Message from our President

At Nardoo Hills Reserve on Dja Dja Wurrung Country in north-west Victoria, our Climate-Ready Revegetation project is working to anticipate and understand climate change’s impacts on Yellow Box and Grey Box populations, equipping us with knowledge to inform future restoration projects. And, in another example of our proactive response to change, through a federally funded science project, we are harnessing the power of AI to build leading edge technology that will manage invasive cat predation at scale – actively intervening with the future of this serious threat.

Our leadership in 2024-25 didn’t stop there. As natural capital and biodiversity markets emerge and gain traction, we are stepping in early to help shape their development so that their outcomes benefit nature. On agricultural lands, our work continues to be driven by the many threatened ecological communities and species identified while monitoring clients’ lands.

Walking side by side with Traditional Custodians to heal the bush, we listened, learned and shared. Together, with groups across the Country, we created space for Traditional Knowledge and Western science to meet.

In last year’s report, I spoke in awe about the high integrity restoration work in south-west Western Australia on Goreng Noongar Country, which have encouraged the spontaneous return of Gnow (Malleefowl) to a restored area on Red Moort Reserve. 

This year, we continued to take bold steps toward achieving the goals of our ambitious 2030 Strategy – a rigorous plan that guides us as we respond to the ever-changing needs of the bush.

As the world recorded its warmest year, climate change intensified Australia’s experience of its cyclical ‘boom’ and ‘bust’ periods. Floods and fire impacted landscapes and communities. As scientists predicted, we’re seeing areas in the north becoming wetter, while drought conditions are felt in the south.

Yet, as threats to the places we care about most increase, so does our collective response. I remain inspired by the dedication and incredible generosity of our growing community. A heartfelt thank-you. Your trust in our science-first conservation allows us to build on our expertise and capability, lead and innovate in the sector and, most importantly, shape a better future for our ecosystems, native plants and animals.

The Impact Report stories below typify the agile and collaborative ways in which we are adapting to care for the bush. 

This year, through the generosity of your support, we acquired the nearby Dodgey Downs, to expand critical habitat for one of our country’s most threatened species, and so many others who call the region home.

Thank you for also believing in our vision to protect Nil Desperandum in north-west New South Wales, on Budjiti Country. Last October, prior to our purchase and management of the reserve, I was fortunate to visit its neighbour – our Naree Station Reserve. One of the sites we stopped at was beneath a stand of 400-year-old Coolabahs. These trees were saplings when Henry VIII was on the throne, and to this day, they provide nesting sites for hundreds of migratory birds. Listening to the birds in the late afternoon light was a soul-stirring moment that powerfully underscored the importance of protecting this precious freshwater system.

Thanks to our continued fiscal discipline, I am pleased to report a modest surplus and our second-highest annual revenue to date. We will continue to operate consciously into the future, allowing us to deliver on the big opportunities of our 2030 Strategy.

I’d like to thank Rachel Lowry, Chief Executive Officer, for the tremendous impact of her leadership over the past year. My heartfelt thanks also go to our outgoing Board member Prue Bondfield for her influential contributions. We welcome Professor Sarah Legge, Dr Jack Pascoe and Karen Jacobs, and look forward to the skills and perspectives they bring to our organisation.

Finally, thank you to our Board and committees, supporters, staff, partners, and volunteers. As the driving force behind our vision of ‘healthy Country, protected forever’, you are shaping a brighter future for the bush – and everything that depends on it.

Kind regards, 

Sue O'Connor, President