Blue gum woodland at Williamstown
🌱👩🌾 Two people. One woodland. Big impact. Check out how this great Grassroots Grant at Williamstown is rolling out in the Barossa.
Check out how Grassroots Grants is backing practical stewardship at Williamstown to restore and connect remnant Blue Gum grassy woodland in the Barossa 💚. A Grassroots Grants case study.
Small levy dollars. Big landscape care. 💚
The first step is deciding to do something about it
Blue Gum grassy woodlands once stretched across large parts of South Australia. Today, only fragments remain – and many of those are tired, over-grazed and struggling to regenerate.
At Williamstown, some local landholders decided to do something about it.
With support from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Grassroots Grants Program, Kate Cornelsen and Andrew Vredenburg are restoring and strengthening a Blue Gum grassy woodland across multiple land tenures – creating a healthier, more connected landscape for both wildlife and people.
Blue Gum grassy woodlands once stretched across large parts of South Australia. Today, only fragments remain – and many of those are tired, over-grazed and struggling to regenerate.
At Williamstown, some local landholders decided to do something about it.
With support from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Grassroots Grants Program, Kate Cornelsen and Andrew Vredenburg are restoring and strengthening a Blue Gum grassy woodland across multiple land tenures – creating a healthier, more connected landscape for both wildlife and people.
Why Blue Gum grassy woodlands matter
Blue Gum grassy woodland is one of South Australia’s most heavily cleared and degraded ecosystems. Less than a fifth of the original extent remains, much of it is in small, isolated patches under pressure from weeds, rabbits and grazing.
The project area includes:
- Private land owned by the applicants
- A Trees For Life site managed by trained volunteers from the Bush For Life program
- Adjacent land managed by The Barossa Council
Together, these areas form an important green corridor linking to a nearby Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement and riparian zones – making it a high-value site for restoration.
Blue Gum grassy woodland is one of South Australia’s most heavily cleared and degraded ecosystems. Less than a fifth of the original extent remains, much of it is in small, isolated patches under pressure from weeds, rabbits and grazing.
The project area includes:
- Private land owned by the applicants
- A Trees For Life site managed by trained volunteers from the Bush For Life program
- Adjacent land managed by The Barossa Council
Together, these areas form an important green corridor linking to a nearby Native Vegetation Heritage Agreement and riparian zones – making it a high-value site for restoration.
Protect first, then restore
Rather than jumping straight into planting, the project took a smart, staged approach.
The first priority was reducing threats:
- Installing exclusion fencing to protect regenerating areas from rabbits and browsing pressure
- Controlling priority weeds, including bridal creeper (a Weed of National Significance), weedy grasses and bulb weeds
By creating safe conditions first, the project set the scene for successful revegetation – not just short-term planting.
Rather than jumping straight into planting, the project took a smart, staged approach.
The first priority was reducing threats:
- Installing exclusion fencing to protect regenerating areas from rabbits and browsing pressure
- Controlling priority weeds, including bridal creeper (a Weed of National Significance), weedy grasses and bulb weeds
By creating safe conditions first, the project set the scene for successful revegetation – not just short-term planting.
Bringing back the understorey
Now that pressure from weeds and herbivores has reduced, the focus will be shifted to rebuilding understorey diversity.
Using local-provenance tubestock, more than 750 native plants will be planted in May across degraded areas, targeting grasses, forbs and shrubs that are critical for woodland health but often missing from restoration projects.
The planting day will be supported by Trees For Life and delivered by the applicants, Bush For Life volunteers, and any other interested volunteers from the local community.
The result will be a landscape where remnant vegetation, new plantings and natural regeneration can start working together – just as they should.
Now that pressure from weeds and herbivores has reduced, the focus will be shifted to rebuilding understorey diversity.
Using local-provenance tubestock, more than 750 native plants will be planted in May across degraded areas, targeting grasses, forbs and shrubs that are critical for woodland health but often missing from restoration projects.
The planting day will be supported by Trees For Life and delivered by the applicants, Bush For Life volunteers, and any other interested volunteers from the local community.
The result will be a landscape where remnant vegetation, new plantings and natural regeneration can start working together – just as they should.
Strong partnerships, shared stewardship
One of the standout features of this project is collaboration.
Kate and Andrew worked closely with:
- Trees For Life, who sponsored the project and provided bush-care expertise
- The Barossa Council, which granted access and support on Council-managed land
- Local volunteers from the Trees For Life’s Bush for Life program actively managing high-quality remnants
By aligning efforts across boundaries, the project shows how private land conservation can complement public land management – multiplying the impact of relatively small investments.
One of the standout features of this project is collaboration.
Kate and Andrew worked closely with:
- Trees For Life, who sponsored the project and provided bush-care expertise
- The Barossa Council, which granted access and support on Council-managed land
- Local volunteers from the Trees For Life’s Bush for Life program actively managing high-quality remnants
By aligning efforts across boundaries, the project shows how private land conservation can complement public land management – multiplying the impact of relatively small investments.
More than on-ground works
This project wasn’t just about fencing and planting.
It also aimed to build awareness and momentum, using social media and volunteer networks to showcase good land management in action and spark conversations across the community.
By sharing the journey – not just the end result – the project helps normalise stewardship and encourages others to look differently at their own patches of land.
This project wasn’t just about fencing and planting.
It also aimed to build awareness and momentum, using social media and volunteer networks to showcase good land management in action and spark conversations across the community.
By sharing the journey – not just the end result – the project helps normalise stewardship and encourages others to look differently at their own patches of land.
A great example of grassroots restoration
What makes the project successful?
|
Key takeaways
|
With under $9,000 in Grassroots Grants funding, supported by significant in-kind labour, this project demonstrates how:
✅ Targeted investment
✅ Good planning
✅ Local knowledge
✅ And strong partnerships
can deliver real, lasting change for threatened ecosystems.
It’s a reminder that restoring landscapes doesn’t always start with big machinery or big budgets – sometimes it starts with one landholder, one fence line, and a clear vision for what could grow back.
What makes the project successful?
|
Key takeaways
|
With under $9,000 in Grassroots Grants funding, supported by significant in-kind labour, this project demonstrates how:
✅ Targeted investment
✅ Good planning
✅ Local knowledge
✅ And strong partnerships
can deliver real, lasting change for threatened ecosystems.
It’s a reminder that restoring landscapes doesn’t always start with big machinery or big budgets – sometimes it starts with one landholder, one fence line, and a clear vision for what could grow back.
Grassroots Grants are delivered by the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board and are a great example of South Australia’s landscape levy at work, supporting local knowledge and community‑led action empowering communities to care for their environment.
Last year, the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board's Grassroots Grants (2025-2026) awarded $194,654 through the landscape levy to support volunteers, schools, community groups, First Nations, councils and landholder groups sustainably manage landscapes through on-ground work and education.
Expressions of Interest for the 2026-2027 round have closed. Stay tuned in early 2027 for the opening of the next round.
