Forty-six community projects have received a share of $1.2 million in funding thanks to Green Adelaide’s Grassroots Grants program, which aims to create a cooler, greener and wilder city.

Artist impression of Tiny Homes Campus - view from street corner of modern single storey tiny home with wooden slats as exterior surrounded by a barred fence; trees are in the yard and around the street.
Spaces like the future Tiny Homes site will include native planting for biodiversity and learning with the help of a Grassroots Grant. Image: Junction

Individuals and groups have been awarded between $2,000 and $200,000 in grants for projects like native plantings and weeding around Adelaide City Football Club, expanding the butterfly garden at Adelaide Zoo, and creating native food gardens as part of community housing provider Junction’s program for young people transitioning out of the care system.

Green Adelaide Presiding Member Professor Chris Daniels said the organisation has now funded more than 200 community environmental projects over the past 4 years as part of its Grassroots Grants program – welcoming both new projects and those implementing a new stage of an existing project.

‘The Grassroots Grants are a great example of on-ground action demonstrating the ripple effect of funding community-led projects to deliver environmental outcomes important to metropolitan South Australia,’ Professor Daniels said.

Recipients include:

Zoos SA

Zoos SA is expanding on one of its existing conservation projects, having successfully gained a Grassroots Grant to turn its 20-square-metre butterfly garden into 150 square metres.

Zoos SA Conservation Ecologist Paul Kotz said the funding will help make their native conservation program bigger than ever.

‘It will mean we can make the butterfly garden much more educational for visitors looking to follow in our footsteps at home,’ he said.

‘It will really make this garden a haven for native bees, butterflies, and many other native pollinators which get overlooked but are no less important.’

Junction

Junction’s Tiny Homes Campus project helps young people transition out of the care system. Their Grassroots Grant will enable them to include native bush food gardens as part of the campus, which will help these young people connect with nature and culture.

Junction Principal Aboriginal Consultant Kylie Degenhardt said the native plants will be great for supporting sustainability and teaching young people about culture.

‘We want it to be hands on – for anybody to be able to pick their own food,’ she said.

Adelaide City Football Club

Adelaide City Football Club President Angelo Carrozza said its Grassroots Grant will help the club transform and revitalise the garden beds at its Oakden sporting complex.

Sporting ground at Adelaide City Football Club's Oakden complex. Can see flat grass, bare ground around it that will include garden beds in future and sorage sheds. Site is lit up at night.
Spaces like this one at the Adelaide City Football Club's grounds will be revitalised with native planting as part of their Grassroots Grant project.

‘This project aims to create a vibrant, ecologically rich landscape that will enhance the experience for our club members and visitors alike,’ he said.

Browse a full list of the 46 Round 5 successful grant projects.

Applications for the next round of Green Adelaide’s Grassroots Grants program (Round 6) will open in March 2025.

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