In case you missed them – the stories you loved in 2024
KI farmer's innovations take seed across the world
The story of KI local Nick Berry’s journey from a third generation KI farmer to a global distributor of non-chemical weed-seed-killing mechanical devices captured attention. Nick’s and his uncle Mark’s Seed Terminator company has now produced more than 750 devices currently in operation in Australia and overseas and estimates that over the past seven years, they have avoided the use of over 12 million litres of herbicides.
Survey says: Emu Bay is the only penguin colony not in decline on KI
There was a lot of interest in sobering news about the status of little penguins on Kangaroo Island.
Feeling the love for the Murray-Darling carpet python
A Valentine's Day campaign to promote sightings of the rare Murray-Darling carpet python in the Murraylands and Riverland region had the community feeling the love. By promoting the species as if it were on a dating app, the campaign reached over 5,000 users, with 373 engagements, 29 reactions, and 13 shares.
Once common across southeastern Australia, this native python is now rare due to land clearing, habitat loss, foxes, and illegal poaching.
Valentine’s Day carpet python FB post
Martin Bend Wetland refill goes viral
Simple drone footage of the Martin Bend wetland refill captured the community’s attention, showcasing the lagoon’s stunningly clear water. After a hot and dry summer, the wetland dried out in just 3 months—much faster than ecologists expected. The video highlights the cracked clay at the wetland’s bend, a sight that excites ecologists. This natural drying and refilling process is vital for introducing oxygen into the wetland sediments, promoting nutrient cycling, and supporting a healthy ecosystem.
EP citizen scientists get behind Pix Stix
Back in January, the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board was encouraging the local community or visitors to the region, to get involved in a photopoint citizen science project called Pix Stix.
Stemming from a comment on this social media post that suggested a Pix Stix monitoring post should be established at Perlubie Beach near Streaky Bay, the local officers made this happen!
In addition, posts have been added at Coles Point on lower Eyre Peninsula and another is being finalised at Pildappa Rock in eastern EP, near Wudinna, with more sites being planned.
See www.pixstix.com.au for more information – and keep an eye out for this easy way to get involved in citizen science, when you are on Eyre Peninsula.
Wedge-tailed eagle video flies high
The Northern and Yorke Landscape board’s video about solar-powered trackers on wedge-tailed eagles proved a hit with viewers. Boosted by paid advertising, it reached almost 70,000 people, received 608 reactions and was shared 103 times. The total watch time was 4 days 2 hours.
Desert limes in the outback attract big audience
Exclusion fencing built in 2022, supported by a Grassroots Grant, allowed the first recruitment of desert lime seedlings in many years on Pernatty Station, north of Pt Augusta.
The Facebook post, from earlier this year, which reported that by December 2023 the trees had a great crop of fruit, proved to be of interest to a huge audience.
The story had a reach of 109714 and 438 interactions.
Many eyes on Indigenous ranger gathering video
The gathering to celebrate the work of Indigenous rangers across the SA Arid lands was held late in 2023 and this wonderful video captures the value of the event for everyone who attended.
The video has now accumulated 468 views.
Swampy classroom in Hills and Fleurieu a hit with viewers
Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu supported 28 projects through the Grassroots Grants program this year and here’s one project that caught the hearts of the community.
Mount Compass Area School has a damp, peaty, ecological treasure on their school grounds – a swamp. It is where students undertake some of their school learnings, taking their role as swamp stewards very seriously.
The swamp is part of the Fleurieu Swamps network, a unique and nationally recognised critically endangered ecological community, found only in the Hills and Fleurieu region.
Sit back and take a journey south of Adelaide to a very special place.
Stunning images capture record-breaking warru effort
This year’s warru translocation in the Alinytjara Wilurara region was a record-breaking effort from the Warru Recovery Team, catching more than 100 warru (black-flanked rock-wallaby) for the first time.
The team set traps in the fenced Pintji area in July, catching 108 warru across the week. After health checks, 80 animals were chosen to translocated to the newest population at Kulitjara, and to Kalka in the far north-west of the state.
55 of the trapped warru were new recruits caught for the first time, showing that they are breeding well in the safety of the Pintji.
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