Second Nature Conservancy Inc. - formerly GWLAP

Second Nature Conservancy Inc. - formerly GWLAP Second Nature (formerly GWLAP) is a not for profit, community-based environmental organisation

The Goolwa to Wellington LAP area covers 265,000 ha encompassing all the plains and catchments following directly into Lake Alexandrina between Goolwa and Wellington. This includes the Bremer/Barker, Angas, and Finniss River Catchments, the Currency and Tookayerta Creek Catchments, Sandergrove, Monarto South, Mulgandawa and Brinkley plains areas, the western half of Lake Alexandrina including Hindmarsh Island and Mundoo Islands, and the River Murray Mouth.

🌧️ Well… this feels slightly ironic.It’s raining. The garden is soggy. The soil is saturated. You’re probably wondering ...
03/09/2026

🌧️ Well… this feels slightly ironic.

It’s raining. The garden is soggy. The soil is saturated. You’re probably wondering if we actually need to learn how to save water right now.

But here’s the thing: South Australian weather has a habit of keeping us guessing.
So while we’ve got plenty of water falling from the sky, why not learn how to make the most of it?

Join us for Intro to Wicking Beds, part of Nature Festival, and discover how to build a garden that stores water beneath the soil and makes it available to your plants when they need it.

🌱 Learn how wicking beds work
đź’§ Find out how they store and deliver water
🥕 Discover what to grow in them
🛠️ Get practical tips for setting one up at home

Kym Ormond has been growing with wicking beds for more than eight years and will share the tricks, lessons and occasional mistakes he's picked up along the way.
Because today's “where did all this rain come from?” can become tomorrow's “thank goodness I saved that water.”

đź“… Wednesday 7 October
⏰ 1-3pm
đź“Ť Victor Harbor Library
🎟️ Bookings essential: http://naturefestival.org.au/event/intro-to-wicking-beds

This session is a collaboration with Victor Harbor Library and is seeded by Green Adelaide

Regeneration gains continue at KanmantooOur Kanmantoo Woodland Revegetation Project is protecting significant native gra...
30/08/2026

Regeneration gains continue at Kanmantoo

Our Kanmantoo Woodland Revegetation Project is protecting significant native grassy ecosystems across more than 160 hectares at Kanmantoo.

Manager of the project Ben Simon was out in the field last week and was really pleased to see continual improvements occurring on the sites in the form of natural regeneration and recovery of local native flora.

“Most pleasing was the array of ferns and species such as the beautiful Twining Glycine (Glycine rubigunosa) in their hundreds, flowering across the rocky slopes. In late Summer we saw hectares of purple garland lily (Calostemma purpurea).”
On one property there were 4 native fern species noted that were all recovering from years of grazing from stock.

Pictured are Woolly Cloak-fern (Cheilanthes lasiophylla), Rock fern (Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia) and Blanket fern (Asplenium subglandulosum).

This project is made possible through funding from the Native Vegetation Council via the Hills and Fleurieu Revegetation grant round.

Images: Ben Simon

🌱 Seeds of Wonder: The Secret Life of Bats 🦇What do seeds and bats have in common? More than you might think.Both are sm...
26/08/2026

🌱 Seeds of Wonder: The Secret Life of Bats 🦇
What do seeds and bats have in common? More than you might think.
Both are small beginnings that play a surprisingly big role in the life of an ecosystem. And when the sun goes down, some of the most fascinating stories in our local environment begin to unfold.

This Nature Festival, join Alexandrina Council, Second Nature and Dr Martin and Dr Monika Rhodes for a family-friendly evening discovering the secret world of microbats.

Using specialist bat detectors, we’ll tune into the ultrasonic sounds of these incredible little mammals, discover how they navigate and hunt in the darkness, and explore the important role they play in our ecosystems.
Come curious, bring your questions and see what you can discover when you start listening to the night. 🌙🦇

đź“Ť Goolwa Library, Cadell St, Goolwa
đź“… Thursday 1st October 2025
⏰ 6.30-8.30pm
🎟️ Limited spots! Book now: https://naturefestival.org.au/event/seeds-of-wonder-the-secret-life-of-bats
🔦 Bring a torch, dress warmly, and get ready to connect with the flow of nature

This event is a collaboration between Alexandrina Council and Second Nature Conservancy as part of the Alexandrina Greening and Wildlife Project and Nature Festival, with funding support from Green Adelaide .

🌿 More habitat. More connections. More good news for biodiversity!We’re excited to share that our Mulgundawa to Tungkill...
23/08/2026

🌿 More habitat. More connections. More good news for biodiversity!
We’re excited to share that our Mulgundawa to Tungkillo Biodiversity Links Project has been successful in this year’s Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board Grassroots Grants program.

This funding will allow us to build on six years of proactive habitat restoration across the project area, with a focus on improving habitat diversity and structure across 328 hectares currently under management.

So, what will we be working on?
🌱 Creating habitat connections
We’ll focus on large areas of remnant vegetation and new revegetation to create land linkages that connect and extend important habitat across the landscape.
🌿 Propagating conservation-significant plants
Native species will be propagated specifically for the project, including Prostanthera eurybioides (Monarto Mint-bush), Acacia menzelii (Menzel’s Wattle) and Olearia pannosa ssp. pannosa (Silver Daisy-bush).
🌾 Improving habitat quality
Works will focus on encouraging natural regeneration, improving habitat structure and protecting new plantings to support greater biodiversity.
👩‍🌾 Supporting landholders
We’ll continue working closely with landholders through technical advice, site assessments and management planning, as well as opportunities to learn and share knowledge through field days and planting events.
đź“Š Monitoring our progress
Fixed photo points and GIS mapping will help us monitor changes across project sites and track the outcomes of restoration activities over time.

This year’s project will involve 14 landholders including some new sites (pictured), local volunteer groups, local government, DEW staff and, of course, the Second Nature Conservancy field crew.

Connecting remnant vegetation, restoring habitat and supporting native species takes time - but these landscape-scale projects are an important part of building a more connected and resilient environment for the future. 🌿

This project is supported by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board through funding from the landscape levies
Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board

The echidna is back! 🦔After our sold-out session in Mount Barker, we’re thrilled to welcome author Danielle Clode to the...
21/08/2026

The echidna is back! 🦔

After our sold-out session in Mount Barker, we’re thrilled to welcome author Danielle Clode to the south coast to chat about her latest book, The Enigmatic Echidna.

Blending science, humour and storytelling, Danielle will take us into the surprisingly fascinating world of one of Australia’s most peculiar creatures - from their incredible adaptations to their very curious love lives. 🦔💚
đź“… Wednesday 30 September
🕑 2:00–3:00pm
đź“Ť Victor Harbor Library
đź“š Signed copies of The Enigmatic Echidna will be available to purchase on the day.
🎟️ Places are limited, so don’t miss out!
Book here: https://victorharbor-events.bookable.net.au/ #!/event-detail/Echidna

Hosted by Victor Harbor Library and supported by Green Adelaide

SNC field crew plant future habitat 🌱Our very own field crew have been very busy planting seedlings across the Eastern H...
16/08/2026

SNC field crew plant future habitat 🌱

Our very own field crew have been very busy planting seedlings across the Eastern Hills, Mount Lofty Ranges and South coast over the past few months to help plant hundreds of hectares of land toward the creation of habitat for fauna and a refuge for flora.

So far this year, more than 30,000 local native seedlings covering a diverse range of more than 200 different plant species have been planted by our field operations crew, all according to carefully planned lists of species which match the target plant communities we are focused on trying to return. We really appreciate the hard work these people are doing to help deliver our projects and couldn’t do it without them.

Well done crew, we love your work đź’š

🦅 Wow! You are keen for raptors!It only went on sale over the weekend, but there are already just a handful of spots lef...
13/08/2026

🦅 Wow! You are keen for raptors!

It only went on sale over the weekend, but there are already just a handful of spots left for our raptor evening with local birding expert John Gitsham.

Join us for an evening exploring the fascinating lives of South Australia’s raptors. Learn how to identify some of our local species, discover the clever adaptations that make them such successful hunters, and find out why these magnificent birds are so important to healthy ecosystems

📅 Monday 12 October, 7–9pm
đź“Ť Mount Barker Community Library
👉 Book your spot: https://events.humanitix.com/raptors-of-south-australia-with-john-gitsham

This session is seeded by Green Adelaide and hosted by the Mount Barker Community Library.

❤️ THE DESERT HAS ENTERED ITS DRAMATIC ERA. 🌿After the recent rains, the Flinders Ranges are putting on one heck of a fl...
09/08/2026

❤️ THE DESERT HAS ENTERED ITS DRAMATIC ERA. 🌿
After the recent rains, the Flinders Ranges are putting on one heck of a floral display - and Sturt’s Desert Pea (Swainsona formosa) is very much here for it. Our South Australian floral emblem is bursting into flower across the landscape, bringing brilliant splashes of red to the rocky, usually dusty scenery. Talk about knowing how to make an entrance.

A few things you might not know about this desert superstar:
🌧️ Rain is the trigger. Sturt’s Desert Pea can appear as an ephemeral following good or heavy rain, with flowering strongly influenced by when the rain arrives. So basically, it’s been waiting patiently for its cue… and now it’s SHOWTIME.
đź“Ź It doesn't believe in personal space. Its stems can creep along the ground for up to 2 metres, producing those unmistakable red flowers with their glossy black centre, known as the boss.
🌡️ Pretty, but seriously tough. This plant grows across some of Australia’s harshest inland environments and is adapted to extreme temperatures and low rainfall. Not exactly your typical delicate flower.
❤️ And while we're admiring it, remember that Sturt’s Desert Pea is protected in South Australia - so please leave the flowers where they are. They’re much better at brightening up the Flinders than they would be in a vase.

So if you’re lucky enough to be exploring the Flinders Ranges after the rain, keep your eyes peeled. We would love to see your pics!

🦔 Did you know echidnas can detect ants and termites underground using electroreception? Or that during the breeding sea...
07/08/2026

🦔 Did you know echidnas can detect ants and termites underground using electroreception? Or that during the breeding season, several males may follow behind a single female, forming what's known as an 'echidna train'?

These were just a couple of the many fascinating insights shared on Wednesday evening as author Danielle Clode joined us to discuss her latest book, The Enigmatic Echidna. Through a wonderful blend of science, storytelling and humour, we gained a deeper appreciation for one of Australia's most remarkable and adaptable native mammals.

We certainly walked away with a new appreciation for echidnas… and hoping that we might spot a magical echidna train in nature!

Thank you to everyone who came, to the Mount Barker Community Library for hosting us, and for Green Adelaide for seeding this event.

Address

6 Catherine Street
Strathalbyn, SA
5255

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61885365600

Website

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