Second Nature Conservancy Inc. - formerly GWLAP

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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.

🌱 19,000 plants. That’s a LOT of holes to dig!Work is continuing at Lawari Conservation Park as part of our Mundoo Chann...
18/10/2026

🌱 19,000 plants. That’s a LOT of holes to dig!

Work is continuing at Lawari Conservation Park as part of our Mundoo Channel Wetland Enhancement Project, progressively restoring and strengthening important wetland and shorebird habitat along the Mundoo Channel.

There’s been plenty happening on the ground, including:
🌿 Planting more than 19,000 local native plants to re-establish diverse plant assemblages and support a more resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem
🚧 Installing stock exclusion fencing to protect the new vegetation from livestock and reduce sediment and nutrient runoff
🔎 Working alongside Ngarrindjeri Aboriginal Corporation Rangers, who have been assisting with cultural monitoring

The planting is helping to restore native vegetation communities and reconnect fragmented habitat along the narrow strip of intertidal marsh, increasing roosting, refuge and shelter for a wide range of fauna.

This includes migratory shorebirds such as Red-necked Stints and Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, which rely on these wetlands for important feeding and refuge habitat. Plant species selected are also helping provide habitat for non-bird species such as the Bitterbush Blue Butterfly and Yellowish Sedge-skipper. 🦋

It’s a big job, but every plant is another step towards a healthier, more connected and wildlife-friendly wetland at Lawari.

These works are being delivered by Second Nature Conservancy Inc as part of the Shorebird and Wetland Habitat program, which is funded by the Australian Government and implemented by the Government of South Australia.

💚 Supporting the supporters: Climate wellbeing workshopCaring for the environment can be rewarding, but it can also be t...
15/10/2026

💚 Supporting the supporters: Climate wellbeing workshop

Caring for the environment can be rewarding, but it can also be tough.
From the impacts of climate change and the algal bloom along our coast to the recent detection of bird flu, environmental challenges and disasters can take an emotional toll on those working and volunteering to protect our natural world.

That’s why we’re inviting you to Supporting the Supporters, a practical and supportive workshop delivered by the Australian Red Cross.
🌿 Together, we’ll explore how environmental challenges can affect our mental health and wellbeing, recognise when we or others might be struggling, and develop practical strategies to help us navigate difficult times.
🤝 It’s also a chance to pause, connect with others who understand the challenges of caring for our environment, and take some time to look after yourself.

If you work or volunteer in the environmental sector, this session is for you.
Because caring for the environment starts with caring for the people who protect it. 💚
📅 29 October, 1-3pm
📍 Victor Harbor Library
🎟️ https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/victor-harbor-australian-red-cross-supporting-the-supporters-workshop-tickets-1997804386700

Delivered by the Australian Red Cross, this session is a collaboration between the City of Victor Harbor and Second Nature, seeded by Green Adelaide

💧 What can waterbugs tell us about our waterways? 🪰Join us this November for one of two hands-on Waterbug Bioblitzes and...
13/10/2026

💧 What can waterbugs tell us about our waterways? 🪰

Join us this November for one of two hands-on Waterbug Bioblitzes and discover the fascinating world of freshwater macroinvertebrates.

After a welcome wet winter, our local waterways have had plenty of water flowing through them. What will we find when we take a closer look? 🔎

We’re heading out into the field at the Bremer and Angas Finniss catchments to get hands-on with collecting and identifying waterbugs, testing water quality and learning how these freshwater creatures can help us understand the health of our waterways.

The data collected will contribute to ongoing monitoring of our catchments, helping us build a picture of how our waterways are changing over time. 🌿
No previous experience is needed. Come along, learn some new skills, explore your local waterway and contribute to valuable citizen science.

🍃 Choose your Bioblitz!
📅 Friday 6 November - Bremer Bioblitz (Wistow Community Hall)
👉 Book your place: https://events.humanitix.com/bremer-waterbug-bioblitz-2026
📅 Friday 13 November - Angas Finniss Bioblitz (Strathalbyn Natural Resource Centre)
👉 Book your place: https://events.humanitix.com/angas-finniss-waterbug-bioblitz-2026
🕘 8:45am–4pm - stay all day or join us for half a day
🥪 Free event + lunch provided

Come and discover the fascinating world of freshwater macroinvertebrates - and find out what they can tell us about our waterways.

The Waterbug Bioblitz program is delivered by the Hills and Fleurieu, Northern and Yorke and Murraylands and Riverland landscape boards and partners, with funding from the landscape levy and the South Australian Government’s Citizen Science Grants Program.
Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board

🌿 Another step towards the vision of an ecologically restored and healthy Lower Lakes region.Welcoming the beginning of ...
11/10/2026

🌿 Another step towards the vision of an ecologically restored and healthy Lower Lakes region.

Welcoming the beginning of the migratory bird season, as the first migratory shorebirds start to arrive in the next few weeks, this planting season has included further habitat restoration at Lawari Conservation Park.

Dovetailing with another project, FNPW support for works adjacent to Mundoo Channel will provide the canopy/overstorey plantings across more than 13 hectares of habitat reconstruction. In addition to the ground layer plants and a number of shrub species, the following trees will be planted to replicate the pre-clearance plant assemblage across part of this site;
🌳 Allocasuarina verticillata
🌳 Eucalyptus incrassata (pictured)
🌳 Eucalyptus porosa
🌳 Melaleuca lanceolata

What makes this site particularly interesting is the diversity of habitats that occur across a relatively small area. Across very short distances, soil type, topography and hydrology vary considerably, with different plant species occupying each zone. From tidal mudflats through to higher ground with clay soil to sandy rises, the site transitions from samphire through sedgelands to low woodland vegetation types.

Extending from previously planted areas and buffering remnant vegetation, this site also adjoins sections of walking trail that SNC constructed a few years ago. A corridor has been incorporated into the planting plan at the site to accommodate extending the trail in the future, to further enhance recreational opportunities including watching and photographing the region’s iconic migratory birds.

This project received funding through the Landscape Resilience Program of the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife.

Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife

🦇 The Curious Case of the Missing Bats’Twas a cool and cloudy evening, the kind that chills your toes, When a bunch of k...
08/10/2026

🦇 The Curious Case of the Missing Bats
’Twas a cool and cloudy evening, the kind that chills your toes,
When a bunch of keen bat enthusiasts decided out they’d go.
With bat detectors at the ready, and adventure in their sights,
They gathered by the lake, prepared to scan the night.
They listened and they waited, they watched the darkened sky,
“Surely there’s a bat about?” was the hopeful cry.

But the bats had other plans that night, they’d clearly called it quits…
Not a squeak, not a beep, not a single batty blip! 🦇
Oh, the drama! Oh, the suspense! The detectors stayed quite still,
Perhaps the bats were tucked up snug, enjoying Netflix and chill?
For nature doesn’t work to schedules, no matter how we plead,
Sometimes the wildlife takes a night off, just when you want it to succeed! 😂

A big thank you to everyone who braved the cool and cloudy conditions to join us for our recent bat evening in Goolwa. Even though the bats decided to win at hide and seek, we hope you enjoyed learning a little more about these amazing mammals and their nocturnal world.

And a very special thank you to Samuel for making us such a wonderful thank-you card! 💚 It was incredibly thoughtful and very much appreciated.
Sometimes nature gives you an amazing wildlife encounter… and sometimes it gives you a good story instead. 🦇✨

This session was part of the Alexandrina Greening and Wildlife project, a collaboration between Alexandrina Council and Second Nature.

🏡🌿 World Habitat DayThis year’s theme is “Adequate Shelter for All”, with a focus on sustainable urban development. We o...
04/10/2026

🏡🌿 World Habitat Day

This year’s theme is “Adequate Shelter for All”, with a focus on sustainable urban development.
We often think of habitat as bushland, wetlands and forests, but habitat is all around us, including in our towns, gardens, parks and urban waterways.
And for some of our wildlife, a safe home can take hundreds of years to develop. 🌳
Tree hollows are vital habitat for birds, bats, possums and other wildlife. Small hollows can take around 80–100 years to form, while large, deep hollows can take 220–300 years.

That’s why protecting old trees and existing habitat is so important. At Second Nature, we work with communities to protect and restore habitat, grow local native plants and create healthier landscapes where people and wildlife can thrive. 💚

Because everyone needs a good place to call home...wildlife included.

How many birds can we spot in a morning?Join experienced birder Phil Barron for a morning exploring the Rockleigh bushla...
04/10/2026

How many birds can we spot in a morning?
Join experienced birder Phil Barron for a morning exploring the Rockleigh bushland, and keep your eyes and ears open for some of the local birds that call this special landscape home.

We’ll be on the lookout for Diamond Firetails, with the chance to spot Elegant Parrots, Brown Treecreepers and plenty of other feathered locals along the way. 🌿

There are no guarantees in birding… and that’s exactly what makes it exciting! We’ll slow down, listen, be patient and let the birds decide what we see on the day.
Along the way, Phil will share his knowledge of local birds, biodiversity and the native vegetation that provides food, shelter and habitat for them.

📍 Rockleigh; address provided upon registration
🗓️ 22 October
⏰ 9.30-11.30am
Book your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/birds-of-rockleigh-a-morning-in-the-bush

The walk is on private property over potentially uneven ground, so a reasonable level of fitness and sturdy footwear are recommended.

Come along and see who turns up!

This event is part of the Mulgundawa to Tungkillo Biodiversity Links project, supported by the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board through funding from the landscape levies

Images: Elegant Parrot and Diamond Firetail by Phil Barron

🌿 Call of the MalleeWhat does it take to recover some of Australia’s most threatened mallee birds?Join us for the Second...
01/10/2026

🌿 Call of the Mallee
What does it take to recover some of Australia’s most threatened mallee birds?
Join us for the Second Nature Conservancy AGM, followed by a fascinating presentation from Craig Gillespie, Senior Ecologist with Murraylands and Riverland, about the Call of the Mallee project.

The scale of this conservation work is enormous. Partners are working across more than 850,000 hectares of mallee woodland north of the Riverland, an area roughly twice the size of Kangaroo Island, to restore and protect this nationally important landscape.
At the heart of the project is the Mallee Bird Community, a threatened ecological community of 20 bird species, including the iconic Malleefowl and Mallee Emu-wren.

Craig will share the story behind the project and the practical work underway, from restoring natural hydrology and managing feral animals to monitoring threatened bird species.

Fascinating birds, big landscapes and conservation at scale.
The evening will begin with a brief AGM, followed by Craig’s presentation.
🍰 Supper provided
🌿 Everyone is welcome
📅 Wednesday 14 October | 7pm
📍 St Andrew’s Church Hall, Strathalbyn
Book your place here: https://events.humanitix.com/call-of-the-mallee-second-nature-agm
We’d love to see you there!

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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