nick (Field Ecologist).

The pygmy blue-tongue is a small grassland skink and one of the most restricted reptiles in the country, found only in a small pocket of South Australia's Mid North. It's a bit of a squatter too. Rather than dig its own home, it moves into burrows left behind by trapdoor and wolf spiders, which ties its fortunes tightly to the health of the surrounding native grassland. Open space between the tussocks matters just as much, giving the lizard room to ambush insects and keep watch for danger.

That dependence is also its weakness. Native grassland is one of the most cleared habitats in the state, lose the grassland and you lose the spiders, and without the spiders the lizard has nowhere to live.

The encouraging part is how much is being done. Researchers, the Board and local landholders are working together to protect these grasslands, and trips like this one keep that work on track.

>> Learn more 

Green Adelaide, Chris Butcher and Monica Seiler, with our own, Jessica Cavallo, at the launch of the Gawler River Restoration Plan.

Beginning where the North and South Para Rivers meet, the Gawler River winds across the northern Adelaide Plains, supporting primary production, recreation and cultural connection. Known to the Kaurna people as Kadlitpari, it has shaped the land and supported life for a very long time.

The guide sets out a handful of clear ideas: protect Aboriginal cultural values, connect the area's diverse vegetation, give the river room to move and flood naturally, and plan open space into new developments so green areas stay linked as the region grows.

>> Read now

A female Australian plague locust laying eggs in bare, hard ground, the kind of spot worth keeping an eye on this spring. Photo: A. Harvey, courtesy of PIRSA.

Those eggs can produce hopper bands that damage crops and pastures, and mature hoppers can form mobile swarms capable of far wider damage. Locusts are highly mobile and can turn up in areas that have been clear until now, so it pays to know what you're looking for.

A few things are worth doing now: check bare or hard ground where locusts gather to lay eggs, especially tracks, fence lines and sparsely vegetated paddocks, and mark any egg-laying spots to recheck once hatching starts. The Australian plague locust is a notifiable pest, so significant egg laying, hopper bands or swarms must be reported to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline on 1800 084 881. Before any control, use only APVMA-registered products and get advice from an agronomist, reseller or PIRSA first.

>> Report activity and learn more

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.

AUGUST

03-09 | National Landcare Week, Australia wide
05 | Circular Economy Information Session, 5:30pm-7:00pm, Clare
08 | Bio-blitzing, Barossa Bushgardens
08 | Clare Repair Café, 9:00am - 12:00pm, Clare Show Market
12 | Grant Writing Workshop, 5:30pm-7:30pm, Crystal Brook
15-23 | National Science Week, Australia wide
15 | Gawler Repair Café, 9:30am - 12:00pm, Gawler

Bite-sized Grants
Opens Friday 28 August.

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
Opens this August

The 2026 Grazing Management Grants helps 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. Keep an eye on the Sustainable Ag Update for more details.

A splash of colour in bush. An orange chat near Wilmington captured by Rangelands Landscape Officer, Jared Palmer.

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