Our team of scientists, field staff, data specialists, conservation planners and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Managers work every day to heal and protect the bush. We are on the ground, actively managing the landscapes in our reserve network and working side by side with Traditional Custodians and private landholders to deliver landscape-scale impact.

Our Conservation Management Process (CMP) is an adaptive management framework, providing us with a clear, systematic approach to plan, manage, monitor and learn from our work. This process is informed by global best practices and draws heavily on the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (Conservation Standards). We use strategic indicators to consistently measure and evaluate our progress. This allows us to assess progress and adapt decision-making to make our land management most effective.

The Conservation Standards were developed from the experiences of conservation organisations, including Bush Heritage, and philanthropic funders from across the globe. These members make up the Conservation Measures Partnership. Together, we work to evaluate and continually improve our sector’s global work and impacts.

When we acquire a reserve, we identify the ‘targets’ we wish to protect and the ‘threats’ to the health of those targets. We then prioritise land management strategies to improve the health of our targets and reduce the threats. This ensures supporters’ contributions deliver the greatest possible impact.

“Our CMP helps us to ground us in the present and guide our action. It gives us the confidence to take risks, learn from both our successes and failures, and adapt for real conservation impact,” explains Clair Dougherty, National Conservation Manager.

Across our reserves we cycle through the five steps in our Conservation Management Process (below) to plan, manage, monitor, evaluate and adapt our conservation projects.

Assess

Define what ‘healthy Country’ looks like for a landscape.
Identify the species, habitats and cultural values that need to be managed and protected.
Identify threats to the health of the above.

Plan

Define the impact we want to have on target species, habitats and cultural values.
Identify the strategies and knowledge required to achieve this.
Confirm how we'll monitor progress.

Implement

Identify the long-term resources required.
Prepare work plans and budgets, and implement on-ground activities in line with the plan.
Record data and report progress as activities are undertaken.

Document and share results with others (internally and externally).
Communicate the impact that's been achieved, the actions taken, and the lessons learned.

Analyse & Adapt

Assess the progress being made towards the desired impact, and whether we're on track.
Adapt the plan if necessary to make our work more effective.

This process is informed by global best practice and draws heavily on the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation (Conservation Standards).

We use strategic indicators to consistently review and evaluate our progress. This sharpens our decision-making and helps us adapt our land management practices