Locals are bringing South Port’s dunes back to life
Published on 28 October 2025
The sand dunes at South Port are being cared for in the most hands-on way – by locals who love them through Trees For Life’s ‘Adopt a Bush For Life Site’ program.
For site carer Harmony Stevens, who grew up just 400 metres from the beach, volunteering to restore the dunes is deeply personal.
“I grew up in Onkaparinga and have so many childhood memories here," Harmony said. "I’m so very, very blessed to have developed a strong connection with this special place."
“My mum grew up here, just by Reef Cottage, and my grandfather still lives by the beach. I spent so much time there with him and my family – it’s woven into our family story.”
Finding hope through restoration
When recent algal blooms clouded the waters, Harmony said it felt confronting – because so much of her life and community culture has been centred around the beach.
“Even in winter, when it was too cold to swim, the dog-walking community is so tight knit," she said. "The beach has always been central to our lives, so the algal bloom really shook us,” she said.
But for Harmony, helping care for the dunes is a way to hold onto hope.
“Working in the dunes and supporting ecological restoration makes me feel like I’m not completely defeated by the ecological crisis that’s happening in the ocean right now. You do see tangible rewards from the work – native vegetation getting a foothold again. That brings back a sense of hope.”
From weeds to wildlife
As site carer, Harmony is part of a group of volunteers working with Trees For Life, in partnership with the City of Onkaparinga.
By removing invasive non-native plants, the pressure on native species is reduced, allowing them to thrive and reproduce.
The approach is simple but effective: protect existing natives, remove weeds, and give local species space to drop seeds, take root, and spread.
And the benefits go beyond plants. Restoring the dunes helps create habitat for birds, lizards and insect pollinators, while reconnecting people to nature.
Guided by expertise
Tiffany Jamieson, one of the Regional Coordinators at Trees For Life, helps train and guide volunteer leaders like Harmony through the Bush For Life program.
With a Diploma of Conservation and Ecosystem Management, she brings both technical knowledge and on-ground experience to her role.
“It’s a vital site that really needs protecting,” Tiffany said. “We’re really lucky to have volunteers who live in this area and feel connected to this site and motivated to take care of it.”
Through Bush For Life, locals can ‘Adopt a Site’ and become volunteer site carers to protect precious local patches. They receive training, ongoing support, and insurance cover through Trees For Life.
Volunteers are always welcome to support the site carers. As little as 3 hours a month on your site can make a huge difference. One participant shared that he’d only moved to the area a year ago and was new to gardening and coastal life but already loves the sense of connection to place that comes from helping restore the dunes.
Learning along the way
For Harmony, the volunteering journey has been about much more than distinguishing between what’s a weed and what’s a native plant.
“There are so many interesting things to learn about our coastal plants and bush tucker,” she said. “It’s such an amazing opportunity to go beyond identifying weeds. There’s real depth to this place.”
Get involved
To help care for Onkaparinga’s coastal dunes or adopt another Bush For Life site, volunteers can find out more and register their interest on the Trees For Life website.
ENVIRONMENT – Valued natural world
To celebrate the one year anniversary of the Community Vision 2034, council is interviewing locals who are making Onkaparinga the kind of place they’d like to live now and over the next decade.
By protecting and maintaining coastal features (including beaches, reefs, cliffs and ecosystems), the Adopt a ‘Bush For Life’ Site program directly aligns with one of their community vision goals for a valued natural world.
Pictured
Top to bottom:
- Images 1-2: Harmony Stevens, Volunteer Site Carer
- Image 3: Karkalla (Carpobrotus rossii) is a hardy coastal succulent used for dune stabilisation
- Images 4-5: Tiffany Jamieson, Regional Coordinator, Trees For Life
- Image 6: Volunteers are always welcome in the Bush For Life program