Trees for Life
Australia, South Australia
Ecosystem: Forests
Start Date: 10/1/1981
Significance: There are approximately 300 Bush For Life sites which are of conservation significance. More than 95% of sites have a regionally threatened species (extinct in the next 20-100 years without assistance).
Description: In many areas, little remains of the 87% of the original vegetation cover has been lost. The tiny patches that are left are under threat from rabbits, weeds and human activities such as road widening and rubbish dumping. When we lose these patches of bushland, unique plants disappear forever. Our distinctive landscape is altered irretrievably, and seed sources for future revegetation are lost.
Course of action: * There are approximately 300 Bush For Life sites which have over 600 active volunteers managing them. * Through the Tree Scheme, people with rural property can order native seedlings raised by a volunteer or themselves. * Bushland is under threat and Bush For Life volunteers protect the little remnant vegetation that remains. * The Direct Seeding program offers broad scale revegetation using a large range of species.
Full Time Workers: 20
Volunteer Workers: 1500
Valued Skills: Every year almost 1500 volunteers and another 1500 landholders raise approximately 1.5 million local native species. Approximately 70 volunteers contribute around 40 kilograms of seed per year. Eight volunteers weigh seed throughout the year, sorting them in to 35,000 packets. There are approximately 300 Bush For Life sites which have over 600 active volunteers working on them. There are also many other areas our volunteers assist such as mail-outs.
Achievements: * 23 million local native seedlings raised for South Australia and providing 80% of all revegetation tubestock * Setting the ecological standard in direct seeding revegetation * Bush For Life was the first and largest volunteer program to protect native vegetation now working with 20 South Australian local governments to protect reserves of conservation importance
Goals: Trees for Life is a non-profit community group dedicated to revegetation and the protection of threatened and valuable bushland in South Australia.
Sponsors: Trees For Life is an independent organization supported by member subscriptions, donations and corporate sponsorship. The South Australian government provides office accommodation at the Natural Resource Centre at Pasadena.
Other Information: Volunteer grower A green thumb or special experience is not required to be a volunteer grower - just time, commitment to doing a good job and a sunny spot in the backyard. The growing season runs from November to May and the seedlings need daily care. Materials and instructions are supplied by Trees For Life. Volunteer bushcarer To get involved, volunteers need to attend a workshop which are held between April and October each year and are introduced to plant identification, threats to native bushland and minimal disturbance weeding techniques. The time commitment of a few hours each month is required. Seed Collecting Volunteers need to attend a free workshop to be introduced to the theories and practices of collecting native seed.
For more details on the above programme and how you can volunteer or become a supporter, please fill in the following form:
Contact Details:
