Watchalunga Nature Reserve comprises approximately 92 hectares of low-lying wetland habitats including areas of Fleurieu Peninsula swamp on the lower Finniss River, listed as a critically endangered ecological community. It is an important patch of remnant habitat containing highly significant South Australian biodiversity, including the endangered Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus intermedius).

Key conservation actions for Nature Foundation at Watchalunga include:

• Habitat revegetation for Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren, including annual planting days by Nature Foundation members since 2017,
• Weed management to prevent the encroachment of Phragmites australis through the existing habitat and revegetated areas
• Native fish monitoring conducted through annual fish surveys and activities, such as electrofishing, to reduce invasive fish populations.

Before its acquisition by Nature Foundation and establishment as a nature reserve in 2014, Watchalunga was used as farmland for grazing cows. Previous owners had constructed a simple causeway across the water passage to allow access to the southern section of the property.

Over the years, this causeway deteriorated, with the aftermath of the 2022 floods significantly damaging the remaining structure, rendering it unsafe to cross by vehicle. The lack of vehicle access greatly hindered our team’s ability to undertake large-scale weed control and other management tasks in this section of the reserve, with access required by foot and activities restricted to using lightweight equipment that could only be carried by hand.

Our annual Vital Work Appeal helps support infrastructure requirements across the reserve network, and the causeway repair was identified as a priority for the 2024 appeal. We were delighted not only to reach the $100,000 appeal target but also to exceed it by a further $49,000, which supported the causeway repair, along with other priority projects.

Raising funds for the repair was the first step; however, a process of paperwork, permits, and approvals followed. Once these hurdles were overcome, we experienced more delays with commencing the work due to the late (but very much appreciated!) rain.

The tenacity of our team prevailed, and we are delighted to share that contractors rebuilt the causeway in mid-June with a new structure. This repair, made possible by your support, has significantly improved our ability to manage the reserve, allowing water to pass through between the wetland and the river, as well as vehicles and equipment to safely pass over. This has returned access to a large portion of the reserve, enabling us to extend weed management efforts, habitat management and revegetation, along with other conservation tasks.



Thanks go to our members, donors, and supporters who contributed to last year’s Vital Work Appeal, which funded the causeway work. Your support has been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful. We also appreciate the efforts of Nature Foundation team members Lucy Clive and Kelsey Bennett, who managed the process, as well as the contractors who completed the work.

We look forward to further work and positive results for biodiversity at Watchalunga!

Photos supplied by South Coast Sand and Civil.