David Suzuki Forest - Onkaparinga River NP
The Onkaparinga River National Park is one of Adelaide's largest parks and provides protection for some of the last remaining patches of remnant vegetation in the southern Adelaide region. In total the park contains 520 hectares of remnant vegetation and 448 indigenous plant species, including 132 of conservation significance at national, state and regional levels. It maintains important estuarine and freshwater fish breeding habitat and the ecological stability of Noarlunga Reef is linked to its management. Important Aboriginal heritage sites are also located within the reserve.
Since 2003, the Million Trees Program has returned over 150,000 local native trees and understorey species to the park, with restoration of former grazing land directly adjacent to remnant vegetation communities in the Onkaparinga Gorge and Hardies Scrub a major focus. Added to the park in the mid-1990’s, the former grazing land forms part of an overall initiative to revegetate using local native plant species, control invasive weeds and ultimately buffer and connect areas of remnant vegetation.
To-date the Program has undertaken large-scale revegetation projects at four main sites acrossthis land. The largest of these, known as ‘Gate 10’, spans some 70 hectares, and was named the David Suzuki Forest in honour of the world renowned environmentalist who officially opened the site in 2003.
Bryn Troath from the Department for Environment and Heritage said that the contribution from the Program has helped to protect and reconnect valuable remnant biodiversity. “This (revegetation) creates increased habitat which builds on the landscape restoration values in a park of major significance south of Adelaide,” Bryn said.
