Why I'm returning a corner of South Australia to the wilderness

The Forktree Project, created by AIA Vitality Ambassador Tim Jarvis AM, aims to show that even smaller land holdings can make a meaningful contribution in combating climate change and biodiversity loss.

There's an undeniable link between our health and the environment – something AIA recognised in our 5590+ health insight in 2021. The planet and our lives are interconnected in so many ways; we have a moral obligation to do what we can to preserve nature for our health and that of our planet.

 

Over my years working in environmental science, I've experienced a dawning realisation: I have to use what profile I have for positive change. I need to be an advocate for the environment. I’m doing that, in part, with the Forktree Project.

Returning land to nature

Throughout my career, the concept of the Forktree Project has always been at the back of my mind. The objective of the project is biodiversity restoration and tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon sequestration.

 

We're currently producing too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen – the average Australian's carbon footprint each year is roughly 25 tonnes – and trees are the best way of counteracting this. Australia has the fifth-biggest potential area on earth to plant trees. If we start returning those 58 million hectares of available land to nature, we could play the role of an enormous carbon sink and make a global difference.

 

To start with, we're rewilding 53 hectares in South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula – in other words, returning it to the way it was before European settlers cleared it in the 1850s. We're aiming to plant about 20,000 trees and shrubs – some of which are under threat of extinction – and tens of thousands of grasses. After five years, they'll mature and start to produce their own seed and naturally self-propagate, letting nature take its course. Rewilding the land will also provide habitats for many native species, which will help improve and increase biodiversity in the local ecosystem.

 

The remaining three hectares of land will hold a rare seed orchard – a repository of rare plant species we can protect and easily harvest seed from. We can grow these plants in a nursery and export them into land restoration projects in the region.

Education is key to combat climate change

The traditional custodians of the Fleurieu Peninsula are the Ngarrindjeri people, and the Ngarrindjeri community are vital to the work we're doing on their land. Some older Ngarrindjeri people are involved in sharing knowledge about their culture and historical connection to country to the younger Ngarrindjeri men and women, who work in both the seed orchard and nursery. It's an incredibly uplifting process for everyone involved.

 

The Forktree Project is underpinned by education like this – it's the biggest component in creating a more sustainable Australia. If you understand something, you're aware of its benefits and consequences, and you can subsequently care and act on it.

 

Due to the Fleurieu Peninsula's proximity to Adelaide's CBD, we can get lots of eyes and foot traffic into the area, which means we can educate more visitors about our work firsthand. We can directly show the entire Forktree Project to school groups, corporate businesses and politicians, and demonstrate its potential to make a difference globally.

Everyone needs their own forktree

The most important thing about the Forktree Project is that it's tangible action. We're working on the ground to combat climate change, rather than just talking about it. This holds true at home too: everyone needs their own type of Forktree. We each need to find a project that can bring about real change, whether that's cycling to work or reducing the amount of meat in our diet. That's very important towards inciting change on a wider scale.

I have a moral obligation towards this project, because I believe any generation older than my kids have contributed to the climate issues we face today. As the saying goes, “We don't inherit the planet from our parents, we borrow it from our children.”

 

We only have one planet and one chance to get it right. Nature is so closely intertwined with our physical and mental wellbeing; the least we can do or it is act as responsible caretakers.