Local projects with big impacts are at the heart of the Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board’s Grassroots Grants recipients for 2026.

A total of 32 environmental projects will be supported by a $270,000 funding pool in the 2026 round, contributing to improved biodiversity and landscape health across the region.

The Grassroots Grants initiative places funding in the hands of dedicated landholders and trusted environmental groups taking the health of their land – and the greater region – seriously.

By investing in community-led action, the program supports those making a tangible difference for land, water and nature. This year’s projects range from restoring catchments through targeted weed control, to threatened species recovery, to sustainable agriculture initiatives.

One Mylor landholder received an unforgettable surprise when the Hon. Emily Bourke MLC, Minister for Climate, Environment and Water, arrived in person to announce funding for a significant rewilding project.

Stephanie Horner of the Rewilding Wirra Way Project was thrilled to receive a Grassroots Grant to build further habitat for the endangered southern brown bandicoot and other species including the blue-banded bee and superb fairy-wrens.

“Our project aims to transform roughly 1.2 hectares of cleared paddocks into thriving native bushland, providing an essential habitat corridor for local wildlife, with a focus on bandicoots, while also strengthening ecological connectivity across the area,” she said.

“Previous equine use has left soils compacted and dominated by cape weed, and other pasture grasses. We will be connecting this area to an area of remnant native vegetation.”

With southern brown bandicoots already recorded nearby, Ms Horner said the timing was critical.

“Establishing this corridor now provides protection and passage for this high-priority species before further fragmentation occurs.”

Chair of the Landscape Board, David Greenhough, said the Grassroots Grants program demonstrated the power of local people taking action for the environment.

“Each year, I’m reminded through these grants of the incredible impact that local communities can have when they’re supported to take action” he said.

“Our Grassroots Grants program is all about getting essential funding into the hands of those taking action to care for landscapes in the Hills and Fleurieu.

“Much of our work as an organisation is centred around supporting landholders to care for land, water and nature. Grassroots Grants exemplify this.”

Caption: Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Emily Bourke visited Mylor landholders Stephanie and Alexander Horner to announce funding for their Rewilding Wirra Way Project through the 2026 Grassroots Grants program.

Grassroots Grants 2026 recipients:

Beverley H	Native grass planting and nurturing a high-value habitat corridor	This project in Upper Hermitage retrofits 700m of vermin/kangaroo-proof fencing to connect a public reserve to the Little Para River corridor.
Bio-R Oz	Building Stewardship and Habitat: A Community Planting Festival	This project in Myponga Bio·R's Myponga Planting Festival will reconstruct habitat across 45ha focused on underrepresented sheoak grassy woodland.
Cape Jervis Coastal Community Group	Expanding and protecting biodiverse coastal heathlands at Cape Jervis	This project in Cape Jervis secures a Cape Jervis biodiversity hotspot beside the Heysen Trail/Wild South Coast Way.
Felicity N	Lot 109 Delamere revegetation	Restores degraded pink gum woodland and cleared paddocks with biodiversity pods, watercourse revegetation, weed control and 200 local plants to create habitat corridors, boost plant diversity and support long-term recovery on a 73-acre property.
Finniss Catchment Group	Finniss River Riparian Improvement	This project in Finniss continues a Finniss River weed-removal program running since 2009, combining contractors with monthly volunteer and landholder working bees.
Fleurieu Environment Centre	Fleurieu Environment Community Podcast	This project in Normanville launches a community podcast to share Fleurieu environmental stories, build climate awareness and inspire local action through six initial episodes.
Helen A	Erect permanent stock exclusion fences along watercourse and 2 dams	This project in Mosquito Hill fences a watercourse and two dams, then prepares local species for staged planting to exclude stock, restore habitat and support long-term regeneration.
Hills Biodiversity Incorporated	Willawilla Bush Regeneration Project	This project in Crafers West Willawilla continues four years of collaboration between Hills Biodiversity, 12 landholders and volunteers across 30ha of Stringybark woodland.
Sixth Creek Catchment Group	BOD Reduction in Sixth Creek	This project in Castambul removes ash trees on a steep Sixth Creek slope to improve water quality, reduce invasive impacts and support riparian rehabilitation near the River Torrens confluence.
Jane M	Hills Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Project	This project boosts endangered yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo habitat with seven revegetation sites, nest hollows and two engagement events.
Jason V	Recovery of threatened species and restoration of threatened ecological communities at Paltarilla, Mount Magnificant	This project in Mount Magnificent Paltarilla combines invertebrate survey, specialist weed control, threatened flora recovery and feral deer management.
Kangarilla Landcare Group Inc.	Plant propagation table	This project in Kangarilla builds a better propagation table so local volunteers can grow more native plants, reuse water efficiently and support revegetation and community projects.
Kanmantoo-Callington Landcare Group	Greening the Bremer	This project in Hartley extends a stock-free Bremer River corridor with a 350m fenced laneway, weed control and 900 trees across 4.42ha.
Central Hills Regenerative Agriculture Network	CAHRAN 2026 soil extension project	This project supports landholders start soil monitoring by subsidising follow-up chemical tests, workshops and shared case studies so they can track improvements and strengthen regenerative agriculture practices.
Biodiveristy Victor Harbor	Seedling capacity building & volunteer skills enhancement	This project in Victor Harbor expands nursery infrastructure with benches and propagation supplies to grow more indigenous seedlings, train volunteers and support community biodiversity restoration.
Friends of Sunnyspring Glen Reserve	Revegetation of Sunnyspring Glen Reserve	This project in Aldgate revegetates threatened woodland at Sunnyspring Glen Reserve using local species, volunteers and council materials to strengthen rare spring-fed habitat and improve resilience.
Morialta Biolink Landcare Group	Habitat preservation and restoration for rare and endangered species in the Morialta Biolink Landcare region.	This project in Cherryville Protects habitat corridors for Bassian Thrush, Cunninghams Skink and Chestnut-rumped Heathwren through major weed control, rare flora mapping and restoration plantings. Notable prompt: food-plant focus for Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos and corridor link to Morialta Conservation Park.
Kumarangk Hindmarsh Island Landcare Group	New equipment for planting	This project in Hindmarsh Island replaces heavily used planting equipment so Landcare volunteers can continue large-scale revegetation efficiently across varied soils.
Port Elliot Primary School	Waterport Heritage Reserve Landscape Restoration with Indigenous Education	This project in Port Elliot Waterport Heritage Reserve project restores habitat while embedding Ngarrindjeri Ramindjeri cultural history at a significant well and spring site.
Girl Guides SA Inc.	Weed eradication and revegetation of the Blewitt Springs creek line adjacent to Heritage area	This project in Blewitt Springs removes weeds along a creek line, revegetates with wetland species and involves young volunteers in long-term creek restoration beside Douglas Scrub.
Sammy M	Protecting significant & scattered paddock trees	This project in Parawa protects stressed paddock trees with exclusion fencing and understorey planting to improve tree health, biodiversity, climate resilience and on-farm stewardship.
Sharon S	Native planted corridors for bandicoots, microbats and antechinus	This project in Kangarilla plants three native corridors to reduce Chilean needle grass, improve wildlife habitat, slow erosion and support regenerative land management on a steep property.
Angove Wines	Using an insectary garden as a biosecurity hedge	This project in McLaren Vale creates a native insectary garden to improve vineyard biodiversity, regenerative farming and biosecurity, while reducing insecticide use and sharing lessons through a field day.
Stella C	Glacier Rock Revegetation Project	This project in Inman Valley restores a riverbank through fencing, weed control and staged planting to stabilise the bank, improve water quality and enhance habitat.
Sue N	Bremer riverbank regeneration requiring completion of giant reed removal	This project in Hartley continues giant reed removal along the Bremer River while supporting native regeneration and riverbank planting to improve habitat and long-term ecological recovery.
Stephanie H	Rewilding Wirra Way: Restoring Native Habitat and Biodiversity to Increase Bandicoot Population	This project in Mylor creates a 1.2ha native corridor linking remnant vegetation, with confirmed nearby Southern brown bandicoot sightings.
Threatened Plant Action Group Inc	Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps Threatened Plant Monitoring, Weed Management and Restoration	This project in Mount Compass TPAG will support critically endangered Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps on private land and in Stipiturus Conservation Park.
Tim R	Restoring Habitat of the Blunt Greenhood Orchid	This project in McHarg Creek protects Blunt Greenhood orchid habitat through targeted weed control, colony searches and kangaroo and deer management, while sharing lessons with the bushland group.
The Trustee for Nature Glenelg Trust	Improving understanding of how restoration affects water retention in Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps	Re-establishes hydrological monitoring at Stipiturus and Hesperilla Conservation Parks for the critically endangered Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps.
Yundi Nature Conservancy	Private Land Conservation of Fleurieu Swamps	Expands the Fleurieu Swamp Restoration Network to 26+ properties/210ha, delivering restoration plans, hydrology works, planting and monitoring.

Local projects, big impact: 2026 Grassroots Grants recipients announced