ilkari Conservation Group   est.1990

Conservation Projects

At the beginning of 1990 a small group of people got together and decided to DO SOMETHING about our contribution to our environmental problems. We broadcast our intentions throughout the university and hospital, and gathered enough people to start. We appointed a committee of 10, including a president, secretary and treasurer, made a constitution, designed a logo, planned our first strategies and got going.

Since then our membership has reached nearly 90. We have become incorporated as a non-profit organization. We have won government grants and helped other organizations to adopt environmental programs. We are sought after for advice and assistance, and have become a known entity within Flinders and the outside community. We have also become a "club" under the FUSA Clubs & Societies.

Urban Forest Bio Diversity Programme

We have obtained a grant from Urban Forests ($3250) for the rehabilitation of Flinders University bush land, particularly in the South Valley (south of car park 3). The main aim of the project is to preserve an area of high biodiversity of indigenous flora, by the removal of invasive weed species. So if you want to release some of that study stress come along for “olive thrashing”.

Lake Re-vegetation

One of our main on-going projects is the rehabilitation of the lake and its surroundings, to provide a habitat for native fauna and improve the quality of the water. Check out the labels identifying some of the indigenous flora planted by ILKARI members. Here is a list of plants we have planted. We’re aiming to build an island in the middle of the lake for waterfowl to breed on. So if you like the idea of messing about in a boat we’d like to here from you.

Propagating Locally Collected Seeds

ILKARI grow all their own tube stock for re-vegetation from seeds collected locally. So if you’ve got green fingers (or even if you haven’t) try growing some native plants and watch them grow while you’re studying at Flinders.

Seminars and Social Events

We hold 2-4 seminars each year, each with a theme related to the natural environment. Drinks and nibbles are always a favourite activity. We need enthusiastic people to organise our social activities - all work and no play……

Ongoing and Past Projects

Paper Recycling

·         We promoted the embryonic paper recycling system which had been started at the university and effected its expansion.

·         We conceived, started and promoted office paper recycling at the Flinders Medical Centre [FMC]. We convinced the Administration to adopt and expand it, and it is now an effective and fully operational part of the hospital's waste management strategy.

·         We sought and received a grant of $2,500 from the South Australian Energy Forum to promote paper recycling in the wider community. We presented a seminar and donated KESAB recycle boxes to Royal Adelaide Hospital, Repatriation General Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hampstead Centre, Brighton Rotary Club, Belair Primary School, Flinders University School of Education, Marion Community Health Centre, Chandlers Hill Clinic

Most of these organizations are now recycling their paper, and there are others still planning on having our help.

Other Recycling

·         We brought a pilot scheme of recycling milk and juice cartons to the refectory and it is now in operation.  

·         We convinced the FMC Administration to use the savings from paper recycling to expand to other environmental initiatives. They appointed an in-house environment officer and committee to assess and advise on widespread changes for improvement in environment and public health. These changes include cardboard, plastic and glass recycling and changing to non-disposable products.

Reducing Consumption

·         We have pushed for conservation of material resources by:

·         Requesting that recycled paper be purchased by the university and hospital to replace bleached new paper

·         Using secondhand and recycled paper and non-disposable items for our own activities

·         Requesting the replacement of polystyrene cups with china cups

·         Requesting "Flinders Journal", "Empire Times" and "FMC News" be printed on recycled paper. "FMC News" now is.

Energy and Pollution

We held an open seminar on nuclear energy [speaker Maggie Hine, nuclear campaigner for Greenpeace] and renewable energy sources [speaker Dennis Matthews, physical chemist at Flinders University].

We placed 4 ILKARI members [undergraduate student, postgraduate student, academic staff, ancillary staff] on the University Parking & Transport Committee. In this way we hoped to involve the university in an integrated, environmentally sensible approach to traffic control, ie. car pooling, bicycle tracks and sheds, improved public transport. We hope to avoid the construction of extremely expensive, unsightly multi-level car parks, which everyone at uni must pay for in increased parking fees, air pollution, noise, traffic congestion and loss of open spaces. We feel that reduced parking fees for a car-pool vehicle could potentially halve the number of cars on campus and obviate the need for additional car parks. Currently, a car-pool vehicle space costs the same as a non-car-pool vehicle space at FUSA. The construction of two more multi-level FUSA car parks has also occurred in this time.

Car Pooling

We obtained a $20,000 grant from the Federal Government's Greenhouse Information Program to set up a car pooling system at Flinders and provide a "how to do it" package which can be distributed free to other universities and institutions. We  employed a part time car pool coordinator and have computerized  the whole system to greatly increase efficiency of matching poolers, and enable the system to handle much greater numbers of people. After the pilot program became fully operational, we handed the system over to FUSA to become established as part of the university administration.

Native Flora and Fauna

We have formed a group of people with an interest in restoring native wildlife to the campus. We have communicated our ideas to the director of grounds and we will work with his department to expand the university's new flora park. Ultimately we hope to create a wildlife corridor connecting other isolated stands of native vegetation in the region.

·         We are supporting the Mitchell Park Community Group who form another link in the re-vegetation corridor.

·         We ran a letter-writing campaign about the proposed Wilderness legislation.

·         We are planning a "Sense Park" at FMC. This will be a peaceful natural garden of native plants which exude perfumes, produce edible fruits and nuts, or have colours and textures which are appealing to the senses. It is also envisaged as a place where patients can go to enhance their recovery.

·         We obtained a $3,000 grant in 1999 from the Urban Forests program to help in the rehabilitation of a buffer zone to a high-value conservation area on the Flinders campus.

Projects in Liason

We worked with the Centre for the Environment and Sustainable Development and the Friends of the Earth to run a weekend environmental conference at Woodhouse Scout Camp in 1990 and 1991. For this gathering we brought in state and federal politicians to tell us what they were doing about an environmentally sustainable future for us. We had a nuclear debate with advocates for and against nuclear energy. We formulated the wildlife component of Greenprint Flinders with experts on native re-vegetation and fauna.

·         The president of ilkari was the chairperson of the FMC Environment committee. That committee prepared a comprehensive environmental management plan for all aspects of the functioning of the hospital.

·         We have brought Coolangubra to Flinders, in conjunction with the Union, to spread the environmental message with their beautiful music and pictures.

·         We have helped the Students Of Sustainabilty 2003 (SOS group) with a "biodiversity tour" and an "olive removal" workshop.