WildCountry Funded Grants 2005 – 2008

Introduction   |   WildCountry Funded Grants 2005 – 2008   |   Criteria for Assessment of Applications

Seventeen projects via 13 regional organisations were funded over the three-year period and all have been acquitted. A summary of the outcomes of each project follows.

The Bahgallah/Killara Landcare Group - Victoria - $5,000

This initial grant funded the Bahgallah/Killara Landcare Group to identify ways to engage with the local community to protect the values of the Glenelg River.  The group used the funding to identify a range of local and regional stakeholder groups, develop an ongoing communication plan, and implement an awareness raising program aimed at the local community.  Communication activities included publishing 26 articles over the course of a year in the local newspaper on river health issues, conducting a Glenelg River Art Competition, and participating in community events (tree planting, learn to fish sessions and learn to canoe days).

The grant also underpinned the future of the group itself.  They used this impetus to incorporate under the name “Friends of the Glenelg River Inc,” and were successful in gaining a $65,000 grant through the local CMA program. This allowed the employment of a facilitator to assist with ongoing activities including the development of a river walking trail. 

Birds Australia and the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo Recovery Team Victoria - $15,000

This grant assisted an ongoing project to protect the Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo (RTBC) habitat in Victoria by encouraging improved use of State programs and policies; however, the grant’s focus was modified during the granting period.

The grant then employed a Wimmera-based, part-time facilitator who focussed on raising the general community profile of the RTBC programs by developing communication materials, attending community events including Melbourne’s Sustainability Festival, Wimmera regional field days and a presence at Horsham’s annual art festival (an endangered RTBC-themed art section later toured to Natimuk).

This work complemented that of The Wilderness Society working with local western Victoria groups in a concerted campaign to protect the RTBC woodlands habitat in the lead up to the 2006 Commonwealth Games for which the cockatoo was the mascot. This campaign resulted in the new Cobboboonee National Park, the southern edge of the RTBC's habitat range.

The raised profile of the RTBC has also resulted in State Government grants to private landholders to protect RTBC habitat on their lands. The campaign to protect the remaining RTBC public land habitat continues.

This was an important component of a larger campaign that resulted in the new Cobboboonee National Park at the southern edge of the RTBC's habitat range.

Conservation Council of South Australia - $11,000

This project allowed the Conservation Council of South Australia (CCSA) to set up a Geographical Information System (GIS) workstation enabling campaigners and community members to access landscape-scale data. The grant’s intent was to build capacity for the Conservation Council to participate in landscape-scale projects in their State.  Nine staff members received basic GIS training and one volunteer, whose role is to maintain the system and provide further training and support, received a two-week intensive training course.  

Staffs are now accessing and using the information, however others who do not use GIS regularly have since indicated the need for a ‘refresher’ course. In future it was proposed that a smaller number of staff more directly focused on use of GIS receive a higher level of training, and be in a position to then give ongoing support to others.

Friends of Nyah Vinifera Forest - Victoria - $10,000

This grant assisted Friends of Nyah Vinifera Forest  (FNVF)  promote the protection of the Murray River Red Gums by participating in the Victorian Government Environment Assessment Council’s (VEAC) review and a public education campaign.  

The group provided regional input to several existing red gum campaign websites. They also developed a database of 400 local contacts; produced regular hardcopy and electronic newsletters; attended various community forums and activities - the largest being the “Breakfast in the Nyah Forest” where over 200 people attended and media reportage including a live interview on ABC Radio Bendigo.  

FNVF also held several meetings, with guest speakers, which were open to the public, as well as presenting to primary, secondary, and tertiary school groups in the area.  They also assisted Friends of the Earth (FOE) with the Red Gum Road-show in Swan Hill, and attended events including the Croc Fest (Indigenous rock eisteddfod with an education component), the Darnya conference, a forest event, as well as the VEAC reference group/consultation.

FNVF also used a proportion of the funding to employ a biologist to undertake a short fauna study to provide information for their brochure and education materials.

Since then, the campaign to maximise the protection of Red Gum Forests through the VEAC process has seen almost 100,000 hectares promised and scheduled for national and state park by the Victorian Government.

Green Skills Western Australia - $11,000 (year 1) and $11,000 (year 2)

Green Skills received two small grants in their role as a leader and catalyser of work in the Gondwana Link West Project area. The first grant facilitated building the basis for a long term program of establishing biodiversity corridor links in the Walpole Wilderness Area of south west WA, through review, collation and assembling scientific and planning information.

A bibliographic listing, with abstracts of research and science publications relevant to the planning for a functional landscape plan for the area, was completed as was a database of people with relevant expertise for landscape ecological planning.  Both databases were sent to The Wilderness Society, other Gondwana Link partners and relevant stakeholders.  Collation of existing GIS information, prior corridor work and other relevant remote sensing and mapping was undertaken.  

A draft biosphere nomination report, including references to the Gondwana Link program relevant to this study area was produced (the Denmark Education and Innovation Centre will progress this), as well as a report outlining the science framework requirements for planning in the Gondwana Link region between Porongorup, Stirling and Walpole Wilderness National Parks.

This work underpinned the second small grant funded project in 2006.  The second stage involved building community knowledge and support for the Gondwana Link West Project - a landscape plan linking Porongorup, Stirling and Walpole Wilderness National Parks.  

Education and partnership building activities were conducted. Maps were produced demonstrating areas of regional remnant vegetation (and decline) to identify areas of potential ecological linkages.  The bibliological and contact databases were put on CD, allowing further distribution. Green Skills organised a series of educational meetings associated with the Gondwana Link West.

Green Skills is building partnerships with the Gillamii Centre based in Cranbrook; the Gondwana Link Coordination Unit; the Wandoo Woodland Recovery Group; the Wilson Inlet Catchment Committee; SCRIPT, and other community organizations. A grant application with the Gillamii Centre to Lotterywest was successful and its implementation will further progress the Gondwana Link West program.

North East Bioregional Network Tasmania $5,500 (year 1), $8,500 (year 2) and $13,000 (year 3)

The initial grant to this volunteer-based regional group funded the development of a strategy for the protection of the natural values of North East Tasmania.

The North East Bioregional Network Tasmania (NEBN) produced a comprehensive submission to the Tasmanian Government’s Crown Land Assessment and Classification Project (CLAC), covering 150 pieces of land, many of which contained high conservation values.  The grant funded flora and fauna surveys, identification of special values and the production of a report.  The work informed other local community members (as well as submissions by The Wilderness Society Tasmania and a University of Tasmania (UTAS) scientist) and assisted with the preparation of their submissions to the process.

A NEBN representative also attended the WildCountry science workshop, and Wild Country science principles were utilised to base a submission on the Break O’Day Planning Scheme.

Funds from the three small grants assisted in collating existing conservation information and employing two ecologists to provide mapping capability to develop a sound ecological conservation database and case for the North East region of Tasmania.  NEBN produced a reserve system proposal for North East Tasmania using this database (launched in early 2008) and information was made available to other local groups to assist with developing their own reserve proposals.  

Special ecological values reports were produced for high conservation value forestry coupes to inform submissions and negotiations with forestry interests during the strategic evaluation of Forestry Tasmania’s  three year-plan for the Bass District.  Funds also assisted with the production of a management plan for advocacy in relation to the rehabilitation back to Eucalyptus seiberi forest of a 500 hectare pine plantation near Scamander.

The grants also assisted with the production of a WildCountry pamphlet that considers the conservation links in the landscape, as well as upkeep of NEBN’s website and production of newsletters.  In addition, it was agreed that $1,500 of the general support funding in the year three grant could be used to purchase an audio-visual projector to assist with public outreach around the group’s “Linking Landscapes” project.

Since then, the NEBN have held local WildCountry events and made numerous presentations to different politicians, policy makers, community groups, and community members.  These presentations have informed people about the WildCountry vision for North-East Tasmania as well as the NEBN's Restore Skyline Tier Project.

The aim of this project is to restore 260 hectares of pine plantation back to native forest. It is progressing well with excellent natural regeneration occurring in all areas weeded. A Green Corps team consisting of ten local 17 to 20 year olds will be working on conservation projects in the area for six months with Skyline Tier being the main project. They will also complete modules of the Conservation and Land Management TAFE course in the process. This project is a great example of WildCountry in action involving Australia’s young people.   

The NEBN is an effective group who will continue to make a valuable contribution to the conservation of Tasmania's natural environment and the success of the WildCountry vision.

The Wilderness Society has recently committed to expand on the work done in north-east Tasmania and create a Wild Island vision, an island-wide conservation plan for Tasmania.

Victorian Mallee Fowl Recovery Group, Victoria - $8,000

This grant enabled volunteer community groups to research established and new Mallee Fowl grids that are close to their locality, as a contribution towards a long-term study of Mallee Fowl breeding density. In the entire study, local groups monitor approximately 1,000 Mallee Fowl mounds in 30 grids established in all patches where Mallee Fowl are found in Victoria.   

This grant enabled six grids in three national parks in North West Victoria and two adjacent Flora and Fauna Reserves to be surveyed. The project involved 90 people from various other groups and localities, including Landcare, Progress associations, friends groups and TAFE students. Collectively the group traversed 2,500 hectares, locating 85 per cent of known mounds and found a further 25 previously unknown mounds.  This equated to 2,513 hours and approx $75,000 of ‘in kind’ time devoted to the Mallee Fowl project.

The second benefit was a community education and skilling role involving community members (and particularly younger people) on the surveys. In turn, it prompted an increase in interest in Victorian Mallee Fowl Recovery Group (VMFRG) membership.

The long-term commitment of volunteers to the VMRG, Mallee Fowl monitoring, and recovery has played a significant role in the development of a nationally integrated program for Mallee Fowl recovery. The VMRG volunteer program is also contributing to the development of one of Australia’s most sophisticated programs for monitoring the health of the natural environment.

Ngadju People (through the Goldfields Land & Sea Council), Western Australia   - $15,000

The main objective of this project was to conduct a field trip with Ngadju traditional owners to record their historical and contemporary connections with the land and Indigenous enviro-cultural knowledge. A fieldtrip to the Lake Johnston region took place between 22 and 25 May 2007. The trip was attended by four Goldfields Land and Sea Council (GLSC) staff; two Wilderness Society staff; an anthropologist/ethnologist, and eight representatives of the Ngadju people.  

Information relating to mining issues, native plants and animals, introduced plants and animals, spirituality, language and the environment was collected and recorded from the Ngadju people during the field trip.

This project has assisted in furthering the relationship between the Wilderness Society, the Goldfields Land & Sea Council (GLSC), and the Ngadju people. It has confirmed that the Ngadju people and the Wilderness Society are generally working towards achieving the same outcomes.

All parties agreed that the Great Western Woodlands (GWW) has a unique ecosystem which is worthy of protection from development and mining in culturally and environmentally important areas.

Because of sensitive cultural issues both The Wilderness Society and the GLSC have agreed that a formal report will not be produced. The collected information will be in field notes and only used where appropriate.

Subsequent to this project being put forward, the Wilderness Society and the GLSC have entered into discussions about establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise relations between the two organisations to ensure an agreed communication protocol, objectives, and roles.

Ngadju elders helped to launch The Wilderness Society’s Extraordinary Nature of the Great Western Woodlands report on 5 June 2008. Further collaboration such as joint lobbying of Federal government members to support protection of the Great Western Woodlands is in the planning stages.

This project has led to a new initiative, a project between CSIRO (Dr Suzanne Prober and others) and Ngadju people to document Indigenous ecological knowledge specifically around seasonality, traditional local migration by people and climate change.

The project has also sparked a proposal to continue the work of Tim Macabe, anthropologist and ethnologist, who came on the camp and established an excellent working relationship with Ngadju elders.  This new proposal would record Ngadju, Malpa voices and descriptions related to the ecological biodiversity and ecological management of the Great Western Woodlands region to research and collect archival Indigenous knowledge related to the Woodlands environment and to write a report/publication (pictorial book) that highlights Indigenous ecological values of the Great Western region. It is hoped that funding can be sourced to enable this project to proceed.  

National Parks Association of NSW -    $13,000    

This project sought to initiate the transfer of lessons from the Gondwana Link project to assist with building support for a major landscape-wide conservation plan throughout the Riverina of southern NSW in the form of the cooperative private land conservation project, NPA-West.  It employed a scientist to review current biodiversity data and develop a clear set of conservation priorities.

Although the original plan was to allow the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA) to seek training and expert advice on project design and implementation from the Gondwana-Link project, this part of the project varied because of time constraints faced by Gondwana Link managers in Western Australia and NPA-West staff.  The funding was spread across the other project activities, and it made additional support available to Traditional Owners attending workshops with conservation groups in south west NSW.

NPA collated the disparate scientific research and biodiversity/vegetation data that has been produced for the south west NSW region. It also ran a biodiversity workshop in the Murrumbidgee catchment, a biodiversity survey in the Lachlan catchment and hosted a forum, ‘Forging the Links’, with land managers across the three catchments. These activities were designed to share knowledge and understanding of conservation and biodiversity issues; the broader landscape context of vegetation remnants; conservation priorities and to respond as a community to assist with landscape recovery efforts.  A report was produced from this workshop.

NPA also participated in Indigenous Traditional Owner workshops in the region to share knowledge and understand aspirations for conservation and social justice outcomes.

Trust for Nature - Victoria -     $10,000    

This project aimed to identify priority sites for protection and restoration on private land that would contribute to landscape connectivity and resilience in two Biolink zones (as part of Victoria’s greenhouse-adaptation response the South-western Plains and Wimmera River Biolink zones which also form part of the Tri-State WildCountry vision). After review, it was hoped the methodology could be used in other Trust for Nature landscape projects across the state.

However, Trust for Nature sought variation on the project objectives with the funds being approved for (i) the purchase of software / hardware to advance GIS mapping capabilities and (ii) travel and operational costs incurred in ground-truthing potential sites identified by the GIS application.  Approval was also granted to allow the funds to be solely applied to activities within the west Wimmera area.

This project assisted Trust for Nature to develop a methodology for identifying priority sites for landscape-scale conservation projects.  In combination with other partners, and with the advancement of the Habitat 141 program which encompasses the target area under this project, Trust for Nature has developed tools, particularly in GIS and GPS ground-truthing techniques that contribute markedly to the conservation knowledge base.

The project contributed to the current and future regional partnerships including the Red-tailed Black Cockatoo project and the Habitat 141 project.  Trust for Nature, working with other partners (Greening Australia,  Catchment Management Authorities, and the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment) are also proposing an extensive conservation and restoration project concentrating on the rare Buloke woodlands of western Victoria.

Through the Habitat 141 vision, an alliance of organisations has now requested funding through the Federal Government’s Caring for Our Country competitive component to resource conservation program targeting Buloke woodland in the study area.

Victorian National Parks Association & Victoria Naturally Alliance, Victoria - $14,500 (year 1) & $14,500 (year 2)

This project aimed to tap into the intellectual leadership of Victoria’s scientific experts and their capacity to generate and enhance the knowledge base for biodiversity priorities in South-Eastern Australia including coastal waters.

Resources from the grant enabled a workshop of 20 leading ecologists to come together and document the role of ecological processes in maintaining biodiversity in Victoria. This is the first time that such expertise had been brought together to focus on the science underpinning the long term needs to protect nature in this state. Professor Andrew Bennett, from Deakin University, led the work. The resulting review was submitted to the Victorian Government’s White Paper process on Land Health and Biodiversity. A scientific paper has also been produced and submitted for publication.

The second grant allowed the applicants to build on the work of scientists by translating the science outcomes into policy proposals, through engagement of scientists with a wide range of policy and land management expertise to stimulate and discuss practical ways and means of achieving biodiversity outcomes in southeastern Australia.

The high-level engagement by some of Victoria’s leading policy experts was very encouraging. As a result of this grant and other inputs, a discussion paper Ecological processes in Victoria: Priorities for sustaining biodiversity was published in December 2008.

As with the scientific review, it is envisaged that this report will encourage a shift in thinking toward WildCountry-style landscape-scale principles wherein the ecological processes that sustain biodiversity are protected and enhanced. The document has made an important contribution to the White Paper process. The launch of this report in March attracted significant attention from senior NRM agency policy makers and practitioners in Victoria.

Environment Tasmania & NE Bioregional Network Tasmania - $6,000

In 2007, Environment Tasmania and the North-East Bioregional Network were given a grant for hosting two Tasmanian Expert Science workshops- the grant was managed by Environment Tasmania. The workshops aimed to bring together relevant Tasmanian scientists with an interest in landscape ecology and restoration, as well as members of the WildCountry Science Council.  

The workshops included a rigorous independent expert process that aimed to:
-    assess the current status and risks to critical ecosystems and ecosystem processes in Tasmania; determine management options that will enhance protection of biodiversity and ecological processes for Tasmania; and,
-    produce a paper documenting the outcomes of the workshops that can be used as a tool to enhance the protection and management of biodiversity in Tasmania.

The workshops assessed the current status and risks to critical ecosystems and processes; the development of key issues and threats to the conservation of Tasmania’s biodiversity, and the critical ecological processes based on current scientific knowledge. The workshops built awareness and understanding of ecological processes and ‘connections’ in the landscape within the Tasmanian scientific community and eNGOs. The workshops developed a stronger case for new and increased conservation initiatives that take a broad bio-regional approach rather than a site or property scale response.

Led by Professor Jann Williams from the University of Tasmania, and Dr Peter McQuillan, the second workshop focused the importance of ecological processes for terrestrial biodiversity conservation in Tasmania. Dr Peter McQuillan and other authors subsequently submitted a paper for publication to the journal Pacific Conservation & Biology in September 2008.

There has been significant discussion amongst environment groups and a number of the participating scientists about the next steps with a strong feeling that this first project has the capacity to act as a crucial stepping-stone; there is strong support in the facilitation of an ongoing role for the expert group.  

Plans to develop a project proposal for application to foundations and potential donors to fund the next stages including a project officer to drive these outcomes are underway.  

Friends of the Earth Victoria - $10,000

This project funded discussions with Indigenous Traditional Owners about an integrated, cross-border reserve network, based upon WildCountry principles, for the River Red Gum ecosystems in NSW and Victoria.

Part funding a series of facilitated workshops, the grant was of strategic importance in capitalising on an election commitment for Victorian Red Gum protection, while helping to generate a similar process with the newly elected NSW government.

Each member of the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) led a campaign for land rights and better protection of their lands and waters. Recognising the overlap of work on red gum floodplains by Traditional Owners (TOs) and Environmental Non Government Organisations (ENGOs), and a need for ENGOs to incorporate the self‐determination rights of TOs, led to the development of a Cooperation Agreement – signed February 2007.

The Murray Country Project (MCP) was initiated to action the Agreement and negotiate outcomes of mutual agreement regarding to the red gum floodplain forests of Victoria and NSW for both environmental outcomes and Traditional Owner Nation aspirations.  

The MCP partners are: Friends of the Earth, the National Parks Associations of NSW and Victoria, the Wilderness Society and the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations (including member Traditional Owner (TO) organisations: Wiradjuri, Yorta Yorta, Taungurung, Barapa Barapa, Wamba Wamba, Wadi Wadi, Latji Latji, Wergaia, Mutthi Mutthi).

The MCP facilitated meetings between eNGOs and MLDRIN on a protected area proposal and effective environmental and cultural heritage management outcomes for the red gum floodplains.

The ensuing agreements and priority actions were used to inform the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council’s investigation into red gum forests; and as part of a publicity campaign for a similar assessment of red gum in NSW. The focus of these NSW based discussions has been on red gum in public lands around the Rivers Murray, Murrumbidgee, Edward/Kolety and other tributaries.

In December 2008, the Victorian government announced  the creation of new national parks in Red Gum forests, and respective Indigenous cooperation management arrangements. The ongoing campaign has led the way towardshas the growing expectation of a positive cultural and environmental conservation outcome for NSW red gum forests.

Criteria for Assessment of Applications
The grant program focus is on advancing community understanding of the need to address WildCountry scientific principles in conservation planning. The grant program also serves to build the knowledge base needed to advance conservation planning using WildCountry science principles. Learn more >>