Kangaroo Island’s threatened plants future is looking positive with a generous investment from the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife to support the further development of the Kangaroo Island Rare Plant Garden and Nursery at Cygnet Park Sanctuary. The Rare Plant Garden is a partnership between Bio·R, the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia, and the local community.
This funding will assist in the delivery of the FireWise project which aims to help communities mitigate bushfire risk through community-based natural resource management initiatives. FNPW received grant funding from the Australian Government to support the FireWise project.
Over the next 12 months the Cygnet Park Sanctuary Nursery will be upgraded to allow an increase in capacity to grow up to 10,000 plants for restoration projects on the Island. The Nursery will also provide tubestock of rare species that have not been seen for some time, including some that were thought to be extinct on the Island, like the bitter-cress (Rorippa gigantea).
The Nature Conservation Society of South Australia also received funds to continue supporting the development of the KIRPG located within Cygnet Park Sanctuary.
Both of these grants will help ensure that Kangaroo Islands biodiversity is future-proofed from further biodiversity loss and large-scale bushfires, and that communities are well supported to lead restoration activities.
This project is supported by the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife and has received grant funding from the Australian Government through the Preparing Australian Communities – Local program.
