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​"We made the only island of meaning in an

ocean of 400 billion suns.

Therefore if we destroy this,

then we may eliminate meaning in a galaxy of 400 billion stars,

potentially forever...discuss" -Professor Brian Cox

Conservation and Sustainability

No Excuses

The reality of our life today is that there is no excuses for us. We know enough about where we sit in the cosmos to understand that we need to not only use our resources wisely but to make sure those resources can cope with an increase in population and that we have processes that will sustain us well into the future. We have never had to think about conservation as much as we do now. But it is not just up to our leaders to be strong and clear when making policies, it is up to every individual to think about what we use, how we use it and what we do when we have finished using it.

The Willunga Basin is a beautiful part of South Australia but it's beauty isn't always obvious. It is a place that asks you to slow down and observe. The locals understand this and fight hard to conserve the beauty of nature that the Basin provides.

​​In covering Willunga Basin Conservation efforts I'm going to concentrate  on four categories:

  1. Conservation of historical land use.

  2. Conservation of nature through eradication and rejuvination projects.

  3. Conservation through identification areas that need protection from future developments.

  4. Sustainability through business and public recognition and innovation.

 

Lot50-K: The Beating Heart

Lot50-Kanyanyapilla is a perfect example of what happens when a vision is chased by passion. Owned by artist and cultural geologist Gavin Malone, it has been transformed from a potential sand mine into the beating heart of the Willunga Basin.

Yes, it's hard to believe there was almost a mine in the middle of Mclaren Vale. It's amazing what the public isn't told?! 

Lot50-K is part of an ancient coastal foredune system left  from the melting of the ice age.

The star of the show is the Maslin Creek reed swamp which runs through the middle of the property, a natural set of lungs that breathes life into our environment. Gavin bought the property in 2015 when it had very little trees and was over ridden with weeds. He set about rejuvenating the swamp and turning the property into woodland.

In those 11 years to date, over 10,000 seedlings have been planted at a cost of which Gavin is reluctant to talk about. This is what true conservationists do. They put action before anything, regardless of cost and nothing puts a smile on Gavin's face like the thought of people enjoying the space Lot50-K provides.

It's clearly a labour of love.

Professor Brian Cox is highly regarded the world over and he knows how lucky we are to even exist. It is hard to argue against that if we are truely alone in our galaxy, then it stands to reason that it is soley our collective responsibility to look after what we have here on Earth. He is the first to say that the scientific community know their results are fallible and that science itself is an on going process.

  • Do the research.

  • Test out theories.

  • Put research results out into the public domain for further testing.

  • Don't stop until a consensus is reached.

  • Act upon the results with good intention.

  • Repeat.​

Conservation and sustainability falls under that same science banner and Willunga Basin Photography shines a light on the efforts already taking place within the basin. 

Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoy the site as much as I've enjoyed producing it.

John Rossi 

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