Kangaroo Island Landscape Board announces $53,000 for 'Grassroots Grants'
The Kangaroo Island Landscape Board's (KILB) Grassroots Grants program is open and seeking applications from individuals and organisations that want to positively impact our land, water, and nature.
Up to $53,000 is available across Kangaroo Island to support one-year projects between $1,000 and $8,000, which address the priorities in the Kangaroo Island Landscape Plan 2021-2026.
Will Durack, General Manager of the KILB, said the Grassroots Grants are available for individual landholders, volunteers, schools, community organisations, First Nations, and not-for-profit groups working locally to benefit the environment and sustainable agriculture.
"To date, this program has resulted in some fantastic outcomes for the Kangaroo Island environment and our community," Mr Durack said.
Past recipients have protected regenerating native vegetation and threatened plants, supported the KI Children's Services bush kindly, revegetated native habitat, built barn owl nest boxes, monitored dolphins, supported groups of landholders to manage weeds, created windbreaks and shelterbelts, planted perennial pastures, trialled treatments for acidic soil, helped KICE students protect and restore wetlands, and raised awareness of KI wildlife.
Lachie Harvey, a 41-year-old farmer from the Dudley Peninsula, received funding from the Grassroots Grants last year. This enabled him to fence along Deep Creek, keeping stock out of the waterway to improve water quality and allow native revegetation.
"Over the past 25 years, my brother Henry and I have been working on fencing off the creek line that runs through our property from Frank Road, Dudley West, to the ocean near Baudin Beach," Mr Harvey said.
In doing so, the brothers have returned over 85 hectares along the creek line to native vegetation, including the endangered Narrow-leaved Mallee, which has greatly benefited their primary production enterprise.
"We can see a significant improvement to biodiversity due to this project, mainly where the fence line has been in place for 20 years with the return of reeds and native vegetation that improves the water quality," he said.
Mr Harvey said that implementing sustainable agriculture practices has made it easier to manage stock and improve soil conditions on his farm.
"Fencing off the creek has helped to prevent salt scald and erosion, plus the stock is exactly where I want them to be," Mr Harvey said.
Applications for the 2024 Grassroots Grants round close on 6 May 2024.
If you need help with the application process, please call Bec Mussared or Alex James at (08) 8553 2476.
For everything you need to know about the application process, including guidelines and application forms, visit www.landscape.sa.gov.au/ki/grassrootsrootsgrants
More information
For more information contact Vanessa Wilson., Communications and Media Coordinator, Vanessa.wilson3@sa.gov.au.
