'Berry' good bush food in Tanunda Urban Forest

A group of Faith Lutheran College students gave a taste tick of approval to Muntries berries while harvesting the native plant located on The Rex grounds in March.

As part of their ‘Green Thumbs’ subject elective, the students picked more than a kilogram of the berries, an antioxidant-rich bush food with a sweet and spicy apple flavour that can be eaten fresh or turned into jams, chutneys and sauces.

The berries that weren’t enjoyed on the spot were given to Barossa Bushgardens to propagate seedlings for the region.

The low-growing Muntries groundcover was originally planted by Barossa Bushgardens and is now part of the greenspace known as Tanunda Urban Forest, which includes 14 patches of mainly native vegetation on the corner of Magnolia and Menge roads.

Cared for by community volunteers from the Tanunda Woodlands Group, the Tanunda Urban Forest provides the ‘Green Thumbs’ students with a thriving outdoor classroom.

“The students have been immersed in hands-on learning in Tanunda Urban Forest by navigating their way around this greenspace,” said Faith Lutheran College teacher Lynette Nitschke. “They also get the opportunity to understand the climate and biodiversity benefits that an ‘urban forest’ like this can create, such as a local cooling effect.”

The students have also been helping out at the adjacent ‘Grow Love’ Community Garden, another part of the Forest precinct, where more Muntries have just been planted.

Northern and Yorke Landscape Board Environmental Education Officer, Chris Hall said Muntries are best planted in sand. “The patch of Muntries behind The Rex is thriving because the landscape from Magnolia Road through to Nuraip Road is a sand patch, which suggests it was once an ancient lake bed, along with other areas in the Barossa such as Altona and near Redeemer Lutheran School in Nuriootpa,” he said.

For more information about Muntries or Tanunda Urban Forest, please contact Chris Hall on 0407 799 245.