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Home : Get Involved : Friends of Parks : Friends Groups : The Field Naturalists Society of SA, Inc

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What Is The Field Naturalists Society Of South Australia?

It is South Australia's first conservation group, founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1959.

What Are Its Aims?

They are:

Pygmy Possum on Banksia

Pygmy Possum on Banksia
Photo: Graham Medlin

  • to promote the study of Natural History by means of public lectures, field excursions, club activities and publication of its half-yearly journal, The South Australian Naturalist
  • to manage the Society's nature reserves acquired through generous gifts and bequests
  • to promote conservation of the environment by actively encouraging the preservation of important landscape features and suitable habitat for the protection of indigenous flora and fauna

Who May Join The Society?

  • Anyone who has wishes to gain a greater understanding of natural history and the natural world.
  • Anyone interested in working towards the conservation of our environment and its unique natural features such as flora and fauna.

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How Can You Join?

If you are interested in joining the Society, please contact us at:

The Field Naturalists Society of SA Inc.
GPO Box 1594
Adelaide SA 5001
Australia
Phone: 0428 188 318

or complete the following Membership Application form (50Kb PDF).

History

Setting a trapline below Mt Stuart

Setting out a trapline below Mt Stuart
Photo: Graham Medlin

The Society was founded as a Section of the Royal Society of South Australia in 1883.

It was instrumental in helping establish the Belair National Park in 1891, Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island in 1919, as well as Ferries McDonald, Spring Gully, Clement Gap, Piccaninnie Ponds, Monarto, Deep Creek, Black Hill, Cox Scrub (50Kb PDF), Mount Taylor, Nixon Skinner, Kaiser Stuhl (50Kb PDF) and Charleston (50Kb PDF) Conservation Parks and Para Wirra Recreation Park (50Kb PDF).

Properties Owned By The Society

The Society owns a number of Nature Reserves which are held for future generations and are all covered by Heritage Agreements. These are: Manning Reserve, 45 ha of dense natural vegetation near McLaren Vale: Forest Range Reserve, 15 ha of sclerophyll woodland of the higher Mount Lofty Ranges; Nicholls reserve, 58 ha of coastal scrub at Carpenter Rocks in the South East; Tookayerta Marsh, a section of natural swamp near Nangkita.

Working Bees are regularly held to remove weeds at our properties. See Program (50Kb PDF) for details.

Associated Clubs

  • Botany Club
  • Mammal Club
  • Fungal Studies Group
  • Adelaide Junior Naturalists' Club
  • Bellevue Heights Junior Naturalists' Club

125th Anniversary celebrations

We turn 125 this year, and we're holding three public celebrations:

  • Picnic on Sunday 6 April at Belair National Park.
  • Public Lecture on Wednesday 6 August at Unley Civic Centre.
  • Open day on Sunday 19 October at Manning Reserve.

See Program (50Kb PDF) for details.

Field Naturalists Society Program

See Program (50Kb PDF)

Lirabenda Endowment Fund Research Grants

The Fund has been created from the proceeds of the sale of Lirabenda Reserve with the purpose of making available annual research grants to selected applicants.

See Guidelines (50Kb PDF)
See Application Form (50Kb PDF)

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