Nature Festival 2021 thrives with more than 260 events

As the state scrambles to secure events and Covid continues to force cancellations, a left-field option has emerged to fill the void. There’s high hopes it could be something big.

A homegrown 10-day celebration of nature with more than 260 events could be the “next big thing” for our Festival State calendar.

State government-supported Green Adelaide is the principal sponsor of the Nature Festival, which begins on September 25.

Green Adelaide chairman Professor Chris Daniels is optimistic about the future of the festival.

“I’m an enthusiastic supporter of the Nature Festival because it could be something incredibly special, not just in Australia but around the world,” he said.

“Let’s make this one of the most significant major festivals, I know of no other urban community-based Nature Festival.”

It comes after one of the centrepieces of the state government’s spring-focused Bloom festival was dumped. The Ultimate Event – an Adelaide Oval concert featuring Kate Ceberano, David Campbell and Anthony Warlow – was cancelled because of “unworkable” Covid-19 restrictions. Five major shows in next month’s OzAsia Festival program have also been scratched.

Chair of SA Nature Festival Vicki-Jo Russell came in at number four in The Advertiser’s Top 50 most influential in the environment sector. Picture: Rosina Possingham

Chair of the Nature Festival Vicki-Jo Russell said the idea emerged from strategic sector-wide Nature of SA planning in 2016-18 to chart a new course for conservation in response to the changing climate. This led to the experimental “Amongst It” program and the first Nature Festival last year.

“We hope that every South Australian will nurture a meaningful relationship with nature that enriches their lives and fosters a spirit of reciprocity, so that nature in this state is valued and cared for, to be enjoyed by many generations of South Australians to come,” Ms Russell said.

Other major sponsors include the Adelaide City Council and the Adelaide Economic Development Agency.

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said it was a “fantastic initiative”.

“We hope Nature Festival can continue to grow to become one of the state’s biggest and best festivals, attracting visitors from across the country, showing them the natural beauty of Adelaide,” she said.

Musician Hannah Tunstill, dancer Katrina Lucas and composer David Kotlowy will perform Flora Bora with instruments from Central Java inside the Amazon Waterlily Pavilion of the Adelaide Botanic Garden. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The SA Tourism Commission has welcomed the Nature Festival’s plans to “grow bigger and broader over coming years” because this is “just the kind of innovation that the South Australian Tourism Commission loves in event creators and promoters”.

Environment Minister David Speirs said the event was part of Adelaide’s growing movement to become a National Park City.

“A thriving natural environment and a concerted effort to manage our wellbeing has never been more important,” he said.

“The Nature Festival provides brilliant opportunities for us to immerse ourselves in our environment, and truly appreciate some of the amazing natural spaces around us.”

The events will be held throughout the state.

Explore the full program at the festival website with bookings via eventbrite.