Boosting private land conservation in SA’s Fleurieu

On the Fleurieu Peninsula, south of Adelaide, there are many examples of a critically endangered ecosystem, Swamps of the Fleurieu Peninsula. Most Fleurieu Swamps have been removed and degraded since colonisation, with only about 25% of their original extent remaining in relatively good condition. Swamps have been cleared, heavily grazed and often drained in an attempt to create pasture for grazing. The majority of remnant swamps are small (average size about 7 ha) and most occur on privately owned land. To conserve these precious fragments, landholders are banding together through the Fleurieu Swamp Restoration Network, which currently includes around 50 landholders.

Originally formed in 2021 by John Fargher of Yundi Nature Conservancy, the Network of landholders is sharing knowledge and resources to bring these swamps back to life.

The Network is now getting a big boost, thanks to generous funding from Pew Charitable Trusts and the Terra Artemis Foundation. This funding will allow NGT’s Tessa Roberts to facilitate the Network, with support from Ben Taylor. This will enable us to attract more landholders, visit more properties and help to create management plans, help to conserve more swamps, and run more informative workshops and events, including First Nations perspectives through the involvement of Ngarrindjeri Elder Mark Koolmatrie. Funding will also go towards co-funding on-ground works like weed control, enrichment planting, prescribed burning, herbivore exclusion and hydrological restoration (like infilling old drains).

Recently NGT’s Ben and Tess joined the Network as they planted threatened plants into several properties, some affected by recent bushfires. We were also joined by Ph.D. students from Adelaide University, who were keen to lend a hand and get out into nature. We split up into two groups and planted at several different properties, had a fabulous shared lunch (thanks to the hospitality of several landholders) and rejoined together at Yundi Nature Conservancy for afternoon tea and a chat.

Nature Festival Event on October 11th 2026
The next Network event is open to the public as well, as part of the South Australian Nature Festival. Participants will join landholders and a bird expert on a bird walk through a private conservation property, learning about bird ID by sight and calls and hearing from the landholder about their restoration journey.

If you’d like to join us on October 11th at Birds, Bats and Bogs of the Fleurieu Peninsula, read more here or follow this link to book.

If you’re a landholder in the Fleurieu and think you have a swamp on your property, we can help. For more info download this information flyer (also shown below) or contact Tessa at

This project is supported by Pew Charitable Trusts, Terra Artemis Foundation, and Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu