Bushtracks Winter 2017

There’s been a critical evolution in Bush Heritage’s thinking about conservation over the years.

In the beginning, we were an organisation set on owning land to protect it. While that remains a key part of what we do, there’s been one significant addition to our approach: today, our vision for conservation involves other landholders.

Through this evolution, we’ve opened doors to conservation opportunities that would never otherwise have been available to us. The Tasmanian Midlands is one such opportunity.

This landscape is of exceptional conservation value, almost the entire region sits under private ownership, and some of those properties have been passed down through families for many generations.

By working with the Midlands landowners to find a conservation solution that meets their needs, Bush Heritage has been able to contribute to the long-term protection of one of Australia’s most biodiverse landscapes.

Together with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy, and with the help of our supporters and those who’ve generously contributed to the Midlands Conservation Fund (see Paying the way to conservation), we’ve worked out a practical and innovative way of making conservation and agriculture work side-by-side.

In this edition of our Bush Tracks newsletter, we’re taking the opportunity to show you what you’ve helped to achieve in the Tasmanian Midlands so far, the native plants and animals you’re protecting, and what’s to come.

In many ways, the fundamental question facing Midlands farmers is one we could all be asking ourselves: ‘In what condition do I want to pass this country on to the next generation?’

Bush Heritage, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and Midlands landowners are working together to secure the natural legacy of future generations.

Thank you for making that possible,

Gerard O’Neill, Chief Executive.