nsw land for wildlife

Caring for Australia’s Natural & Cultural Heritage Since 1970

Volunteering Land for Conservation in the National Estate

Angus M RobinsonChair, Marketing & Sales

Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife6th May, 2011


Today’s Agenda

National Estate and Natural HeritageAbout the mission of the FoundationLand Acquisition – three case studiesHabitat conservation – Koala Tree Choice

ProjectEnvironmental Awareness – the Backyard

Buddies ProgramHow to Participate


National Estate

The term (‘National Estate’) was incorporated into the Australian Heritage Commission Act and is used to describe a collection of buildings and sites that are worthy of preservation for a variety of reasons. It covers natural environments as well as European history and Aboriginal culture.

The National Estate includes national parks and other lands reserved for public usage.


Understanding Natural Heritage

Natural heritage is the legacy of natural objects and intangible attributes encompassing the countryside and natural environment, including flora and fauna, scientifically known as biodiversity, and geology, landforms and soil landscapes, i.e. geodiversity.


Soil Landscapes

A Soil Landscape is:

a repeating pattern of soil and landforms resulting from a common geological/geomorphic history.

Therefore they will have similar:

Geology Topography Vegetation Soils Geoheritage features


Soil Landscapes


The Foundation

When then Premier of NSW, the Hon Tom Lewis MP, first established the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service, he had a vision of establishing a complementary organisation, constituted mainly from the corporate sector, to acquire parks for the Service. Hence the birth of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife in 1970.

Today the Foundation continues the tradition of growing parks and caring for them and the species that inhabit them.


Over 40 Years of Caring


Vision

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife aims to be Australia’s foremost philanthropic partner for national parks.

We care for Australia’s natural and cultural heritage through environmental education and conservation projects.


Foundation Achievements


1. Foundation Achievements

In our history we have added over 500,000 hectares to Australia’s national reserve system, for the enjoyment of all.

We fund threatened species recovery programs. We have saved animals such as the Lord Howe Island woodhen, Gould’s petrel and the yellow-footed rock-wallaby from extinction.


2. Foundation Achievements

The Foundation protects our heritage icons as sources of inspiration for future generations of Australians and visitors from across the world. Some examples of cultural heritage we have helped protect include the World Heritage Old Great North Road, Kosciuszko Historic Huts, Fort Denison, and Mungo.

Finally, we involve the community in the conservation of Australia's native plants and animals through environmental education.


Growing our National Parks


Growing Our National Parks

Growing our parks is essential to safeguard our natural heritage for future Australians.

National Parks remain the core of our protected land system.

The Foundation continues to purchase suitable land to add to extend our national reserves for future generations.


Growing Bongil Bongil National Park


Growing Bongil Bongil NP

2010 saw the Foundation add $550,000 worth of high conservation land to the Bongil Bongil National Park on the upper north coast of New South Wales.

Five (5) threatened species live on the 12.3 hectare addition to Bongil Bongil including koalas, grey- headed flying-foxes, glossy black cockatoos, ospreys and wallum froglets.

This habitat will now be protected in perpetuity.


Growing Bongil Bongil National Park

Bongil Bongil National Park

Sawtell


Growing Bongil Bongil NP

The property also embraces two endangered ecological communities – swamp sclerophyll forest and freshwater wetlands on coastal floodplains.

This land donation protects these valuable ecological communities along with Bongil Bongil’s existing estuaries, amazing beaches and coastal rainforests.


Growing South East Forests NP



Mark Adams and Lynnette Eggleston made a selfless act in 2010.

They donated their $50,000 property ‘Windaree’, which supports vulnerable species like glossy black cockatoos and grey-headed flying-foxes, to the Foundation so that it could be preserved for the benefit of all Australians.



South East ForestsNational Park

Bombala



This acquisition serves to provide additional protection to the water catchment, under-represented forest ecosystems, & threatened fauna species.

The open forest of mixed eucalypts growing amongst the ferns of ‘Windaree’ will join the spectacular old-growth forests, heathlands, upland swamps, granite boulders and moist fern-filled gullies that make up the valuable habitat of the South East Forests National Park, and ‘Australia’s Coastal Wilderness’ national landscape.


Growing Yellomundee Regional Park



Yellomundee Regional Park is on the eastern escarpment of the New South Wales Blue Mountains, north-west of Penrith. It extends from Yarramundi to Mount Riverview and Emu Heights. The generosity of John and Shirley Sarks has increased the size of Yellomundee Regional Park by 25%.



Yellomundee Regional Park

Penrith



The Sark’s 122.2 hectare property ‘Yellow Rock’ was officially handed over to the Yellomundee Regional Park in October 2011.

John and Shirley’s wish to pass on the natural beauty of their property to the public has been fulfilled.


Volunteering Land for Conservation


Volunteering Land for Conservation

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is the only organisation in Australia whose philanthropy is an investment in our public estate, for all to enjoy.

There are tax incentives for landholders donating land but the real value is the growth of our national parks and the protection given to our plants and animals cared for under their management.


Habitat Conservation & Wildlife Corridors


Habitat Conservation & Wildlife Corridors (1)

Our wildlife needs ways to adapt to a changing environment, moving between the major stepping stones of our parks and across private lands. With more than 90 per cent of land in New South Wales outside public conservation reserves, protected area partnerships with private and other public landholders are an important complement to public reserves in protecting places of natural and cultural heritage significance.


Habitat Conservation & Wildlife Corridors (2)

Landholder commitment is helping to build a comprehensive, adequate and representative system of protected areas across the Australian landscape.


Private Land Conservation


Private Land Conservation (1)

The Community Environment Network (CEN) facilitates and supports ‘Land For Wildlife’ in New South Wales.

‘Land for Wildlife’ is free to landholders, is not legally binding and the legal status of your property does not change.

The two options for legally binding conservation partnerships are Conservation Agreements or Wildlife Refuges which are established to achieve long-term conservation outcomes.


Private Land Conservation (2)

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife has adapted its vision to fund private landholders which have legally binding conservation agreements through the Private Land Conservation Grants program.

This year the Foundation is offering $100,000 worth of funding, also in support of restoration projects on and off parks.


Plants & Wildlife


Plants & Wildlife

Many of Australia’s species are in decline.

The Foundation also cares for the well-being of our unique Australian wildlife through

feral pest control, captive breeding programs, and monitoring surveys e.g. the Koala Tree Choice project


Koala Tree Choice Gunnedah

Koalas are dependent on selecting the right tree in the right place at the right time. The project seeks to explore the direct effect of climate change on koalas by examining which parts of the landscape and which tree species koalas use, and what condition they are in during a heatwave.


Koala Tree Choice GunnedahParticipants

National Parks & Wildlife Service Gunnedah Research Centre University of Sydney School of Biological Sciences Landcare NSW Inc Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife


Gunnedah Natural Heritage

Gunnedah Basin Permian Coal Measures and covered by Triassic sediments and rich volcanic derived soils – broad flood plains with class 1 to 5 soils Mixed dry land eucalypts and Pilliga Scrub varieties e.g. Cypress Pine, Casuarinas etcMacropods, koalas, profilic birdlife common – Koala Capital of Australia!European farming settlements, Dorothy Makellar, and indigenous culture (Kamilaroi peoples etc)


Tracking Koalas


Koala in a Tree


Koala Wrangling


Koala Examination


Koala Unwrangling


Koala Back in the Wild


Thanks A Lot!


Koala Habitat Researchers


Tree Survey


Koala Scat Research!


Koala Tree Choice Project Outcomes

Koala survival enhancement Improvement to native ecosystems through intelligent tree planting and clearing Enhanced knowledge for landholders – response to climate change Improved coal mine site rehabilitation

Caring for Australia’s Natural & Cultural Heritage since 1970

Environmental Education – ‘Backyard Buddies’


Backyard Buddies

Our Backyard Buddies biodiversity education program encourages the community to look after wildlife in their own backyards. It is making a real contribution by protecting local wildlife and biodiversity, and achieving environmental sustainability.

There are over 15,000 Backyard Buddy members who receive our monthly e-newsletter full of interesting facts about backyard plants and animals and tips and ideas on how to attract them.

• Backyard Buddies has recently launched its own facebook page for members to talk about their buddies and share their stories, ideas and photos.

• Last year our Backyard Buddies program raised more than $ XXK. This money was directed back into funding some of our many on the ground projects.


Backyard Buddies

Backyard Buddies has recently launched its own facebook page for members to talk about their buddies and share their stories, ideas and photos.

Last year our Backyard Buddies program raised more than $100,000. This money was directed back into funding some of our many ‘on the ground’ projects.


Working in Partnership


Backyard Buddies

The Foundation works closely with the Department of Environment and Heritage’ as well as other organisations who care for Australia’s natural and cultural heritage such as, Councils, ‘not-for-profit’ organisations such as CEN and private landholders to carry out our conservation aims.

Together we continue to protect and conserve as much of our wildlife as possible.


Support the Foundation

There are many ways you can support the Foundation:

Become a Regular Monthly Donor Make a One Off Donation Donate Property Build a Workplace Giving Program Make a Memorial or Honour Gift Make a Bequest Become a Sponsor Stay informed - sign up to receive our quarterly newsletter


Support the Foundation

Our environment depends on people who care to fight for it. As a registered charity, tax deductible donations primarily fund the Foundation’s activities. Our achievements result from the support we receive from committed individuals.

The Foundation directs funds towards projects with tangible conservation outcomes such as growing our national reserve system for the public, pest eradication programs and threatened species recovery and research projects.


For more Information about the Foundation

Visit our websitewww.fnpw.org.au and sign up for our newsletter!

Become our friend on Facebookwww.facebook.com/fnpw.1970www.facebook.com/backyardbuddies

Follow us on twitterhttp://twitter.com/fnpw

Call us(02) 9221 1949

[email protected]

http://www.fnpw.org.au/