Foundation Supports Tree Planting on Walking Trails
Volunteers planting trees at Spalding, May 2015
The Foundation was established with the objective of raising funds to support the sustainability and integrity of the Heysen Trail and other walking trails in South Australia. Over the last two years, the Foundation has supported greening activities along the Heysen Trail. In coming years, the aim is to extend the Foundation’s involvement in tree planting on other walking trails and activities such as improvements to infrastructure which protect the environment by reducing the impact of the trail in sensitive areas.
Working with volunteers from the Friends of the Heysen Trail, the Foundation has financed the planting of 750 trees along the Heysen Trail at Dutton’s Trough near Worlds End south of Burra. Walkers familiar with the Heysen trail will be aware that this is a particularly barren section of the trail and desperately in need of some shade or shelter. However, as it is on Goyder’s Line, it is also a challenging area to grow trees. This has meant that the Foundation has financed several supplementary waterings to encourage the trees to thrive.
Tree planting a tree at Worlds End, April 2015
The Foundation has also financed the planting of 600 trees along the Bundaleer Channel where the Heysen Trail crosses Railway Dam Road east of Spalding. Once again the work has been undertaken by volunteers from the Friends of the Heysen Trail and it follows from a previous tree planting at that site. The plantation has progressed to the stage where there is the semblance of a forest which warranted the clean-up of the site with the removal of guards and stakes.
In the coming year, the Foundation is expected to finance work to better protect trees planted by the Friends of the Heysen Trail around Hiskey’s Hut, west of Georgetown. And negotiations are underway to assist in greening the Lavender Trail with tree planting along the trail near Point Pass.
The Foundation continues to search for other opportunities to improve the environment of walking trails in South Australia and welcomes any suggestions of necessary works.