Coastal Native Food Plants Labyrinth

A new public labyrinth is being established at Roy Marten Reserve, Taperoo, at the western (undeveloped) end of the Reserve, overlooking Gulf St Vincent.

The Coastal Native Food Plants Labyrinth is an initiative of the Estuary Care Foundation and Learning with Labyrinths© and is funded by Green Adelaide and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.

The project will showcase the beauty, diversity and resilience of our local coastal native food plants, provide information about the plants, including (if possible) their Kaurna names, pronunciations and uses, and support personal and community well-being through connection with nature, gentle physical exercise and a place for mindful and meditative practices.

The Labyrinth of Connection has been chosen as the design for its practicalities in terms of planting and irrigation, and also because of its functions of:

• connecting things and people
• stimulating communication, better relationships, friendliness
• representing knowledge and learning
• influencing channels of giving and receiving

The 30m diameter Labyrinth of Connection incorporates fifteen species of smaller coastal native food plants (below knee height) in the Labyrinth, with up to six species of larger plants located on the periphery. Irrigation, signs and log seats (as resting places in the centre of the labyrinth) will be installed.

The walking path of the labyrinth, with a total length of approximately 800m into the centre and return, will be accessible for all abilities.

A Friends group will be established to maintain the labyrinth, trimming and replacing plants as needed, weeding the paths etc while the City of PAE Council will have ongoing responsibility for the labyrinth’s infrastructure including irrigation and paths.

Learning with Labyrinths will, with the support of the Friends Group, create events at the labyrinth that bring focus to interdependence, relationships and responsibilities; the plants and their (global) importance in ecosystems & beyond e.g. for World Environment Day, World Habitat Day, Earth Day, and events/resources for residents, local schools and community groups.

The Coastal Native Foods Labyrinth is one of several labyrinth projects being developed by Estuary Care Foundation and Learning with Labyrinths, that will collectively be known as Labyrinths on LeFevre.