In a time of climate change, bushfires, and global pandemics, now more than ever we need to cultivate a deeper relationship with nature as a society.
That relationship is fundamental to our personal wellbeing, core to who we are as a state, and the foundation of all of the other work that we undertake to protect and steward nature.
Plus, being in nature feels good. We know it intuitively, Aboriginal culture values it explicitly, and modern science has more recently begun to quantify the wellbeing benefits of nature.
We think that's worth celebrating, and we hope you'll join us.
Nature Conservation Society of SA is a voluntary body with members drawn from all parts of the State and all walks of life.
We are grateful to have the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia as our hosting organisation this year for the collaborative projects that are Amongst It and the Nature Festival.
Green Adelaide is a new approach to managing our urban environment.
The only reason the Festival is able to be here today is thanks to the early and continued belief of Green Adelaide and the Adelaide Mt Lofty Ranges Board that preceded it.
Designed for life, Adelaide is consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world.
The City of Adelaide are a sponsor and true partner in the ongoing success of the festival.
Nature Play SA is a small team working hard to bring the essential elements of childhood back into our lives.
We're particularly appreciative of the spirit of collaboration of Nature Play SA and their decision to combine their existing Nature Play festival with ours and work together on this bigger shared vision.
Trees for Life is a not-for-profit community-based organisation working with everyday people to help restore our natural environment through revegetation and conservation.
Trees for Life has been a strong supporter of the Amongst It project and Nature Festival project since our inception.
Conservation SA is the voice for South Australia's environment. They've been committed to protecting nature in SA for more than 50 years.
Conservation SA were the first hosting organisation for this collaborative effort and remain strong supporters.
Hinterland is a human-centred design studio working in belonging, nature, and friendship. They specialise in creative, ambitious projects that reimagine how we live, work, and relate.
Hinterland have been central in shaping the vision, strategy, intent, and collaborative structure of the festival.
Griffith hosts the world's largest social marketing centre. They work with social change practitioners to ensure that people and our planet come first
Griffith have generously donated substantial resources to evaluate the effectiveness of the first year of Nature Festival.
The Nature Festival is a 2020 pilot project of Amongst It. Amongst It is a collaborative, cross-sector innovation project exploring our individual and societal relationships with nature. For the past several years, we have been exploring creative ways to build individual relationships to everyday nature and celebrate how important nature is to the identity of South Australia.
We believe a positive, creative approach to shifting our cultural narrative around nature is one of the most important conservation activities we can undertake. We aim to cut through politics and division by reminding people of the essence of what it means to be human in a more-than-human world.
In 2018 and 2019, we ran and funded a variety of projects scattered throughout the year. In 2020, the Nature Festival is a pilot of turning those diverse activities into a coherent program as a new ‘open access’ festival.
