Climate & Environment
Townsend Family’s 40‑acre Vineyard Transformed into Regent Parrot Habitat
Tony and Cherie Townsend, former vineyard managers in South Australia’s Riverland, removed 40 acres of grapevines from their Murtho property in 2022 and replanted the land with native vegetation. The restoration, completed in 2026, involved planting more than 3,000 native seedlings across 14 hectares of former vineyard land, with support from the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, Trees For Life, and local volunteers. The project is part of a broader effort to rebuild habitat for the vulnerable regent parrot (Polytelis anthopeplus monarchoides), which relies on mature river red gum trees for nesting and nearby mallee woodlands for food. The Townsend family, along with four generations of relatives, school students, youth council members, Aboriginal corporation rangers, and conservation staff, participated in the planting. The restored area lies along the River Murray, a key route for regent parrots, and aims to provide connected feeding and breeding sites to reduce the need for birds to cross exposed areas. The initiative aligns with the Regent Parrot Conservation Project and other habitat reconnection programs across the River Murray landscape. The Nature Foundation, working with the Regent Parrot Recovery Team and the Landscape Board, has been conducting annual breeding surveys; a 2025 survey at Murbpook Nature Reserve identified a new nesting pair, adding a third distinct nesting area at the reserve. The Townsend’s decision to forgo potential vineyard income has created a landscape that could support native wildlife for generations to come.