Blog Archive

This year, Adelaide Zoo celebrated World Environment Day alongside cabaret star, David Campbell, who helped plant a Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) on the tented Envirodome roof garden.

World Environment Day is all about raising awareness of environmental issues and encouraging people to think and act green. This year is the International Year of Forests, and it was really exciting to be able to promote the use of a local woodland species which creates habitats and opportunities for local wildlife, and also helps people find practical ways to make a difference for our local wildlife.

Prior to European settlement in Adelaide, Grey Box would have been one of the prominent trees in this area. In fact, one of the vegetation associations the Grey Box features in is listed as endangered in South Australia. This plant association once covered vast areas of the Adelaide plains and the foothills, but sadly it is estimated that less than 4% of this woodland plant association has been retained in a natural state.

The addition of Grey Box tree compliments some of the other Envirodome roof plants which would have been in this area, such as Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha), Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa), Chocolate Lily (Arthropodium strictum), Bluebell (Wahlenbergia sp.) and Kangaroo Grass (Themeda triandra).

To learn more about the plant species in your local area, head to Backyards4wildlife.

Danielle
Horticulturist, Adelaide Zoo