Hallett Cove R-12 School Mallee Box Rehabilitation Project
2012-01-30

In 2012 students from the Hallett Cove R-12 School will undertake a project to rehabilitate an open woodland area that features mallee box. The area is above the playground near the end of Gannet Court.

The project objectives include:
- Engage and educate students about local biodiversity
- Protect existing remnant and planted native vegetation
- Create conditions to support natural regeneration
- Control woody weeds to reduce their impact on native vegetation

The project work plan can be downloaded here:
http://www.fieldriver.org/documents/HCS_Draft_Plan_2011_12.pdf

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AMLRNRM MEDIA RELEASE: Watercourse and biodiversity benefits for Lower Field River
2011-09-01

The Adelaide Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board has created a media release titled "Watercourse and biodiversity benefits for Lower Field River" to announce the three year joint plan for the area. The release can be seen here. The plan (2010-13 Restoration Project Work Plan) can be downloaded in PDF format from the top of the "Action Plan" page on this site.

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Feral olive control techniques video on-line
2010-09-14

Click here to go to our Gallery page to see the video - "Techniques for controlling wild olive" - produced by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board

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From the Field River to Buckingham Palace
2010-05-04

One of the founding members of Friends of the Lower Field River (FoLFR) will be recognised for his volunteer work at a Buckingham Palace gala dinner in June.

David Speirs, 25, of Hallett Cove, has been selected as one of ten young leaders from around the world as part of the Peter Cruddas Social Innovation Program, an initiative of one of the UK’s most generous entrepreneurs.

See the media release for more information.


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2009 Fish Monitoring Event - The results are in!
2010-01-15

The fish monitoring event last October (2009) was conducted by the AMLRNRM/Waterwatch Adelaide with help from FoLFR members. The two nets caught a total of nearly 400 fish & yabbies. For more information & pictures go to the Fish Monitoring gallery page. Click here.

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FoLFR Wins City of Marion Unsung Hero Awards
2009-07-23

At a ceremony on July 23 2009 FRIENDS OF THE LOWER FIELD RIVER, represented by David Greenhough, were presented with an Unsung Hero Award in the Environment category. The following words accompanied the award.

Friends of the Lower Field River are a land care group established by Hallett Cove residents in 2006 to protect and care for the lower portion of the Field River and it environs. This area includes Cormorant Drive reserve, the river's estuary at Hallett Cove beach and nearby sand dunes.
They not only work to improve the local environment, but also encourage neighbours to get to know each and help build a sense of community in the area.
The Lower Field River Group work collaboratively with the City of Marion with technical guidance from the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board.
This is another fine example of a community led leadership group.

David and Linda Greenhough were also presented with an individual award.

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Green Corp Project Update
2008-10-16

It's been nearly six months since the Green Corp group started work on the Lower Field River site. In that time the transformation has been amazing. The portion of land owned by TransAdelaide that has been the focus of the work lies in the southern section of the Friends of the Lower Field River project site stretching uphill from the river towards the Noarlunga railway line.

Since May the ten young people involved in the Green Corp group have planned the revitalisation of the site and put those plans into action. Tonnes of pest vegetation has been cleared from the site and natives planted in their place.

As the project has approached its conclusion the Green Corp group focused on making the site as accessible as possible to the local community. Trails now traverse the reserve with view points marked with seating and mosaics, laid into the earth, depicting features of the local environment.

Next time you are in the area, park in Cormorant Drive and take a walk into the reserve. You'll be impressed with what you find there.


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Join our Facebook group!
2008-09-15

Friends of the Lower Field River now has its own Facebook page! If you have Facebook you can join the group by searching "Friends of the Lower Field River" and become part of our online community.

Membership of the Facebook page will ensure you get our latest news, are invited to our events & can feed your ideas directly to us via the message board. There is also a photo gallery exhibiting images from around the reserve including the dramatic before & after shots of our Green Corps project. Visit www.facebook.com & search "Friends of the Lower Field River".

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Green Corp Greening Australia project approved
2008-03-28

We have just received the news that our Green Corp project application has been approved. The project, due to start on May 5th 2008, will involve Greening Australia and local youth restoring the ecosystem in the Lower Field River valley towards the railway embankment end of our area.

Stay tuned for more news on this exciting opportunity.

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Casurina glauca removal
2007-10-09

Some of the Casurina glauca trees at the bottom of the Field River have been removed. The Casurina glauca poses a threat to the opening of the mouth of the estuary and to the banks of this section of river by causing increased sedimentation by its large root system. This in turn reduces the dimensions of the channel and leads to higher erosive flows in this section of the stream. The plant suckers easily so plants have been killed in-situ before removal to lessen the likelihood of this occurring.

The Friends of the Lower Field River will be involved in the long-term rehabilitation and replanting of these areas where trees have been removed, particularly in the next year. There will also be a need for follow-up treatment of regenerating seedlings and any shooting roots from the Casurina glauca.

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Pigeon Problem Resolved
2007-07-15

Successful lobbying by Friends of the Lower Field River has resulted in the netting of the Lonsdale Road/Noarlunga Centre line cutting. This steep rock face has been a long-term roosting/nesting site for hundreds of pigeons and a study by the Department of Health recently revealed that a build up of pigeon faeces had caused e-coli contamination in the water. FoLFR was vocal in its pursuit of a solution, lobbying many stakeholders and even arranging for the matter to be raised in parliament. The outcome is a good one and the water quality, both in the river and sea, will be improved as a result.

Thanks to TransAdelaide for coming up with and implementing the solution.

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Successful AGM
2007-05-30

On May 30 2007 the group held its first AGM. Around 40 local residents attended the event where regular media contributor Professor Chris Daniels, presented as guest speaker.

Professor Daniels provided a candid overview of the degradation of the Adelaide Plains, from 1836 to present day, and spoke with passion about preserving the Field’ River as one of the few largely natural river environments left in metropolitan Adelaide.

At the conclusion of the meeting office bearers were elected to the committee for the next year. Mr David Greenhough was elected chairperson for the next year.


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Funding Secured
2007-01-10

Friends of the Lower Field River has been applying for sources of funding to further its aims. We have secured funding from three grants programs. A summary of each follows:

• $1,340 - City of Marion Countil Community Grant. Funding will be used to host a community workshop to give local residents the opportunity to learn about the flora and fauna of the Lower Field River. More information will be forwarded to households in the coming weeks.
• $2,647 - Australian Government Volunteer Small Equipment Grants (VSEG) 2006. These grants aim to encourage and support volunteers by enabling organisations to purchase equipment that contributes to making volunteering activities easier, safer and more enjoyable. The funding will be used to buy various tools for volunteers to use at our Field work on the Field River days.
• $2,560 - Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board. Funding applied for in conjunction with City of Marion to prepare, revegetate and maintain four predetermined sites along the river.

All government grants programs have strict accountability provisions and as such the group's steering committee will be required to prepare reports outlining works completed and acquittal of funds.

Replanting and Seed Collection.
2006-12-20

Replanting
The group recognises the importance of replacing the vegetation which is removed during field work and of removing non-indigenous vegetation in a considered fashion to minimise the impact to the land. We have access to expert advice on which indigenous plants (vegetation which is native to the local area) to plant in the various areas we are looking after.
Seed Collection
In December 2006 a seed collection event was held and locals got together to collect the seeds from indigenous plants which grow around the river. These seeds, along with others supplied by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resources Management Board, were potted on the day and will be looked after by local residents before eventually being planted around the river.

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Field Work Activities
2006-12-01

Since the group was formed we have held two very productive Field work on the Field River events in October and November 2006. You may have seen evidence of work being carried out and wondering what we've been up to. On each occasion work has focused on particular areas of the river and/or on the removal of specific "pest" plants. Our field work has been supported by the City of Marion who have supplied advice, equipment and removal of green wasts and hard rubbish.

• October 2006: work was carried out in the river course north of the footbridge in Cormorant Reserve. Castor oil plants and ash trees were removed. Olive trees and onion grass were cleared from the banks and considerable hard rubbish removed from the river. Trees were limbed and general land management carried out on the riverbank adjacent Osprey Court.


• Novenber 2006: olive trees, ash trees and castor oil plants were removed from the slopes south of the Cormorant Reserve footbridge and also on the sea side of the river north of Cormorant Drive.

Public Meeting to form the Friends of the Lower Field River
2006-05-22

A public meeting was held at Hallett Cove South Primary School to seek support from local residents for the formation of a landcare group. The aims of the meeting were:

• To establish a group of volunteers affiliated with Friends of Parks Inc.
• For this group to develop a plan for the rehabilitation of the Lower Field River and its environs.
• For the group to progressively remove non-indigenous plants & weeds, and to revegetate the area with native species.
• To lobby our local council and the State Government to undertake infrastructure projects, such as the restoration of the river mouth.
• To develop a level of local "ownership" and long-term responsibility for our unique reserve.

The meeting was well attended by both residents and invited guests. Dr Bernard Doube, a scientist who spent his childhood holidays at a Hallett Cove shack, regaled the attendees with tales of the Field River as it used to be and provided inspiration for the river's restoration.
General discussion followed and a committee was elected to develop the group which in October 2006 was officially affiliated with Friends of Parks Inc.