About the Program
Background
The South Australian Government is committed to ensuring Adelaide's future as a modern city with an enviable reputation for the quality of its urban environment. The SA Urban Forests – Million Trees Program is a major initiative which was established in 2003 to support that vision and create a greener, more sustainable city.
It is dedicated to planting three million local native trees and associated understorey species across the Adelaide Metropolitan Area by 2014, which will help off-set carbon emissions, provide habitat for wildlife and improve air and water quality.
With the support of local government, industry and the community the Program aims to restore approximately 2,000 hectares of native vegetation using suitable areas of our public open space, including parks, reserves, transport corridors, water courses, coastline and council land.
The majority of these plantings are within Adelaide's Metropolitan Open Space System (MOSS) and sites range from large habitat restoration projects to smaller amenity gardens and local biodiversity projects.
The Program also aims to increase our community's environmental awareness through active involvement and education. Involving the community in planting events, creating information displays at major events, giving workshops and talks and getting involved in school projects are important activities that build on the important revegetation work that is being done.
The Million Trees Program is playing a key role in reducing the physical impact of our city upon the natural environment, while enhancing amenity and improving the quality of life for Adelaide residents, visitors and future generations.
Download the Million Trees Program Six Years of Achievement Report 2003-2009
Program Outcomes
By restoring approximately 2,000 hectares of native vegetation, the program is providing numerous environmental benefits including:
- Reducing greenhouse gases;
- Helping recover and protect our native biodiversity by increasing habitat for native wildlife;
- Improving air and water quality;
- Reducing water consumption;
- Creating amenity spaces;
- Improving awareness and understanding of sustainability issues;
- Building better partnerships and involving communities; and
- Helping improve skill levels and capacity to conserve our natural resources.
How the Program Works
The plans and activities of the Million Trees Program are implemented by the Urban Biodiversity Unit of the Department for Environment and Heritage but are overseen by a State Government inter-agency steering group to ensure a whole-of-government approach.
Delivery focuses on:
- Preparing site plans in consultation with key stakeholders. These plans cover biodiversity, public safety, maintenance and other management issues such as current use of open space and cultural and indigenous heritage.
- Facilitating greater participation, raising greater awareness, and increasing skills and knowledge in the wider community through coordinated communication, education and involvement strategies.
- Implementing on-ground works in conjunction with interest groups, training programs, contractors and environmental groups.
- Providing innovative resources, accredited training and support to schools in order to maximise involvement in local projects and activities across the curriculum and to foster 'ecoliteracy'.
- Monitoring and evaluating key activities using innovative methods that involve universities and volunteers, and embrace leading revegetation research to continually improve land management practices.
The Program currently works with 12 State agencies, 21 councils, over 140 schools and several volunteering and conservation groups including the Youth Conservation Corps, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Greening Australia and Trees For Life.
