The SA Urban Forests - Million Trees Program

The SA Urban Forests - Million Trees Program is an initiative of the State Government and is dedicated to planting three million local native plants across the Adelaide Metropolitan Area by 2014. The Million Trees Program also offers community funding to support other revegetation activities across this area including planning, seed and plant purchase, tree guards, site preparation, weed control, planting and site maintenance. If you would like to know more about it or how you can get involved please click here!

The Urban Forest Biodiversity Program

Introduction to the Program

The South Australian Urban Forest Biodiversity Program (UFBP) has the unique vision of conserving the biodiversity of greater Adelaide - from Gawler to Willunga - from the coast to the Adelaide Hills.

Grazing, agriculture, horticulture, residential development and industry have progressively all but replaced the unique flora and fauna of the Adelaide Plains to the point where we now have less than 2% of the original habitat left intact. In the Adelaide Metropolitan Planning Region, an area that includes the Hills Face Zone, just 14% of the original (remnant) native vegetation remains.

The UFBP aims to redress the loss of biodiversity in metropolitan Adelaide, thereby enhancing environmental sustainability, amenity and quality of life. Applying biodiversity planning to urban areas is a new approach to achieving the goal of a sustainable future that conserves the region's unique biodiversity - our natural heritage.

Although a series of wildlife reserves are already established around Adelaide, there remains a major challenge to improve and extend these natural areas by including private land, creeklines, council reserves and other open space. The UFBP helps coordinate cooperation between local, state, national and international initiatives and strategies. Our goal is to involve all levels of government and the community in cooperating for biodiversity conservation, and to incorporate these considerations into planning and land management in the metropolitan area.

The first priority for the UFBP is to protect what remains of the native flora and fauna of Adelaide. Habitats of highest conservation priority are identified and targeted for action to effectively manage threats. This may involve weed removal, fencing, changes in management practices, buffering, linking, or revegetating using local native species. The UFBP is committed to promoting and advocating for the protection of biodiversity to ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy contact with the native flora and fauna which are unique to this part of Australia.

For detailed background on the full scope of the Urban Forest Biodiversity Project see the UFBP Strategy and Program Overview document in Info & Resources