In this supporter profile, we shine the spotlight on one of our amazing members, donors, volunteer, bequester and Artist Residency Program Advisory Group Member, Peter Hastwell.

How long have you been a Nature Foundation supporter, and how did you first get involved?

I was introduced to Nature Foundation some 28 years ago by a hand signed card from Dr Barbara Hardy AO in my letter box. How that came about is a mystery, but her personal tireless advocacy did the trick, and I have been a supporter and member ever since. It has been interesting to see the organisation grow and flourish into what it is now with a much bigger vision, diversity and influence in what it wishes to achieve.

Dr Grace Hodder is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, with a background in field ecology and threatened species research. Her ecological work has ranged from wildlife reintroduction programs to ecosystem monitoring on the River Murray floodplain. 

She is also part of the Difficult Birds Research Group, a collective of passionate researchers who research the most elusive threatened bird species including the Swift Parrot, the Superb Parrot and the Orange-bellied Parrot just to name a few. Based at the Australian National University (ANU), the group studies Australia’s most endangered birds and is dedicated to understanding their ecology and conservation. The research aims to inform effective conservation strategies, helping stakeholders implement practical measures to prevent extinction.  

Building resilient ecosystems rich in biodiversity is critical to our mission. This aim faces additional challenges when restoring degraded landscapes in a changing climate. Though we are tackling this head-on.

​While there was a celebration of the recent rains in the north of South Australia, it has also been a sobering time. There has been very little rain for a long time. In fact, in a single night in mid-March, Witchelina received more rain than in the whole of 2025. This followed an incredibly hot period, with much of January’s temperatures in the high 40s, dropping to the high 30s overnight. These conditions placed extreme stress on the landscape and its inhabitants, reinforcing the importance of our work.

For the past four years, Nature Foundation has worked closely with the Regent Parrot Recovery Team and the Murraylands Riverland Landscape Board to carry out annual Regent Parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides) breeding surveys, contributing valuable information to regional conservation efforts.

The 2025 survey at Murbpook Nature Reserve was supported by a Murraylands Riverland Landscape Board Grassroots Grant and enabled the survey team to revisit known nesting areas and document how many pairs had returned to the reserve that year. Excitingly, the team detected a pair of nesting Regent Parrots in a new part of the reserve, identifying a third distinct nesting area at Murbpook.

As part of Nature Foundation's commitment to community engagement and sustainability, we proudly supported this year's Sustainability Award as part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

The Adelaide Fringe Sustainability Award recognises creative artistic work that highlights social justice, human rights, environmental sustainability or peace, and aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.