Urban Forest - One Million Trees Program
Hugh Kneebone. Urban Ecology Australia. 2004.5
Have you ever sat in your backyard and wondered what it would have been like 168 years ago? Ever wondered what sort of plants and wildlife would have been found in your local area?
The SA Government's Urban Forest - One Million Trees Program considers these questions on an almost daily basis and thanks to the work of local researchers and botanists we now have a good idea of what Adelaide would have looked like prior to 1836. The region now covered by metropolitan Adelaide was possibly the most biologically diverse in South Australia, comprised of over 185,000 ha of forests, woodlands, shrublands, grasslands, swamps and coastal vegetation.
This incredibly rich variety of habitats provided niches that supported a large percentage of the state's flora and fauna. Of all the plants found in South Australia, a third of them were found in the Adelaide region. Along with two-thirds of the birds, a third of the mammals and a fifth of all freshwater fish, frogs and reptiles of SA were originally found in the Adelaide region. Today less than 3% of the original bushland from the Adelaide Plains remains.
The Urban Forests One Million Trees initiative aims to redress the loss of local native biodiversity across metropolitan Adelaide. Urban environments will be significantly enhanced through increased habitat for our unique flora and fauna as well as improvements in air and water quality. Over a thousand hectares of suitable open space will be planted with a mixture of local trees, bushes and ground-covers creating new urban woodlands as well as helping to buffer, link and protect existing remnant bushland.
The program both engages and consults with non- government organisations, government agencies, local government, community groups and educational institutions. Building partnerships with multiple stakeholders is the driver for effective and long lasting outcomes. This year the program will be working with 18 local councils and 60 schools through its Grow a Great School scheme. Already 300 volunteers in partnership with Trees For Life have helped grow 100,000 seedlings for the program. This year's planting season involving 40 major projects will see more than 450,000 seedlings established across 100 sites stretching from Gawler to Sellicks Beach. These will be planted by a combination of local environment and school groups as well as community volunteers and youth training schemes such as the Youth Conservation Corp.
The Urban Forest vision is for a more sustainable Adelaide with improved amenity for all its residents. With a commitment to expand the initiative to three million trees the program is set to grow an even greener and more sustainable city. If you would like to get involved or find out more about the program, or simply discover what grew in your backyard not so long ago then visit the Urban Forest web site at www.urbanforest.on.net.
2007.2.8