Clearing the way: how the Riesling Trail took on olives (and is winning)
Pedalling through paradise just got greener!
Check out how Grassroots Grants are helping care for the landscapes along the 🍇 Riesling Trail 🍇 – so the views are as good as the ride. A Grassroots Grants case study.
Grassroots Grants are supporting the Riesling Trail Management Committee to remove invasive olives and restore native vegetation along the Riesling Trail, improving biodiversity, protecting the landscape and making an already‑loved trail even better for visitors.
The project is delivering improved environmental values along the Riesling Trail, enhancing biodiversity and visitor understanding while caring for one of the Clare Valley’s most iconic shared assets.
Small levy dollars. Big trail love. 💚
How the Riesling Trail took on olives (and is winning)
If you’ve ever walked or ridden the Riesling Trail, you’ll know it’s one of the Clare Valley’s great assets – a 33‑kilometre ribbon of history, nature and fresh air winding its way from Auburn to Barinia. But for years, there was a quiet problem growing alongside the trail.
Olives.
Lots of them.
Not the tasty, deli‑counter kind – but invasive olive trees that were crowding out native vegetation, shading out seedlings and slowly taking over sections of the trail corridor.
If you’ve ever walked or ridden the Riesling Trail, you’ll know it’s one of the Clare Valley’s great assets – a 33‑kilometre ribbon of history, nature and fresh air winding its way from Auburn to Barinia. But for years, there was a quiet problem growing alongside the trail.
Olives.
Lots of them.
Not the tasty, deli‑counter kind – but invasive olive trees that were crowding out native vegetation, shading out seedlings and slowly taking over sections of the trail corridor.
The challenge: two stubborn sections left to go
Thanks to years of dedication from the Riesling Trail Management Committee, most of the trail had already been cleared of olives with support from previous NRM and Landscape Board projects. By 2024, just two dense sections remained south of Watervale – around the 16 km and 18 km markers – and they were proving to be the toughest.
That’s where funding from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board’s Grassroots Grants Program stepped in. In the 2025 funding round, the Riesling Trail Management Committee put forward a compelling application that aligned neatly with the region’s landscape priorities.
They were advised of their success in mid‑2025, and with a year to roll out the project, they’ve rolled up their sleeves and already have things well underway.
Thanks to years of dedication from the Riesling Trail Management Committee, most of the trail had already been cleared of olives with support from previous NRM and Landscape Board projects. By 2024, just two dense sections remained south of Watervale – around the 16 km and 18 km markers – and they were proving to be the toughest.
That’s where funding from the Northern and Yorke Landscape Board’s Grassroots Grants Program stepped in. In the 2025 funding round, the Riesling Trail Management Committee put forward a compelling application that aligned neatly with the region’s landscape priorities.
They were advised of their success in mid‑2025, and with a year to roll out the project, they’ve rolled up their sleeves and already have things well underway.
A smart mix of professionals and volunteers
Rather than tackling the whole job with volunteers alone, the project used a practical two‑pronged approach:
- Professional contractors (GOTABUG) were engaged to cut and treat the larger, established olive trees safely and efficiently.
- Local volunteers followed up by removing smaller saplings, monitoring regrowth and treating any sneaky re‑shoots over time.
This combination meant the hardest work was done quickly and correctly, while volunteers could focus on the long‑term care that makes weed control actually stick.
In total, the project is delivering:
- 62 hours of professional contractor work
- Around 160 hours of volunteer effort
- A clear plan for ongoing follow‑up over the next few years
That’s a lot of impact from a $10,000 grant.
Rather than tackling the whole job with volunteers alone, the project used a practical two‑pronged approach:
- Professional contractors (GOTABUG) were engaged to cut and treat the larger, established olive trees safely and efficiently.
- Local volunteers followed up by removing smaller saplings, monitoring regrowth and treating any sneaky re‑shoots over time.
This combination meant the hardest work was done quickly and correctly, while volunteers could focus on the long‑term care that makes weed control actually stick.
In total, the project is delivering:
- 62 hours of professional contractor work
- Around 160 hours of volunteer effort
- A clear plan for ongoing follow‑up over the next few years
That’s a lot of impact from a $10,000 grant.
Letting nature do the heavy lifting
One of the most refreshing parts of this project? No planting lists. No tubes. No truckloads of new plants.
Instead, the team chose to let native vegetation regenerate naturally.
By removing dense olive infestations, sunlight and space were returned to the landscape – giving local native plants the chance to bounce back on their own. Volunteers marked and protected native seedlings as they appeared, helping the landscape recover in a way that suits the site perfectly.
It’s a great reminder that sometimes the best restoration work is simply getting out of nature’s way.
One of the most refreshing parts of this project? No planting lists. No tubes. No truckloads of new plants.
Instead, the team chose to let native vegetation regenerate naturally.
By removing dense olive infestations, sunlight and space were returned to the landscape – giving local native plants the chance to bounce back on their own. Volunteers marked and protected native seedlings as they appeared, helping the landscape recover in a way that suits the site perfectly.
It’s a great reminder that sometimes the best restoration work is simply getting out of nature’s way.
Pivoting where something different was needed
While natural regeneration is the primary approach across most of the trail, the 18 km section north of O’Leary Walker Winery required a slightly different treatment.
This area had been dominated by dense invasive olives for many years and lacked any living native shrubs or trees, meaning natural recovery would have been extremely slow. Following olive removal, blue gum seedlings were planted to kick‑start canopy recovery, while retaining a large standing dead tree for habitat.
This additional planting work was funded by the Riesling Trail Committee and carried out by volunteers.
While natural regeneration is the primary approach across most of the trail, the 18 km section north of O’Leary Walker Winery required a slightly different treatment.
This area had been dominated by dense invasive olives for many years and lacked any living native shrubs or trees, meaning natural recovery would have been extremely slow. Following olive removal, blue gum seedlings were planted to kick‑start canopy recovery, while retaining a large standing dead tree for habitat.
This additional planting work was funded by the Riesling Trail Committee and carried out by volunteers.
Big benefits, well beyond the trail
While the work focused on just two sections of the Riesling Trail, the benefits stretch much further:
- Reduced spread of olives into neighbouring land and vineyards
- Improved habitat for native flora and fauna
- A healthier, more resilient trail corridor
- A better experience for walkers, cyclists and visitors
And perhaps most importantly, this project is helping finish the job – clearing the final remaining olive strongholds along the entire 33 km trail.
While the work focused on just two sections of the Riesling Trail, the benefits stretch much further:
- Reduced spread of olives into neighbouring land and vineyards
- Improved habitat for native flora and fauna
- A healthier, more resilient trail corridor
- A better experience for walkers, cyclists and visitors
And perhaps most importantly, this project is helping finish the job – clearing the final remaining olive strongholds along the entire 33 km trail.
A blueprint for grassroots success
This project is a textbook example of what grassroots grants are all about:
✅ A clearly defined problem
✅ Strong local knowledge
✅ Volunteers working alongside professionals
✅ Long‑term thinking, not just quick fixes
It also shows that you don’t need a huge budget or flashy infrastructure to make a real difference – just a good idea, a committed group, and a plan that stacks up.
As the Riesling Trail continues to thrive, this project will quietly keep delivering benefits for years to come – one less olive seedling at a time.
Small levy dollars. Big trail love. 💚
This project is a textbook example of what grassroots grants are all about:
✅ A clearly defined problem
✅ Strong local knowledge
✅ Volunteers working alongside professionals
✅ Long‑term thinking, not just quick fixes
It also shows that you don’t need a huge budget or flashy infrastructure to make a real difference – just a good idea, a committed group, and a plan that stacks up.
As the Riesling Trail continues to thrive, this project will quietly keep delivering benefits for years to come – one less olive seedling at a time.
Small levy dollars. Big trail love. 💚
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. The 2026-2027 round opened at the end of March, and Expressions of Interest are due in by 10 April 2026.
