From 8-10 July the Environment Institute offered 10 postgraduate students the opportunity to be involved in re-instating large areas of habitat for some of KI’s rarest plant life. This year over 120,000 seedlings, many of them endemic to KI, were planted.

Students and Volunteers at KI's Planting Festival

The plantation took place at Kangaroo Island, Cygnet Park Sanctuary, 20km west of Kingscote. The plantings took place over 60 hectares of a 300 hectare property where plantings have taken place in previous Festivals.

Approximately 300 volunteers were involved, of which 20 were Adelaide postgraduate students sponsored by the Environment Institute.

The Environment Institute volunteers left the meeting point on Friday 8 July at 6.30 am in time to commence plantings at 10.30am. On Saturday morning volunteers had the possibility of visiting Remarkable Rocks and Admiral’s Arch. On Sunday upon completion of plantings and prior to boarding the ferry there was also time to visit the plantings from previous festivals, as well as climbing Prospect Hill in Dudley Peninsula, which offers a spectacular view of Pelican Lagoon and the Southern Ocean.

21,000 seedlings were planted by Friday lunchtime and 60,000 by Saturday lunchtime.

On Saturday talks were given by Associate Professor David Paton, Dave Taylor, Peggy Rismiller (renowned Echidna scientist, working at Pelican Lagoon Research and Wildlife Centre, KI) and Michelle Haby.

Following are seedlings of plant species native to KI that were planted:

– Allocasuarina muelleriana -Kangaroo Island sheoak
– Olearia ciliata var. squamifolia -Kangaroo Island fringed daisy-bush (uncommon)
– Pultenaea daphnoides -Large-leaf bush-pea (uncommon)
– Pittosporum angustifolium -Native apricot (vulnerable)
– Olearia microdisca – Small-flowered Olearia (threatened)
– Cheiranthera alternifolia – Hand flower (rare)
– Eutaxia diffusa -Large-leaf Eutaxia (endangered)

To see more footage from the successful day, click here