Royal Darwin Hospital - Greening Project

About RDH Greening Project

This grassroots native revegetation project began in 2021 after healthcare staff identified an urgent need to adapt the hospital precinct to climate change and ease the hardships of delivering and receiving hospital-based care. 

Strategic planting along pedestrian corridors improves wellbeing through reducing heat exposure and encouraging active mobility. Campus users are encouraged to contemplate a reciprocal nurturing relationship with the environment while taking restorative nature walks through biodiverse plantings. 

The project also seeks to improve cultural security and health outcomes for Indigenous people who sit outside the hospital where they can connect to Country. Our project consults with senior Larrakia knowledge holders to highlight species of cultural significance and showcase their Larrakia names and traditional uses. 

To date, volunteers have planted over 1200 native trees, shrubs and groundcovers in 157 local species to the north and west of the main hospital tower. Initial surveys reveal a 29°C reduction in land surface temperature and sightings of 18 native bird species. The project's philosophy and publications have been integral to the commissioning of the 2024 RDH Landscape Masterplan.

Publications

Top End hospital leads the green revolutions in health care

Healthy Patients, Workforce and Environment: Coupling Climate Adaptation and Mitigation to Wellbeing in Healthcare