More than 9000 trees will assist in rehabilitation the Salt Lake Wetlands at Flour Cask Bay Sanctuary and contribute to the Planet Ark National Tree Day tally. In its first major rehabilitation program since opening, volunteers from Adelaide and Kangaroo Island contributed to restoring this nationally significant wetland and linking remnant vegetation to improve habitat for a range of rare and threatened species.

“Parts of the area have been grazed and mined over an extended period and it is one of the most saline catchments on Kangaroo Island”, said sanctuary director, Mark Herrmann. “The program has been in the planning stages for the past nine months and it’s great to see it all coming together.”

Seeds were collected from the sanctuary and grown in local conditions at the NRM Board nursery to maintain the local genetic pool.

This provides the best chance that plants will survive. As the new plant corridors grow, both wildlife and visitors to Flour Cask Bay Sanctuary will benefit from the improved environmental and wildlife viewing conditions. More than 8ha have been planted and seeded this year so far with some additional supplementary planting still planned while the season is suitable.

“The planting program will be an annual feature of the Sanctuary calendar and is a great opportunity to get engaged in reducing the impacts of climate change”, said Mr Herrmann. To get involved, phone 8553 7278 or email volunteering@eco-sanctuaries.com.