TO begin their 10-year anniversary celebrations, Nature Glenelg Trust (NGT) hosted a two-day community event recently at the Walker Swamp Restoration Reserve.

Held at one of NGT’s most popular ecological restoration project sites, the event attracted over 100 people from near and far, with some travelling from Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to celebrate the significant milestone.

NGT held several activities between Saturday, April 30, and Sunday, May 1, including walks to learn about the wetland restoration, birdwatching, spotlighting, planting over 100 seedlings, and a hike around Walker Swamp Restoration Reserve.

NGT managing director and founder, Mark Bachmann said he was “extremely pleased” with the turnout that showed people want more emphasis on practical, local solutions to environmental issues.

“A number of people commented that they only learned about NGT recently, that this was their first event and they are looking forward to becoming more involved in the future,” he said.

“People who attended commented on the quality of information provided by NGT speakers, how positive it is to feel part of proactive work to repair the environment, and their admiration for what NGT has achieved for the community and environment over the past 10 years.”

After their humble beginning as ‘the NGT experiment’ with little to no resources, Mr Bachmann said it was “amazing” to see the organisation succeed, with 35 staff across four states, who are all dedicated to making a huge difference to environmental outcomes.

“This is a big milestone for us - it only feels like yesterday that we began,” he said.

“We still have a very big focus in the near-border zone where NGT began, with three NGT reserves near Dunkeld – meaning we are very much part of the local Hamilton and Western District community.”

Mr Bachmann said the last 10 years had been “very busy” for the organisation, with one major highlight being their work to restore wetlands.

Going forward, Mr Bachmann said the organisation hoped to consolidate what they’ve already achieved, such as ensuring the ongoing care and management of their eight reserves.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to see how much this work means to so many people in the community, how much they want to be involved, how it brings people together for a common goal,” he said.

“There is so much more we can see that needs doing to repair our landscape, so we’ll be looking to increase our impact.”

NGT are planning more events to mark their 10-year anniversary, with more information available at ngt.org.au.