Mt Gibson to provide safe haven

The first step was taken in the Mt Gibson Wildlife Restoration Project with the commencement of planning for the construction of a specially designed 43-kilometre feral-proof fence, built around 7,800 hectares of habitat on the sanctuary.

Fence construction was completed in June 2014. This immensely important project was instigated to reintroduce at least 10 regionally extinct and threatened mammal species.

As of May 2023 all ten species had been reintroduced, setting a new benchmark for conservation in Australia. The Woylie (Bettongia penicillata) population is estimated at over 1,000 individuals and the Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) and Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) populations have expanded to occupy the entire safe haven.

New sanctuary to conserve iconic inland birds

The then Federal Environment Minister, the Hon Peter Garrett AM, traveled to Bowra in late May 2010 to preside over celebrations marking the acquisition of AWC’s twenty-first sanctuary, and its addition to the National Reserve System.

Located in the heart of the Mulga Lands bioregion in southern Queensland, Bowra is a birdwatcher’s paradise. It is home to more than 200 bird species including the Hall’s Babbler (Pomatostomus halli), Chestnut-breasted Quail-thrush (Cinclosoma castaneothorax), Bourke’s Parrot (Neopsephotus bourkii) and the Chirruping Wedgebill (Psophodes cristatus).

Native title of Ngalia-Warlpiri and Luritja Traditional Owners recognised at Newhaven

AWC became the first NGO to enter into a native title consent determination with Ngalia-Warlpiri and Luritja Traditional Owners, recognising their native title rights in relation to Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary.

As of 2021, AWC has worked in partnership with Ngalia-Warlpiri and Luritja Traditional Owners and Warlpiri Rangers for over a decade, on priority conservation programs including fire management, feral animal control and biological surveys to protect Newhaven’s ecological health.

Restoring lost mammals to North Head

AWC embarked on its first, historic government partnership, working with Sydney Harbour Federation Trust to provide strategic advice on the protection of the headland’s endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub community, and to deliver a range of conservation projects including the reintroduction of locally extinct species to North Head Sanctuary.

The sanctuary, comprising 74 hectares of land held by the Trust, is managed in an integrated manner with the adjoining Sydney Harbour National Park. Together, these sites represent one of the most important areas for biodiversity conservation within the Sydney Basin.

AWC has reintroduced three locally extinct mammals here: the Eastern Pygmy Possum (Cercartetus nanus), Brown Antechinus (Antechinus stuartii), and native Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes). The reintroduction of Bush Rats was particularly exciting as this species is able to act as a biological control measure against invasive black rats, due to the Bush Rats’ territorial nature. The Bush Rat and Eastern Pygmy Possum are important pollinators of the Banskia Scrub.

Subleasing of Indigenous pastoral land for conservation

AWC subleased 112,000 hectares of Seven Emu from landowner, cattleman and Garawa man Frank Shadforth, marking the first leasing of Aboriginal land by a private conservation organisation to create a private nature reserve.

Pungalina-Seven Emu covers 306,000 hectares of remote Gulf Country, including 100 kilometres of the Calvert River from the interior sandstone escarpments to the coast.

The sanctuary protects 55 kilometres of pristine Gulf coastline that is of national significance to migratory shorebirds and is the only section of shoreline in the Gulf of Carpentaria that is protected from feral herbivores.

Joint ownership represents new conservation model

The establishment of Piccaninny Plains Wildlife Sanctuary in the heart of Cape York Peninsula provided an exciting new model for conservation in the private conservation sector in Australia.

The sanctuary was jointly purchased by AWC and The Tony & Lisette Lewis Foundation. AWC is responsible for the design and delivery of conservation land management and science programs on the property.

Covering 165,000 hectares, Piccaninny Plains is AWC’s northernmost sanctuary. It is located in an area of stunning ecological diversity that uniquely blends Australian and New Guinean fauna and flora, and protects a mosaic of rainforest, woodland, wetland and grassland and iconic wildlife like the Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Red Goshawk (Erythrotriorchis radiatus) and Spotted Cuscus (Spilocuscus maculatus).

A new program is created to fight fire with fire

In 2007 AWC’s EcoFire project was born, covering 5 million hectares in the Kimberley and involving 14 properties across multiple tenures (including on AWC, Indigenous and pastoral lands).

The key objectives of the program are to reduce the incidence of extensive, destructive and intense late dry season wildfires, and create a mosaic of burnt and long (3+ years) unburnt habitat in the landscape. In 2008 this groundbreaking program was awarded the Western Australian Environment Award.

EcoFire is the largest non-government fire management program in the country and its success has seen the program extended by AWC across more than 7 million hectares of northern Australia.

New sanctuary in the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre catchment

Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 2007, transforming a former pastoral station into one of Australia’s largest private (non-profit) nature reserves.

Covering a remarkable 679,000 hectares at the intersection of three of Australia’s central deserts (the Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert, the Tirari Desert and Sturt’s Stony Desert), the area is critical to the health of the Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre catchment.

The acquisition of Kalamurina linked Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park and the Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert Reserves. This created a contiguous protected area larger than Tasmania and a refuge for rare and threatened desert wildlife, including the Ampurta (Crest-tailed mulgara, Dasycercus cristicauda), Kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), Eyrean Grasswren (Amytornis goyderi) and Grey Grasswren (Amytornis barbatus).

Birds Australia gifts Newhaven to AWC

In a historic partnership, Birds Australia (now Birdlife Australia) transferred ownership and management responsibility of Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary to AWC, combining the strengths of both organisations to enhance conservation outcomes.

The sanctuary lies in the arid zone of Central Australia and is renowned as a key bird-watching destination, supporting 174 species of birds.

Scotia Wildlife Sanctuary home to ambitious reintroduction program

Scotia’s ambitious Endangered Mammal Recovery Project was launched with the aim of securing new populations of six threatened mammal species in western NSW.

In the first year of the program more than 500 animals were released into the 4,000-hectare Stage 1 feral predator-free fenced area. AWC subsequently expanded this safe haven to 8,000 hectares, creating the largest feral-predator free area on mainland Australia (later this would pass to Newhaven and then Mallee Cliffs National Park).

To date, AWC has re-established populations of four nationally threatened mammals: the Bilby (Macrotis lagotis), Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), Bridled Nailtail Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) and Burrowing Bettong (Bettongia lesueur). For these animals, the work at Scotia is vital to safeguard them against extinction.