by Carla Caruso

It’s hard to know where to begin when introducing Jacqui Hunter, she’s done so many things.

Jacqui’s a new face on the APA committee this year. She’s also the chief of Hunter Gatherings, an environmental education consultancy, which works in collaboration with practitioners to create events and resources.

Her background’s in primary school teaching, community-building, permaculture, and school garden design. As well, she has a small bush block near McLaren Vale, Berawinnia, where many events are held, including the hosting of a bush playgroup.

Here, we chat to Jacqui about all things Park Lands - and why she’d love you to wear a green belt!

Hi, Jacqui. Why did you join the APA committee? And how long have you been involved?

My deep interest in the Park Lands began when our swimming centre [in Park 2] was under threat by a football club.

It was the first time I realised how vulnerable the Park Lands are to development, so I attended public meetings and joined APA. I was invited to join the APA committee early this year.

What keeps you busy when you’re not being a Park Lands committee member?

I am an environmental educator, and love organising events that bring people together in creative and inspiring ways in nature. 

Around the time of joining APA, my husband [Paul Anderson] and I embarked on a circumnavigation of the Park Lands on foot.

It took us most of a day as we stopped to read interpretive signs, had a picnic lunch, and explored lots of hidden corners. It was a revelation!

This led me to organising The Intriguing Trail for the inaugural Nature Festival, where over 80 people cycled around our ‘in-TREE-guing’ Park Lands, celebrating trees and the centenary of the South Australian Forest League. 

During this ride, my friend told me about the amazing symbiotic relationship between the chequered copper butterfly, a common ant, and the native sorrel, which had been discovered in the grasslands in Victoria Park [Pakapakanthi – Park 16].

This relationship is well-documented on the Butterfly Conservation SA website. [Editor’s note: it’s also featured in APA’s Trail Guide to that Park.]

The following year, I was involved in organising the Park Lands Project – a one-day festival in Park 17, Tuthangga [Carriageway Park], with artists, musicians, and citizen science activities. 

I thought it would be great to dramatise the [butterfly] story, so with the help of Gerry Butler, chairman of Butterfly Conservation SA, we performed Herding Caterpillars with two professional actors and three fabulous kids. 

We are now in the process of turning this play into a Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) experience for the next Nature Festival in October, thanks to a $65,000 CreaTech Grant from Adelaide City Council, led by artist Rosina Possingham.

My role in this digital project is quite small as it is way beyond my abilities! So, in addition, I am coordinating a community art project called The Green Belt, which aims to build a strong sense of ownership and pride in the extraordinary gift of open, green space surrounding our city, and the need to protect and tend it to ensure it doesn’t get frayed away. 

Members of the SA community are invited to create a ‘green belt’ to wear or share, with images and decorations that represent what they love or find interesting about the Adelaide Park Lands.

Green belts are made from a strip of green fabric, approximately 12cm wide by 1m to 1500mm long (depending on one’s girth!) 

I will be organising some workshops to decorate the belts in the lead-up to and during the Nature Festival, and hope to organise a ‘flash mob’ to show them off. 

If anyone has green fabric they can donate for this project, I would love to hear from them. 

What do you consider the most pressing issue for the Park Lands? 

I think the Park Lands need to provide a cooling space for the city, so more trees please!