Glenthorne Farm & Southern Adelaide Biodiverse Carbon Rehabilitation

Glenthorne Farm & Southern Adelaide Biodiverse Carbon Rehabilitation is an environmental planting project located at Glenthorne National Park-Ityamaiitpinna Yarta in O'Halloran Hill, approximately 17km south of the Adelaide CBD in South Australia. Registered in January 2019, the project covers 540.84 hectares. The region and the specific project site were historically utilized for agricultural grazing and crop research, serving as an army remount depot during WWI and later as a CSIRO agricultural research facility, before the land was conserved and transitioned into a sprawling national park precinct.

The project operates under the Reforestation by Environmental or Mallee Plantings (FullCAM) methodology, having recently updated its method determination from 2014 to the newer 2024 variation in May 2026. Environmental planting projects of this kind involve establishing permanent plantings of mixed, locally-native tree species on land that was predominantly used for agriculture for at least five years prior to commencement. To satisfy the methodology's standard requirements, the native tree plantings must be established at a sufficient density (typically at least 200 stems per hectare) to achieve genuine forest cover, meaning they must have the potential to reach at least two meters in height with a 20% crown cover.

Situated in the southern foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, the local environment features a Mediterranean climate characterized by moderate and reliable winter rainfall. Soils across the former farming landscape typically consist of variable loams and cracking clays. To suit these specific conditions and properly restore the degraded land, the project strictly uses tree species endemic to the local area, such as Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) and South Australian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus leucoxylon).

An interesting supplementary conservation effort tied to this site involves the innovative management of woody weeds. Feral olive trees cleared from Glenthorne National Park have been sustainably processed using a high-temperature portable carbonator to produce biochar. This environmentally friendly carbon-recycling initiative traps the carbon in a stable form, which is then supplied to vineyards in the nearby McLaren Vale wine region to retain soil moisture, boost agricultural resilience, and improve overall vine health.