More than $120,000 is available for community natural resource management projects through Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board’s annual Grassroots Grants program.
Applications are now open for grants of up to $15,000 for local projects or events focusing on at least one of the board’s regional priorities of water; sustainable agriculture; pest plants and animals; biodiversity; and community.
Board chairperson Peter Treloar said this grant program was about inspiring the community to become actively involved in the sustainable management of Eyre Peninsula’s natural resources.
“These grants are designed to give the Eyre Peninsula community a helping hand with projects that are focused on managing or improving our local natural resources or providing education about our priority issues,” he said.
“Current grants are seeing community groups, schools and local council’s work on a range of projects including weed control and rabbit proof fencing at Point Boston by local landholders, revegetation works at Pildappa Rock by Wudinna District Council and Port Neill Primary School’s marine biology education and awareness project.
“It’s inspiring to see how our community is invested in our local landscapes and I look forward to seeing the range of projects that applicants put forward from this call-out.”
Included in last year’s 13 grants funded was a project to protect the habitat for and reducing threats to the nationally threatened metallic sun orchid and southern emu-wren at Wanilla.
Community members Chris and Sally Deslandes have been leading the project in conjunction with other community members and Lower Eyre Council.
They have coordinated flora and fauna surveys and completed pest plant control, plus monitoring for feral cats.
“The emu wrens have only been sighted in this area since last year and we’re not sure why they have migrated to this spot, so this project has been about sustaining what is here to support the emu wren habitat,” Chris said.
“We haven’t seen any feral cats which is surprising but good news.”
More than 70 different plant species have been identified in the area so far.
“We have been surprised by the number of different plants we’ve found – up to 71 different plants including 10 orchids,” Sally said.
“We didn’t find any of the metallic sun orchids but hopefully they will pop up again this coming spring.
“The joy of this project has been that we’re paying more attention to the area as it changes through the seasons and noticing just how incredible the biodiversity is in this patch.”
Applications are open until Sunday, May 4.
For further information, including an application form, FAQs and guidelines, visit landscape.sa.gov.au/ep/grants
