Presented by Nature Festival and City of Adelaide

Join us to celebrate the opening of Nature Festival 2026 and plant the first seeds of this year’s festival.

Gather on North Terrace as the Seedling Exchange—a temporary public pavilion and living installation—is brought to life through its first collective planting. Project collaborators, community representatives and members of the public will be invited to add the first native seeds to the pavilion, beginning a process of participation, care and growth that will continue throughout the festival.

Enter the pavilion, collect a cup, add soil, choose a seed, plant it and give it its first water. Take your seedling home or leave it to grow within the Seedling Exchange’s collective nursery.

As more people participate, the pavilion will gradually fill with emerging plants, becoming a living record of thousands of individual contributions. Come together to welcome Nature Festival’s 2026 theme, SEED, and help begin something that will grow far beyond this opening moment.


About Seedling Exchange:
The Seedling Exchange is a temporary public pavilion and living installation bringing propagation into the heart of Adelaide. Located on North Terrace in front of the State Library of South Australia, it creates a place where architecture, ecology and collective participation meet.

Step inside, collect a cup, add soil, choose a native seed, plant it and give it its first water. Take your seedling home to nurture or leave it within the pavilion, where it will grow alongside the contributions of others.

As thousands of seeds are planted across Nature Festival, the pavilion will gradually transform into a collective nursery—a living record of many small acts of care. The seedlings will then disperse into homes, gardens, schools and community spaces, extending the project beyond its temporary city home.

No gardening experience is needed, and participation takes only a few minutes. Through this simple, hands-on exchange, visitors learn how to begin growing from seed and become part of a larger living system.

Open daily from 11am–3pm + later on Fridays throughout Nature Festival, with additional talks, demonstrations and activities led by growers, artists, ecological practitioners and community organisations.

Opening Hours During the Festival September 25th - October 11th:
Mondays 11am - 3pm
Tuesdays 11am - 3pm
Wednesdays 11am - 3pm
Thursadys 11am - 3pm
Fridays 11am - 6pm
Saturdays 11am - 3pm
Sundays 11am - 3pm
 

WHAT TO EXPECT

You are welcomed into the space and given a small seed cup. 

Moving through the planting station, you will add soil, select a seed, plant it and give it its first water.

From there, you make a choice.

The seed cup can be taken home to germinate and grow, extending the Seedling Exchange into your own home or garden. Alternatively, it can be left within the pavilion, where it joins the growing collection planted by other visitors and is cared for as part of the Seedling Exchange nursery.

The Seedling Exchange Nursery will be shared with the City of Adelaide, and become part of our public, urban green spaces. 

Enter → Collect → Add Soil → Choose → Plant → Water → Take Home or Leave to Grow

Visitors do not need previous gardening experience, specialist equipment or a large amount of time. The activity is intended to make the beginning of plant propagation tangible, approachable and memorable.

Recommended Audience

All ages + Families

The Seedling Exchange is designed for a broad public audience and does not require previous knowledge of gardening, horticulture, architecture or ecology.

Children are encouraged to participate with appropriate parent, guardian or supervising adult support.

Physical Accessibility

The pavilion is designed to provide wheelchair-accessible entry and circulation, including an integrated accessible approach to the raised pavilion floor.

The planting activity is arranged to allow participation by visitors with different levels of mobility.

Wheelchair accessible: YES. 
NB: Plaza site location area is paved and sloped - thus may be more challenging for wheelchair access overall. 

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Visitors

Participation in the core planting activity does not depend upon hearing spoken instruction. The planting sequence is communicated visually within the pavilion and staff will be available to assist.

Suitable for deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors: YES

Blind and Low-Vision Visitors

The activity is inherently tactile, involving direct interaction with seed cups, soil, seeds and water. Staff can provide individual verbal guidance through the planting process where required.

The pavilion has not been designed as a specialist vision-access program, and this should not be represented as such. However, staff will support blind and low-vision visitors to participate in the core planting activity.

Blind / low-vision participation: supported with staff assistance

Holiday workshop/activity/meet-up

🌱 Practical Gardening Skills Learn the step-by-step basics of growing plants from seed: preparing a container, adding soil, sowing native seeds, and watering properly Gain confidence that no prior experience is needed — simple, accessible propagation skills anyone can use Understand basic care needs for seedlings to thrive at home or in shared spaces 🌿 Ecological Awareness & Native Plants Discover South Australian native seeds and plants — their value for local ecosystems, biodiversity, and adaptation to the environment Understand propagation and plant life cycles from seed to seedling Recognise how growing local natives supports healthier, sustainable landscapes 🤝 Collective Action & Community Connection Experience the power of small, shared acts of care combining into something larger and meaningful See firsthand how individual participation creates collective impact — the pavilion transforms into a living record of community effort Understand how shared growth spreads outward: seedlings move into homes, gardens, schools, and public spaces, extending positive impact far beyond the event 💡 Conceptual & Creative Insight Explore the connection between architecture, ecology, and people — nature brought into the heart of the city Engage with the festival theme SEED as both literal and symbolic: beginnings, potential, growth, and shared responsibility Be inspired to continue growing, participating, and caring for nature long after the opening event