Bush Heritage is a non-profit conservation organisation dedicated to protecting Australia's unique animals, plants and their habitats
What’s our formula?
We have a simple, practical formula for protecting the bush – we buy land of outstanding conservation value, then care for it.
Bush Heritage currently owns and manages 32 reserves throughout Australia, covering over 947 000 hectares. Our reserves are managed in a similar way to national parks – the land is legally protected, with the intention of safeguarding it forever.
We also build partnerships with other landowners, to manage important areas of their land for conservation. These partnerships account for a further 2.5 million hectares of land under conservation management.
A growing success
We started out in 1991, when Bob Brown bought several hundred hectares of old-growth forest in Tasmania to save it from logging. Using prize money from an environmental award as the deposit, he sought donations to gather the remaining funds, and Bush Heritage was born.
Since then, Bush Heritage has become a major player in the conservation arena, with a current operating budget of about $12 million.
Our long-term vision is to protect more than 7 million hectares of Australia's land, water and wildlife by 2025.
Everything we’ve been able to achieve is thanks to the generous support of our donors and volunteers. With many of our most-loved plant and animal species facing an uncertain future, our work is becoming more and more vital.
Why our approach works
- We are respected as a down-to-earth, pragmatic organisation that delivers tangible results.
- Using proven scientific methods, we manage our reserves to restore ecosystems to health and create the right conditions for native species to thrive.
- We are strategic in choosing land to protect – we aim to protect threatened species and habitats, to create habitat corridors and to complement existing reserves.
- We build partnerships with government, indigenous communities, landowners, businesses, and other non-profit organisations to achieve a common goal.
Who are we?
There are currently about 70 staff in the Bush Heritage team, including reserve managers and ecologists. Some staff are based in the field, while others work in the organisation’s headquarters in Melbourne. An independent board of directors oversees the organisation. We also rely on a hard-working team of volunteers.
Will you give us a helping hand?
We are reliant on donations from people like you for most of our operating budget. If you share our concern for the environment, and our optimism that we can do something to help, please consider supporting us by:
Bush Heritage offers you a practical and effective way to invest in the conservation of our natural heritage. We keep our administration costs low, so you can be sure that you are making a real difference on the ground.
Please look around our website and contact us if you would like further information.