Selection and Management

How does Bush Heritage select and manage its reserves?

Bush Heritage protects threatened and ecologically significant examples of Australia's wildlife habitats and plant communities. In making the decision to acquire a piece of land, we take into account the contribution its preservation will make to biodiversity, and whether the ecological communities and species it contains are protected in other reserves such as national parks. We also consider the long-term costs of managing the land, as we make a commitment to ensure the protection of Bush Heritage reserves for the long term. We acquire land through purchase, gift, or bequest. For more information read our Assessment Process and our Acquisition Policy.

Bush Heritage reserves are managed by professional land managers, with the support of interested community members through our Conservation Partners Program. Volunteer rangers provide vital skills and person power to many of the management tasks.

What is protected on Bush Heritage reserves?

Bush Heritage is a national, independent, non-profit organisation. It strives to protect the unique and abundant diversity of life in Australia for the long term. It achieves this by acquiring and managing land and water of outstanding conservation significance.

An example of Bush Heritage's reserves protection of:

• redgum grassy woodland - on the Brogo River in the Bega Valley, New South Wales
• fan palm forest - habitat for cassowaries and threatened plant species in the Daintree, North Queensland
• endangered brigalow and six other threatened regional ecosystems - at Carnarvon Station Reserve in the brigalow belt of central Queensland
• wandoo woodland - with mallee, ephemeral wetlands and over 200 species of flowering plants in southwest Western Australia
• ancient york gum, salmon gum and gimlet woodlands - in southwestern Western Australia at the Charles Darwin Reserve
• the last remaining large stand of South Esk pine - at the South Esk Pine Reserve in Tasmania
• arid-zone dune country and floodplain  - at Ethabuka that is vital habitat for Australia's desert mammals.
  threatened grassy woodlands - in Victoria.
  

There is no shortage of places all around Australia in urgent need of Bush Heritage's protection. Our work is funded principally by donations from members of the public, who are contributing directly to the preservation of Australia's unique environment.