WOMADelaide Forest set to restore native bushland found nowhere else on earth.
Greening Australia - The New Kangaroo Island WOMADelaide Forest
Greening Australia in partnership with the WOMADelaide Foundation continues to offset the environmental footprint of the festival, with $2 from every WOMADelaide ticket purchased invested in native biodiverse tree planting. Greening Australia has been supporting WOMADelaide through managed tree planting programs which have established WOMADelaide Forests in regional South Australia, near the Coorong and Lower Lakes for over 12 years.
More than 70,000 native trees and shrubs have been already been planted, removing tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere. It has been established that over the 100 year lifecycle of the forest, this specific bushland will remove from the atmosphere more than 16,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
This year a new forest on Kangaroo Island will be launched.
The new site has been carefully chosen for its conservation merit. The location is unique and will reinstate a Sheoak grove (Allocasuarina verticillate) for the rare Glossy Black Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus), providing habitat and nesting opportunities.
In addition, the site will help to conserve the rare endemic Narrow Leaf Mallee vegetation community – a native bushland found nowhere else on earth!
“The Kangaroo Island WOMADelaide Forest will continue our commitment to improving biodiversity outcomes while removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”
Greening Australia’s Director of National Programs & Science Todd Berkinshaw said.
“This partnership promotes the significant contribution that community and corporates can make to drive investment into conservation outcomes for rare and threatened Australian native species” Todd said.
“The festival emissions report conducted annually determines the total carbon dioxide generated through the entire event chain including air travel, accommodation, electricity consumption, waste, paper & plastic materials, consumables and transport including all staging and technical equipment transported for use at the four-day event.”
WOMADelaide Director, Ian Scobie AM, said that the festival is continuously pursuing new and innovative ways to reduce and offset the environmental impact of staging the event.
“Every year we track, monitor and record all data on the festival’s emissions in an effort to minimise our carbon footprint, and through the Greening Australia WOMADelaide Forest we are able to make a positive contribution to natural habitats at the same time” said Mr Scobie
“We are excited about the new Kangaroo Island site as a home for the second WOMADelaide Forest and look forward to being able to further reduce our environmental footprint through this wonderful partnership with Greening Australia and both organisations are committed to ensure more carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere than is generated by each festival.”
About Greening Australia
With teams in 30 locations around the country and over 150 staff, Greening Australia is a proudly independent not-for-profit organisation. Our team uses the latest science to guide what’s best for our landscapes and the people and wildlife that live in them. Greening Australia started conserving and restoring Australia’s unique landscapes in 1982 and we haven’t stopped since.
Greening Australia is committed to tackling Australia’s biggest environmental challenges with the best science and the best people, to return life to landscapes and balance to the natural environment in ways that work for communities, economies and nature.
To maximise our impact between now and 2030, we will be focusing on five key programs. From restoring Tasmania as an island ark for our most threatened mammals, to improving the health of the Great Barrier Reef, we are working to create healthy, productive landscapes across Australia where people and nature can thrive.