Giving: Donor spotlight
Alex hanging a gate on his property in the Murray Mallee where he is regenerating the land with his partner Aurelia
For Alex Bishop-Thorpe, a member of the University’s monthly giving program, supporting a charity or cause you are passionate about is your vote for the world you want.
A nature-lover and long-time supporter of the Koonamore Vegetation Reserve, Alex has seen first-hand how the land and natural environment rejuvenates once introduced species are removed and the native plants are able to flourish.
“When I was 12 my Mum (Brenda Thorpe, Roseworthy Diploma of Agriculture, 1978) and Dad, bought a property that had cattle.We removed the cattle and within three years the trees had grown back,” Alex says.
“The Koonamore Vegetation Reserve is about seeing what is already on the land, supporting what is there, and applying science to it. I like the simplicity of that.
“By supporting the environmental research at Koonamore Vegetation Reserve I hope to ensure their valuable work continues well into the future, and that the important data captured can be studied and shared to benefit other projects across the country.”
Koonamore Vegetation Reserve
Koonamore Vegetation Reserve is a unique environmental research project that has been underway since 1925, with first measurements starting in 1926.
Located 400 kilometres north-east of Adelaide, records have been maintained from 1926 to the present day, making it the longest-running vegetation monitoring project of its type in Australia, and one of the longest in the world.
Set up to exclude sheep, and largely rabbit-free, University researchers, students and volunteers monitor the reserve for vegetation change and regeneration, and help to preserve the unique arid ecology of the region.
All donations to KoonamoreVegetation Reserve support this research which provides insights into arid zone ecology, problems such as vegetation responses to changing climate and changes in land use.
To support this history-making environmental research, please make a tax-deductible gift today.