This October, National Parks and Wildlife Service is also celebrating Nature Festival as part of their Park of the Month program. Be sure to check out all of their events here. 

We look forward to welcoming you into our parks for Nature Festival!

Across South Australia, Friends of Parks and Nature groups play a vital role in caring for our environment. From restoring habitats to monitoring wildlife, volunteers help ensure our parks, reserves, and natural spaces remain thriving and beautiful. But like any volunteer-based organisation, growing and retaining members can be a challenge!

If your group is looking to attract more volunteers, here are some simple ways to make your activities more engaging and appealing to new members.

1. Shift the narrative: Show the bigger picture

One of the biggest challenges for volunteer groups is how they talk about their activities.

Take weeding, for example. Instead of promoting an event as “weeding within a park,” consider highlighting the impact: “Help clear space for endangered bandicoots to thrive” or “Join us in restoring habitat for native wildflowers and pollinators”

Framing activities in terms of their purpose and positive outcomes makes them much more attractive to potential volunteers. People are more likely to join when they understand the bigger picture.

2. Highlight what’s in it for volunteers

While people love to give back, they also want to know what they’ll get out of an experience. Make sure you communicate the personal benefits of volunteering, such as:

• Learning new skills (e.g. wildlife monitoring, native plant identification)
• Connecting with like-minded people
• Spending time outdoors in beautiful parks
• Making a real impact on conservation

A simple shift from “Come help with weed removal” to “Spend a morning in nature, learn about native plants, and help create a better home for wildlife” can make all the difference

3. Make it easy to join

Sometimes, people want to get involved but aren’t sure how. Ensure your group has:

• Clear, simple instructions on how to get involved listed on the Friends of Parks and Nature website. Many groups have been listed on this page for a number of years, so it may be time to update old content.
• A friendly point of contact for questions (a phone number or email)
• Flexible options—not everyone can commit to regular sessions, so consider occasional events for new members to try

4. Use Social Media to tell stories

Photos, short videos, and personal stories can help potential volunteers see what your group is about. Instead of just posting event details, try sharing:

• A volunteer’s story— “Why I joined and what I love about it”
• Before-and-after photos of habitat restoration projects
• A highlight reel of the wildlife benefiting from your work
• Consider using free graphic design tools – they’re easy to use and look professional! (just search in Google for a variety of tools). 
• Don’t forget to tag Friends of Parks and Nature on Facebook so we can share your stories!

Engaging visuals and storytelling can make people feel more connected before they even step foot in a park.

5. Run a special “Bring a Friend” event

Encourage your current volunteers to invite a friend, family member, or colleague to an event. Offer clear and easy, engaging activity (like a wildlife walk or a tree planting event) can be a great way to introduce new people to your group

6. Celebrate your impact

Finally, don’t forget to show appreciation and celebrate your achievements! A simple thank-you event, social media shout-outs, or updates on progress (e.g. “Thanks to our volunteers, 500 native seedlings were planted this year!”) can boost motivation and keep people engaged.

A few more handy resources…

Green Adelaide: 7 easy ways to recruit volunteers for the long term Factsheet here.

Facebook: Government nonprofit Facebook pages resource

Join us for a night of celebration, inspiration and connection at the 2025 Friends of Parks and Nature Inc. Awards Dinner. 

Even if your group has not nominated for an award, it’s a wonderful opportunity to come together to recognise and celebrate the amazing achievements by the Friends of Parks and Nature groups across South Australia’s national parks and other conservation sites.  A complimentary ticket will be given to groups who nominated.  

When & Where

• 6pm – 10pm, Saturday 30 August 2025
• Adelaide Pavilion, cnr South Terrace & Peacock Rd, Adelaide

The night will include:

• Opening Address by the Deputy Premier, The Hon. Susan Close, Minister for Climate, Environment and Science
• Three-course dinner at Adelaide Pavilion (non-alcoholic drinks included)
• Special Guest Speaker – Sophie Green, Project Coordinator, Fungi for Function from Fungimap
• 2025 Friends of Parks and Nature Inc. Awards Presentation

Buy your ticket here (ticket sales close 14 August).

Please note nominations for awards have now closed.

Friends of Black Hill and Morialta share their favourite spots in these much loved Adelaide parks.

In a less than 30 minute drive, you can swap Adelaide’s city buzz for birdsongs and bushland. Morialta and Black Hill conservation parks sit side by side, offering towering gums, rugged trails and peaceful gullies – offering double the adventure, each park brings something different.

These parks are cared for by rangers and the local Friends of Black Hill and Morialta group. Founding member Ann Taylor shares five hidden treasures to explore and how you can get involved.

1. Encounter an endangered southern brown bandicoot – Morialta Conservation Park

Tread quietly on Morialta’s Pylon Track and you might spot a southern brown bandicoot – the last of eight bandicoot species once found in SA, and now endangered. Access the track from Moores Road via Centre Track, or take the steep climb from Third Falls. This wide fire track winds through pristine bushland bursting with wildflowers like vanilla lilies and orchids. If you’re lucky enough to see a bandicoot, record your sighting to support the Bandicoot Superhighway Project.

2. Have a picnic surrounded by wildlife – Morialta Conservation Park

Enter the park from the Trailhead car park and follow the Morialta Falls Plateau hike. On the way to Morialta Falls (First Falls) there’s a table on the right near the creek, it’s a great place to stop for lunch with plenty of shade. While you’re enjoying your picnic, take a moment to look up in the trees to see if you can spot any koalas. Listen out for kookaburras or frogs, and keep an eye out for kangaroos too!

3. Explore Deep View Lookout – Morialta Conservation Park

Deep View Lookout offers sweeping views of Morialta, with waterfalls in the distance and the Adelaide skyline beyond – but you’ll need to hike to get there! From the Morialta Falls car park, cross the bridge on your left and walk 30 metres to choose your route. Go straight for an easier trail with wildflowers, or turn right for a steeper climb. You can also start from the Trailhead car park and hike in an anti-clockwise direction, heading right and merging onto the second and third falls hike trail. You’ll pass over the top of either First or Second Falls before reaching Deep view lookout.

4. Explore the wilderness – Black Hill Conservation Park

Take a slow walk along the Raspberry hike off Montacute Road. Take the time to be still and listen to the birds in the gully. Can you see the native raspberry? Sense the space around you and enjoy the quiet. You can even try forest bathing to further relax your body and calm your mind in the beautiful presence of the parks’ natural environment. Can you find the waterfall at the start of the gully? It is ephemeral: it only flows in heavy rain.

5. See panoramic views of Adelaide – Black Hill Conservation Park

Take the summit hike from the Addison Ave entrance. Turn south at the end of Addison Ave and follow the fire track until it turns into a walking track. A steep walk with some difficult sections is rewarded by a gully with vastly different habitats and vegetation on the two sides. One side rocky and sun exposed has plentiful grass trees, the other side is more sheltered and has a great variety of herbacious plants and wildflowers. Look behind you and you will see panoramic views of the Adelaide metropolitan area. Can you identify any of the buildings?

Want to join your local Friends of Parks and Nature Group?
The Friends of Black Hill and Morialta is one of 150+ Friends of Parks and Nature groups dedicated to protecting various areas within our beautiful state. With over 5000 members, consisting of all ages and backgrounds, these groups care for native plants and animals, maintain walking trails, restore habitats and help look after parks across the state. If you’d like to get involved with your community, find your local Friends group here!

Park of the Month
Throughout June, Black Hill Conservation Park and Morialta Conservation Park are being celebrated as the National Parks and Wildlife Service’s Park of the Month. There are lots of events and activities to get involved in, find out more.

National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia staff and volunteers have been recognised for their conservation efforts at the Rotary Club of Burnside’s annual Volunteer of the Parks and Leadership in Conservation Awards!

These awards have been presented annually since 1983 (formerly Ranger of the Year)  – for 40 years. In 1988, the Volunteer of the Parks award was introduced.

South Australia’s dedicated environmental volunteers will share in more than $779,000 of State Government funding to help them protect our precious national parks and landscape biodiversity. Grants of up to $15,000 from the latest round of the Friends of Parks and Nature Small Grants Program are supporting 71 nature-based and heritage projects across SA. The funds will be utilised by more than 5000 volunteers in 148 Friends of Parks and Nature Groups across the state.

Round two of the Native Vegetation Council’s Restoration Grants 2024 – 2026 is now open to landowners in Murraylands and Riverland, Limestone Coast and Hills and Fleurieu and will close on the 16 May 2025.

Restoration grants are for long term (5 – 10 year) projects that will provide a significant benefit to native vegetation by improving condition and increasing protection through a new Heritage Agreement.

Check out this link for further details: NVC Restoration Grants 2024-2026.