Getting behind our citizen scientists and conservation volunteers

Formby Bay Environmental Action Group is one of 61 Friends of Parks and Nature groups – comprising citizen scientists and volunteers – sharing in nearly $700,000 to help carry out vital conservation and nature restoration works across the state.

Members of the Yorke Peninsula group will use their $15,000 grant to monitor key sites including Chinamans Hat Island, Corny Point and Foul Bay, recording valuable data and capturing footage of marine species to support the algal bloom response and track recovery of affected areas.

Volunteer training, community events and contributing to open-access databases such as iNaturalist form part of the citizen science project.

Stuart Paul, Department for Environment and Water Parks Operations and Community Partnerships Director is grateful to have the support of the Friends of Park and Nature groups to help conserve and restore South Australia’s precious national parks.

"Friends of Parks and Nature groups get to know the parks they work in really well and use their knowledge and experience to tackle specific issues and make improvements that enhance the park for wildlife, for visitors and for the future," Mr Paul said.

Other projects with a strong citizen science focus include:

• On Kangaroo Island, training local volunteers to detect and monitor critically endangered Beyeria Bushpea in roadside vegetation and other areas.
• In the Flinders Ranges, monitoring Superb Groundsel regeneration following ecological burns in The Dutchmans Stern Conservation Park.
• Quantitative post-fire monitoring alongside Arabana rangers in May-June and a census of all mound springs within the Hermit Hill Spring Group.
  

Funding delivered will help Friends of Parks and Nature groups undertake a range of activities to help protect biodiversity, Aboriginal and European heritage while building knowledge and volunteer capacity.

These groups contribute thousands of volunteer hours each year towards maintaining and improving South Australia’s most loved national parks.

There are now more than 150 volunteer groups across the Friends of Parks and Nature network since the organisation was formed in 1982.

Click here for the list of full 2025-26 Friends of Parks and Nature recipients and more information.