You may have heard that Green Adelaide has a vision to make Adelaide a cooler, greener and wilder city. But what does the term wilder really mean? Read on to find out.
Yellow-tailed black cockatoo. Photo credit: Clive Furler.
What do you picture when you hear of plans to make metro Adelaide a wilder place? Maybe its kangaroos hopping around Rundle Mall, koalas hanging off the Elder Park rotunda, or kookaburras laughing from atop of the National Wine Centre. While these ideas may sound attractive to some, it’s not quite what we mean.
Wilder is an all-encompassing term that signifies a strong connection between people, water, land, plants and animals.
How will Adelaide become wilder?
Wilding is about restoring nature and creating a balance between what is man-made and the natural environment. It is also about enhancing and protecting the wild that already exists.
It isn’t just about one particular species too. It’s about enhancing our beautiful city with our iconic and lesser-known plants and animals.
Each creature has an important role to play. Butterflies, bats, bees and small birds pollinate native plants, while insects and other creepy crawlies help maintain healthy soils and provide a yummy lunch to those higher in the food chain.
What are the benefits of a wilder Adelaide?
By nurturing and protecting metro Adelaide’s wildness, damaged ecosystems can heal, threatened species can thrive, and nature can become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
What can you do to help wild Adelaide?
The great thing about wilding Adelaide is that everyone can be involved.
You can start by noticing what already exists around you. Next time you are outside stop!
Notice a family of screeching cockatoos in your local park, or the enormous gum tree on your walk to school, or even a bottlebrush tree abuzz with bees. This is the beauty of wild.
You can nurture your local patch of wild by:
- Looking after existing plants.
- Planting new plants or creating luscious roof top gardens and green walls.
- Watering local plants in need.
- Adding a bee hotel to your garden.
- Reducing any use of insecticides.
- Getting involved with local community planting/greening projects.
When it comes to wilding Adelaide you are limited only by your imagination.
Nature is wild, there’s no doubt about it. Let’s get a little wild with nature!