Hills Environment Centre - HEC

10/06/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Jake Robinson for receiving this year's Green Adelaide Pelzer Prize.
Jake has delivered interesting and engaging talks for Hills Environment Centre, as well as other environment centres within the Greater Adelaide Environment Network. Not only has Jake conducted important research in his own right, but he also has a great ability to make complex scientific concepts accessible for a wide audience - empowering others to become informed stewards of nature and inspiring deeper engagement with the natural world.

🏆 On Friday, Green Adelaide's Pelzer Prize was awarded to Dr Jake Robinson for his remarkable contribution to urban environmental stewardship through books, digital platforms, and community engagement that is helping South Australians see urban nature as a living system worth protecting.

Certificates of Merit were awarded to Professor Wayne Meyer, Mark Richards, David Howlett, and Max McQuillan.

"Jake has a rare gift, the ability to make complex ecological science feel personal, relevant, and urgent," said Green Adelaide Presiding Member Professor Chris Daniels. "At its heart, this prize recognises people who champion stewardship of our natural world."

The SA Environment Awards are presented by Conservation Council SA in partnership with Green Adelaide, the Department for Environment and Water, and the The University of Adelaide Environment Institute, learn more about the other winners from Conservation SA.

Environment SA News

Learn more – link in comments.

10/06/2026

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fghost-mushrooms%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqZ6iF1upQkiTto2r1OoFULWBUcc6LkjSWfaSIz_1szNsVA4kU3-ADg5k8S5_aem_xD2G-RsRwdv_e0bpqoUKSQ&h=AUCoRTyt###se-A6ccHJC0oJmVYWHITVz0Sahk02D7mncwnriTYPbC2GEkm-_8604RXZox4m_ZG-CKzQ7bjLxkVaCsqrns2Gf72j0yysTK9OCh7BQahJQEA5lLvsw3iaubcZg7Zj6FnyBZBfsnIBoTpiC4HcheVk&__tn__=R]-R&c[0]=AUBkD31orwGOt5lzoyxN9jbXwwpoM_sq8A8RwDyEtQtWn3HVeFnRXjZhITa2XYl0dOqjGFkY7JIzU4ahR5-dWwSPtRC3KKvROGXyo3-AveZeo-XE2OWIhdxXg4UqlcPRuwldS5OjmMIxk72NECY3_nhhiRlPWbFStyDJTwaUITdXjLsz8H1bDjVa01_cYKE8W_NmsV8htPFPNTFMz88NrG6OM__d7Q&c[1]=AUBkD31orwGOt5lzoyxN9jbXwwpoM_sq8A8RwDyEtQtWn3HVeFnRXjZhITa2XYl0dOqjGFkY7JIzU4ahR5-dWwSPtRC3KKvROGXyo3-AveZeo-XE2OWIhdxXg4UqlcPRuwldS5OjmMIxk72NECY3_nhhiRlPWbFStyDJTwaUITdXjLsz8H1bDjVa01_cYKE8W_NmsV8htPFPNTFMz88NrG6OM__d7Q

Imagine stumbling across a patch of glowing green mushrooms on a night walk.

After wet weather, ghost mushrooms can light up the forest floor with an eerie green glow, creating one of the state's most unusual natural spectacles.

It might sound like something from a fantasy movie, but these fascinating fungi can be found right here in South Australia, including in some of our national parks and conservation parks!

Have you ever seen ghost mushrooms in the wild?

📸 Sam Correll. Taken in 2025.

02/06/2026

🌳Environmental Grief Support Group
📅Thursday 4th June and Thursday 9th July 1pm - 2.30pm (in person.)
Wednesday 26th August, 5.30pm - 7pm (online.)
🎫Sliding scale pricing, pay what you can.
📍Hills Environment Centre, Norton Summit.
Book in here https://events.humanitix.com/eco-grief-support-group

Many of us are feeling the emotional effects of living through environmental and social change. We may feel grief for what is being lost, anxiety about the future, overwhelm, helplessness, anger, sadness, or simply a growing sense that something is deeply out of balance.
Many people have expressed a desire for spaces where these feelings can be shared openly and honestly; without judgement, pressure to “stay positive,” or the need to immediately turn feelings into action.
The HEC Environmental Grief Support Group has been created in response to that need.

Book in here https://events.humanitix.com/eco-grief-support-group

15/05/2026

04/05/2026

28/04/2026

🐜The Enigmatic Echidna
📅Saturday 2nd May
🕗12.30pm - 2.30pm
🎫FREE
📍Hills Environment Centre, Norton Summit
Book in

Join us for this free event to discover the secrets of the elusive echidna.
There are few animals more unusual than the echidna – a spiky, egg-laying mammal that eats ants.
But some of the most striking things about echidnas are things most of us don't know. That they use their snout like a snorkel when they swim, that they can sense electromagnetic fields, that they have intriguingly complex brains, startling physical strength and 'backwards' back feet. That they go into torpor when conditions are poor and can survive fires by sheltering underground. And that during the mating season, male echidnas will line up behind a female, making cooing noises and forming an orderly echidna train, waiting for their chance to impress her with some very strange reproductive equipment!

What’s happening:
🐜Echidna Talk: Dive into the fascinating world of echidnas with a captivating talk by Danielle Clode on one of Australia's most unique creatures.
🐜Book Launch: Signed copies of Danielle's new book The Enigmatic Echidna will be available for sale.
🐜Echidna-Themed Kids Activities: Fun and educational hands-on activities for kids centred around our spiky friends.

Book in here :https://events.humanitix.com/the-enigmatic-echidna-with-danielle-clode

28/04/2026

Hello everyone, please be advised that our Coordinator is off sick and will be back at HEC next Tuesday 5th May.

22/04/2026

*UPDATE - SOLD OUT.
Wait lists for tickets are open and will be automatically offered on a first come, first serve basis should someone cancel.
Thank you for your support*

🍄Adelaide Hills Fungi Festival.
📅Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th June.
🕗9.30am - 4pm Sat, 10am - 4pm Sun.
🎫Day passes $30 general admission, $20 concession/student. Limited weekend passes available.
📍Arbury Park Outdoor School.
More information and tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/adelaide-hills-fungi-festival-2026

Join us for a weekend of curiosity, connection, and discovery as we venture into the kingdom of fungi at the second Adelaide Hills Fungi Festival.
Explore the many ways fungi are woven into our lives with expert talks, hands-on workshops, guided forays, exhibitions, and more.

Whether you’re a passionate fungi enthusiast or simply curious, come along to learn something new and discover why fungi are among Earth’s most fascinating organisms.

*If you are an artist with fungi-themed work and would like to be part of our art exhibition, please get in touch. (Unfortunately we can not hang works as there is no hooks/hangers on the walls. Works need to be displayed on a table.)

More information and tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/adelaide-hills-fungi-festival-2026