Grassroots Grants 2026 recipients announced
Thirteen community and landholder projects will share $63,753 in funding through the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board’s 2026 Grassroots Grants program.
The successful projects will support practical work across Kangaroo Island, including coastal and bushfire recovery revegetation, protection of remnant and riparian vegetation, sustainable agriculture, soil and water management, environmental education and feral cat control.
A key project supported this year is the Penneshaw Progress Association’s Frenchmans Terrace Revegetation Project.
The Association received $3,195 to help stabilise the Penneshaw shoreline and improve biodiversity by planting over 600 locally appropriate native coastal plants and removing invasive weeds.
The two-stage project will involve planting during winter 2026 and winter 2027 on public and Crown land along Frenchmans Terrace, including the entrance to the Kangaroo Island Sculpture Trail, the foreshore reserve and dune areas.
Volunteers will help remove weeds, including Sea Spurge, African Daisy and Kikuyu, plant and protect the native seedlings and monitor their establishment. Plant labels to be installed Frenchmans Terrace Revegetation Project lead Louise Custance said the project would deliver lasting environmental and community benefits.
“The Penneshaw foreshore is a highly valued part of our community and one of the first parts of Kangaroo Island that many visitors see,” Ms Custance said.
“This project will help stabilise the shoreline, create habitat and food sources for native wildlife and strengthen the resilience of the coast to erosion and severe weather.
“Community volunteers are central to the project. By getting involved in planting and caring for this stretch of coastline, local people can make a practical contribution to the future of a place they value.”
Kangaroo Island Landscape Board Chair Andrew Heinrich said the Board received 29 applications for the 2026 funding round.
“The strong response demonstrates that Kangaroo Island’s landholders and community groups are ready to turn their knowledge and ideas into practical action,” Mr Heinrich said.
“Since the Grassroots Grants program began in 2020, 70 projects benefiting the environment and sustainable agriculture have received more than $ 375,718in funding and generated more than $ 671,077 in community and in-kind contributions.
“The grants enable investments from the Landscape Levy and Government of South Australia to achieve much greater results through the time, expertise and resources contributed by local people.
“We congratulate all successful applicants, thank everyone who submitted an application and encourage anyone considering a future project to contact the Landscape Board early to discuss their ideas.”
Other successful recipients include
BirdLife Australia
BirdLife Australia received funding to reprint the Kangaroo Island Bird Identification Guide. This will support the KI community to identify birds and encourage data collection to support Birdlife Australia's existing survey network.
Kangaroo Island Community Education
KICE’s Parndana Campus received funding to transform a cleared, waterlogged area into a productive native habitat with native fruits and outdoor learning space.
KICE’s Kingscote Campus also received funding to restore its produce garden, providing students with practical learning opportunities focused on food production, sustainability, environmental awareness and wellbeing.
Kangaroo Island Land for Wildlife Association
The association received funding to support 20 landholders to undertake feral cat control across 10 conservation properties covering approximately 25,000 hectares on western Kangaroo Island.
A primary producer in Duncan
A primary producer received funding to support the construction of a natural filtration pond system and fence existing dams from livestock. The project aims to improve water quality, reduce erosion, support biodiversity and provide a reliable source of water for livestock. Results will be shared through a community field day.
A landholder in Newland
A landholder received funding to protect two patches of native vegetation covering 7.5 hectares with 1.6 kilometres of stock-proof fencing, improving habitat and supporting wildlife movement, shelter and foraging.
The complete list of the 13 successful Round 7 projects will be available at:
Information about the next Grassroots Grants round will be published on the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board website in March 2027.
