Hills Environment Centre - HEC

03/09/2026

We've had to make the difficult decision to postpone this event. Rain is forecast for tomorrow and Saturday, and the wet weather will make the steep slopes at our tour site a bit unsafe.
Registered participants would have received a direct email this morning.

🌳Peri-Urban Habitat Garden Tour
📅Saturday 5th September, 12.30pm - 2.30pm
🎫Sliding scale pricing from $10pp
📍Hills Environment Centre, Norton Summit
Book in here: https://events.humanitix.com/habitat-gardening-for-urban-biodiversity-garden-tour

Join Jenny Deans for a presentation and guided garden tour exploring the design journey behind a unique and steep peri-urban Habitat garden.

Learn how the garden was designed to provide year-round habitat and food for native wildlife, improve bushfire resilience, showcase unusual native plants, minimise maintenance, and work with natural processes rather than against them.
We'll discuss the overall vision, design process, and the many competing priorities that shaped the final result. Along the way, we'll share practical examples of what succeeded, what we'd do differently, and why a "don't let perfection be the enemy of good" mindset helped progress and improve the garden.

This tour will be particularly useful for Adelaide Hills residents with larger urban gardens or acreage properties, especially those managing challenging sites with steep slopes and difficult terrain.

This session will begin at Hills Environment Centre for a short presentation. Then we will car pool to the site at Skye

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

📣 You’re invited to our AGM
Members and supporters are invited to attend our HEC's Annual General Meeting.

📅 Thursday 15 October
🕕 6pm - 7pm
📍 Hills Environment Centre, Norton Summit

We’d love to see our members and supporters there as we reflect on the past year and look ahead to what’s next.
Please email us [email protected] to register your attendance.
We look forward to seeing you there

01/09/2026

H5 bird flu continues to spread through Australia’s wildlife, with more than 350 confirmed cases and over 20 species affected.

The virus has now been confirmed in three mammals in South Australia: a long-nosed fur seal, a common dolphin and an invasive red fox. Its spread beyond birds is deeply concerning, particularly because there is no commercially available H5 vaccine for mammals such as seals and dolphins.

The Federal Government’s recently announced $20 million response is welcome, but it falls well short of the $200 million emergency response experts and conservation groups have called for.

You can help reduce the risk of further spread, if you see a sick or dead bird or mammal:

AVOID: Do not touch the animal. Observe from a safe distance.
RECORD: Take photos or videos if it is safe to do so.
REPORT: Report the sighting to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Also,
- Reduce or avoid feeding birds in your backyard
- Empty & clean bird baths daily
- ⁠Keep cats indoors and dogs on leash

01/09/2026

🌷🐸Join in the spring FrogWatch SA Seasonal Census from 1 - 8 September!

Many of SA’s frogs have been enjoying our wet and woolly winter weather, but spring can bring about changes for them to party (well, mate). As the weather warms up, frogs become more active and vocal, making spring the perfect time to record their calls.

Green Adelaide and the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board invite you to get outside smell the flowers springing and record frog calls via the FrogWatch SA website or smartphone app – FrogSpotter.

📲 Download the FrogSpotter app and get ready to record frog calls!

Learn more about the seasonal frog census - link in comments

28/08/2026

🌱Native Orchids of Morialta: A Guided Walk
📅Thursday 1st October, 10am - 12.30pm
🎫Sliding scale pricing from $5pp
📍Morialta Conservation Park
❗Book in here
https://events.humanitix.com/native-orchids-of-morialta-a-guided-walk

Join the Native Orchid Society of South Australia for a guided walk to discover the orchids of Morialta Conservation Park.

Learn the basics of orchid identification, how to search for orchids in the field, and how to recognise the habitats and conditions where they are most likely to be found. Experienced members of NOSSA will share their knowledge of South Australia’s native orchids, while helping you discover some of the species found throughout Morialta.

❗Book in here
https://events.humanitix.com/native-orchids-of-morialta-a-guided-walk

27/08/2026

🎶 Eight nights. 🐸 Thousands of performers. 📱 One recording app.
The FrogWatch SA Spring Census kicks off on 1 September. Join the audience and record what you hear, or don’t. Every submission helps improve knowledge of frog populations across South Australia.
📲 Download the FrogSpotter app today and get ready to record the rhythm of spring!

Find out more: frogwatchsa.com.au/about/seasonal-census

26/08/2026

Welcome to the Library of Things!
The LoT is a simple and sustainable way for the community to borrow items instead of buying them. By sharing resources, we can help reduce
waste and the environmental impact of overconsumption.
Our goal is to make items accessible when you need them while promoting a more
efficient use of resources for everyone.

Here's what's available to borrow:
🍃Woody w**d poppers
🐞Nature education kit
🌱Soil chemical testing kit
🚲Bike tyre repair kit
🫗Waterwatch kit
⚡Home energy assessor kit
🪡Sewing machine
🦇Wildlife tracking cameras*

The first step for use is to speak to a staff member or volunteer from Hills Environment Centre, to check if the item you're after is available and to ensure staff or a volunteer are available to assist you with borrowing.
Please check our website for inventory sheet, conditions of use and instructions for borrowing via the 'resources' link in our bio

*Wildlife tracking cameras currently on extended loan for the Hills Yellow Tail Black Cockatoo Project.

We would like to thank Adelaide Hills Council for supporting of The Library of Things through their Community Development Grants program.

25/08/2026

SIGN UP NOW | Join Landscapes Hills and Fleurieu at one of two Weedy Bulb Busters Workshops on 13 September at the Hills Environment Centre - HEC, where you can:

🌷Bring along your w**dy blooms and bulbs for correct identification by Stewardship Officers.

🌷Learn how to recognise common bulb w**ds.

🌷Discover the ways they multiply and proliferate.

🌷Gain practical advice on effective control methods.

🌷Access a range of w**d management resources to get on top of your w**dy bulb problem.

Whether you're tackling a small infestation or managing a larger property, take action this spring to bust your bulbs with confidence.

Book here 🔗https://bit.ly/BulbBusters

20/08/2026

Bird flu is here. So what can we do to help protect Australia’s birds and wildlife? 🐧🦜

Join Professor Hugh Possingham, President of BirdLife Australia, and our local ACF Community Canberra community group for an online conversation about H5N1 avian influenza, what it could mean for our wildlife and the practical actions we can take to help.

There’ll also be time for your questions, plus ways you can take action and call for stronger government action.

📅 Monday 24 August
⏰ 7–8pm AEST
💻 Online and FREE to attend

RSVP below at the link 👇

https://acf.to/4zuVz5q