Paul Rosser 
Showers occurred on three occasions in April, two 0.5mm events & one 10 minute deluge that gave us 5.0mm, amounting to 6.0mm in all. The Year to Date (YTD) is now standing at 19.0mm. The median over the last 100 years is 36.0mm to the end of April.
How does this compare to the las t 13 years:
- 2025 6.0mm (2) 19.0mm YTD (2)
- 2024 7.0mm 44.0mm
- 2023 66.0mm 124.0mm
- 2022 233.0mm 73.5mm
- 2021 22.0mm 81.5mm
- 2020 52.0mm 110.0mm
- 2019 4.5mm (1) 14.5mm (1)
- 2018 9.0mm 27.0mm
- 2017 63.0mm 146.5mm
- 2016 11.0mm 105.0mm
- 2015 79.5mm 125.5mm
- 2014 40.0mm 108.0mm
- 2013 33.0mm 67.0mm
- 2012 27.0mm 142.0mm
On both counts, this April was the second worst drought since we have been in the Eco Village dating back to 2012.
The First Nations autumn is into its second month as early morning dews are now appearing regularly. The odd fallen branches also are occurring as the trees try and keep the balance right between roots and foliage moisture. We had a large branch down in the Yacca/Hakea Fire Track two weeks ago.
May will continue to be dry with likelihood of a break in the season in late May/early June. The Farmer on the top of Bowering Hill has started his dry land seeding. Perhaps he knows something we don’t.
Some of you may not be aware that the Willunga Basin Environment Centre is 30 this week. A celebration will be held at Russell’s Pizza Bar, not because we like his product but because it was the sight of our first meetings before moving over to “Bushy’ Martin’s Fodder store. He was a very good landlord giving us a peppercorn rent for the first few years as his gift to the environment. Hopefully it will still be making a contribution in 30 years time & may it be a better environment than it was when we started.
Good news that feral Olives are now on the South Australian Declared Weeds List. This means the Village is legally obliged to ensure this species is removed from our land. In working around the Grevillia Dam sight Anne & I have removed over 150 of these ‘weeds’ as we dealt with the Boobyalla fire hazard. The good news is that we have around 60 pots of native grasses to plant in this area in June. These will multiply quickly as they self-seed, turning the whole area into a lovely grassy woodland at it was in 1836. Thanks to Anne Cam & Kate for their efforts watering the new trees we planted over the last nine months. We have only lost one in that time thanks to their efforts.
Keep watering your native plants & your surrounding Common Land plants. It may be cooler now but it is still very dry.
That’s all for this month. Catch you in early June.
Paul
April 2025
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