Many hands make light work with 17,000 seedlings to plant

Published on 13 July 2026

Nearly 40 Onkaparinga residents of all ages recently joined forces to plant 1000 local native seedlings at a community planting day in Aberfoyle Park as part of the council’s extended Urban Creek Resilience and Recovery Project.   

The helpers at Hub Drive, including the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, contributed towards the target to plant more than 17,000 local native trees, shrubs, wildflowers and groundcovers along various sections of Sauerbier and Homestead creeks this winter,  as part of a watercourse rehabilitation project within the upper Field River catchment. The project aims to improve the natural conditions along the creeks for both people and wildlife, with a particular focus on creating habitats for threatened species. Other work being undertaken includes weed control, repairing erosion, monitoring wildlife and increasing habitat structures such as nesting boxes, artificial hollows, rocks, logs and wildlife crossings.   

Nature Conservation Project Officer, Nikola Manos explains that “This planting is special because we are introducing twenty important local native plant species that are part of a rare grey box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) grassy woodland habitat, which would have naturally been found in this area. With less than 10% of this vegetation type remaining in the greater Adelaide region, it is now listed as a nationally threatened plant community”. 

Nikola says “It’s great to see so many local residents come along to this event because it gives us an opportunity to share information about the wildlife that lives in the area and how we can improve habitat for them in public reserves as well as home gardens. By expanding threatened plant communities, we are also expanding habitat for native wildlife including butterflies, frogs, lizards and many smaller species of woodland birds that rely on nature corridors and native habitat patches to move safely across the landscape. Some of these species include the Black-chinned Honeyeater, Red-browed Finch, Red-rumped Parrot and Superb Fairy-wren. We’ve also had reports of echidnas and bandicoots visiting parts of these creeks”.   

Another 5,000 plants will be planted along Serpentine and Panalatinga creeks this month, with an opportunity for residents to lend a helping hand at a community planting day to plant 1,000 seedlings at Candy Road wetland, Happy Valley planned for 25 July.  

These 2 creek restoration projects are a big win for the human and nonhuman members of the community in this beautiful region now even richer with nature.   

This project is funded by the Australian Government’s Natural Heritage Trust under the Urban Rivers and Catchments Program with the support of the City of Onkaparinga. The planting event was supported by the Honourable Member for Kingston, Amanda Rishworth. 

More information Urban Creek Resilience and Recovery Project