NSW Land for Wildlife

Volunteering Land for Conservation in the National Estate
Angus M Robinson Chair, Marketing & Sales Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife 6 th May, 2011

Today’s Agenda
National Estate and Natural Heritage
About the mission of the Foundation
Land Acquisition – three case studies
Habitat conservation – Koala Tree Choice Project
Environmental Awareness – the Backyard Buddies Program
How 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 Forests National 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 Gunnedah
Participants
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 etc
Macropods, 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

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 website www.fnpw.org.au and sign up for our newsletter! Become our friend on Facebook www.facebook.com/fnpw.1970 www.facebook.com/backyardbuddies Follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/fnpw Call us (02) 9221 1949 Email [email_address]

NSW Land for Wildlife

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