Hundreds of Critically Endangered Plains-wanderers found thriving in unexpected habitat
In a ground-breaking discovery, researchers found more than 250 Plains-wanderers thriving in habitat nobody expected the species to use.
At Bush Heritage Australia, every hectare we protect counts and tells a story – of ecosystems safeguarded, species given a chance to thrive, and landscapes cared for in partnership with Traditional Custodians. That’s why having accurate, reliable data about our reserves isn’t just a technical detail. It’s at the very heart of how we measure and share our impact.
This year, as we prepared the map of our reserves for our Impact Report, we reached an important milestone: thanks to the work of our Systems and Data team, we now have the most accurate and consistent record yet of the land we protect through our reserve network.
The team undertook a major review of every reserve. They went back to first principles, sourcing the latest high quality cadastral data directly from relevant government agencies, and built a new dataset from the ground up.
The result is the creation of Land Management Units: a foundational dataset that is more closely based on the legal boundaries of our reserves rather than the operational areas we actively manage. This dual approach gives us both the official “source of truth” and the flexibility to capture how we care for land in practice.
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Our dataset prioritises legal boundaries over operational realities, Goreng Noongar Country, WA. Photo by Grassland Films.
The dataset has been thoroughly verified and is now embedded in our systems.
“Our ability to protect landscapes and species is vitally grounded by the data we use to guide and measure our work,” says Bruce Webber, Executive Manager of Conservation Science at Bush Heritage Australia.
“By refining our reserve sizes, prioritising legal boundaries over operational realities, we’ve improved our accuracy – building on a foundation of decades of confident transparent reporting. This gives our supporters and partners absolute certainty about the impact they are helping us achieve.”
We’re proud of the work our Systems and Data team has done to get us here – and even prouder that our Impact Report now reflects this milestone.
