Highlights from July to September 2024

Highlights from July to September 2024

The important work for nature your incredible support has delivered.

In the past few months: 30 years of nature books, Watch on Nature, volunteers powering change, TGS pulls out of the Bass Strait and protections for Jabiluka.

Watch on Nature in the NT

In the Northern Territory’s globally significant savanna, the brightly coloured endangered Gouldian finch build their nests in tree hollows and termite mounds.

This vast intact savanna is the largest on Earth, and is a profoundly important cultural landscape for Traditional Owners.

Recently, backed by people like you, the Wilderness Society's people-powered satellite monitoring program, Watch on Nature, uncovered over 8,127 hectares of—potentially unlawful—deforestation on three properties on the Sturt Plateau in the Northern Territory.

Watch the video above on how you helped to shine a satellite on Australia’s deforestation crisis.

Celebrating 30 years of nature storytelling

Collage from The Hidden Forest, Jeannie Baker.

At the Wilderness Society, we believe stories can spark wonder and curiosity about the world around us, and help people connect with places that need our protection.

That’s why, for the past 30 years, the Wilderness Society's Environment Award for Children’s Literature has recognised books that grow a love of nature in young Australians.

To celebrate the award’s 30th anniversary, we’ve partnered with The Wheeler Centre in Melbourne to host an exhibition of select illustrations from books shortlisted over the three decades—including works by much-loved Australian illustrators and author-illustrators Alison Lester, Jeannie Baker, Oliver Jeffers, Renee Treml, Christina Booth, Coral Tulloch, and many others!

The illustrations will be on display from 3-30 October across three locations: The Wheeler Centre, the Moat cafe. and Readings at the State Library of Victoria.

But if you’re not in Melbourne—don’t despair! All prints are available for sale via auction, to raise vital funds for our work to protect nature. Visit airauctioneer/wildernesssociety to peruse the catalogue of beautiful prints, and bid for your favourites!

The exhibition will be taking place during Nature Book Week—our annual, all-ages celebration of nature and storytelling which runs from 14-20 October. Head to wilderness.org.au/nbw to find a free nature-themed event near you!

Our work in numbers

A beautiful year is on the books…

Feel uplifted and inspired by Australia's world-class natural beauty, all year 'round!

Inside our 2025 Wilderness calendar and diary, you'll discover ancient Gondwanan forests, breath-taking mountain vistas, wild seas, and charismatic portraits of Australia’s globally beloved fauna and flora—the colourful, the curious and the iconic.

Bursting with stunning images of Australia’s spectacular ecosystems and unique wildlife, they make gorgeous gifts for friends and family.

Limited stock—get yours now!

    Pressure is increasing on Coles & Woolworths to go deforestation-free


    Wilderness Society supporters bring their “fix your deforestation problem” banners to Coles and Woolworths stores nationwide.

    Australia is a deforestation hotspot, with forests and bushland destroyed daily for beef, timber, and aluminium. Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to keep the pressure on Coles and Woolworths to address their deforestation problem.

    Recently, passionate Wilderness Society volunteers brought this message straight to the doorsteps of both supermarkets: fix your deforestation problem. These efforts are backed by a growing national petition, signed by thousands of people like you, urging the CEOs of Coles and Woolworths to remove groceries linked to the destruction of forests and bushland from their shelves.

    "This collective pressure is making a real difference. Woolworths has committed to going deforestation-free by 2025."

    It's an important first step, but promises alone aren’t enough. Meanwhile, Coles has yet to make a robust commitment, so the pressure must continue.

    Together, we’re making sure Coles and Woolworths take products from forest and bushland destruction off their shelves.

    You did it: The Channel Country is now formally protected from new oil & gas!


    Image: Kerry Trapnell.

    In August, the Miles government formalised protections of the rivers and floodplains of the Queensland Lake Eyre Basin—one of the last remaining free-flowing desert river systems on Earth—from destructive oil and gas expansions.

    To get to this point, tens of thousands of supporters like you participated in various actions—from consultation processes to community events—with a consistent message to the state government: the Channel Country rivers and floodplains are no place for gas fields or the damaging infrastructure that comes with them.

    Our Queensland Campaigns Manager, Hannah Schuch, says: “The Channel Country rivers and floodplains are world-renowned; they feed Kati-Thanda/Lake Eyre and support an abundance of wildlife and rich cultural connections.

    “These new regulations will strengthen and expand protections by banning future oil and gas extraction from the rivers and floodplains, and prohibiting existing operations from fracking for unconventional gas.


    "The introduction of these regulations is historic for nature, regional communities and the climate.”—Queensland Campaigns Manager, Hannah Schuch.

    “While there will still need to be ongoing scrutiny to make sure that these protections do what they’re supposed to, the introduction of these regulations is historic for nature, regional communities and the climate.”

    Thank you for standing alongside Traditional Owners, pastoralists, scientists and environmentalists to protect this globally, nationally and locally important river system—and all the life that depends on it.

    Jabiluka: Success decades in the making

    Jabiluka finally being slated for inclusion in Kakadu National Park is momentous, and a testament to people power.

    This decades-long campaign has been powerfully guided by the Mirrar Traditional Owners, led by Yvonne Margarula, with the support of thousands of people like you raising concerns about uranium mining proposed in the heart of the world-renowned Kakadu National Park. In August this year, the Federal and Northern Territory governments finally decided not to renew the mining lease (held by ERA for more than 40 years).

    Alongside other environmental organisations, the Wilderness Society played a key role in defeating numerous attempts to establish a massive uranium mine at Jabiluka. The proposed uranium mine risked World Heritage-listed wetlands and sites sacred to the Mirrar—the proposed mine site was only 300m from Ubirr Rock. If the mine had gone ahead, 20 million tonnes of radioactive waste would have been stored a mere 500m from the RAMSAR-listed Djarr Djarr wetlands.

    In what was the biggest environmental issue at the time, the late 1990s saw dozens of local Jabiluka Action Groups (JAGs) form all across Australia. Wilderness Society mobilised shareholders in companies like North Ltd and Energy Resources Australia, while Wilderness Society campaigners directly addressed board members of these companies. Members and volunteers were exceptional in leading the group of North Ltd's shareholders that forced the first-ever EGM in Australia called over environmental and Traditional Owner concerns.

    "The long-running campaign to protect Jabiluka from the scourge of uranium mining is testament to enduring Traditional Owner efforts to defend Country."

    In 1998, the Mirrar called for people to join them in a blockade of the site. Our current National Campaigns Director, Amelia Young, was one of 5,000 people who travelled to this awe-inspiring and sacred place, to participate in this Traditional Owner-led non-violent direct action (NVDA) mass protest. The Wilderness Society Campaigns Director at the time, Alec Marr, was one of the first protesters arrested at the Jabiluka blockade.

    People all over the world rallied around the issue. This anti-nuclear hand symbol became increasingly visible around Australia. Eventually, the mining company agreed it could not and would not mine without Traditional Owner consent.

    Many Wilderness Society campaigners and volunteers were instrumental in that era of campaigning to protect Kakadu; working here in Australia at the blockade site, in company meetings, and overseas with advocacy into UN and World Heritage forums.

    The long-running campaign to protect Jabiluka from the scourge of uranium mining is testament to enduring Traditional Owner efforts to defend Country; likewise to sustained community efforts on Country, in company boardrooms, around kitchen tables, and on the streets.

    More than twenty-five years on from the height of community activity, their unwavering efforts mean we can all now welcome the opportunity for world-class protections for Jabiluka.

    Day of the Species exhibition

    Day of the Species community art project photographed by Genevieve French

    We're still buzzing after the three glorious weeks that made up the Day of the Species exhibition and event series at Black Spark in Northcote, Naarm / Melbourne.

    Our deepest gratitude and admiration goes out to Carmel, the visionary behind this incredible art/activism project which documents all 2,000+ of Australia's threatened plant and animal species. Scroll through these images to see a reflection from Carmel about the fifth iteration of this wonderful project.

    Your say

    Recently we asked people out shopping how they feel about supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths being linked to forest destruction in Australia. Here are some of their responses.

    Stop deforestation for short-sighted beef production. Use regenerative farming and make tighter guidelines for deforestation for beef raising.
    Fern

    Deforestation-free beef should be the standard! Protected forest and woodland ecosystems should be standard, too.
    Deborah

    Is cutting costs and driving up demand by destroying habitat for one product really worth debasing the stability of the systems your entire client base relies upon?
    Tom

    We deserve the right to know where our animal products come from, how they are raised and the impact the production of this meat has on our environment.
    Vicki

    Supporting our growing population shouldn't be at the expense of our environment.
    R.

    We need better laws to stop corporate greed and protect nature and wildlife!
    Christel

    New nature laws

    Australians urgently want nature laws that work. That means stopping deforestation, ending the extinction crisis and ensuring communities have a fair say in environmental decisions.

    Back in April, as the government prepared bills to reform parts of national nature laws, the mining lobby ramped up an assault on the bills, stoking a conservative media frenzy and pressuring the PM behind closed doors.

    So, backed by people like you, Wilderness Society volunteers have been out in force to make sure that key decision-makers and the Prime Minister hear, loud and clear, that Australians demand federal nature reforms that work.

    With debate raging about the most appropriate pathway to get a proposal for a national Environment Protection Authority bill approved, media surfaced suggesting the government might be looking at making a deal with the Coalition to get them through.

    TGS shelves plans for fossil fuel exploration

    In late September, fossil fuel giant TGS pulled the pin on plans to seismic blast a vast area of ocean between Victoria and Lutruwita / Tasmania.

    TGS’s decision follows years of vocal and sustained opposition from First Nations people, local communities, scientists, surfers and people like yourself from right around Australia.

    More than 30,000 people and organisations made public comments on TGS’s proposal, raising more than 200 specific concerns. The Wilderness Society’s submission was signed by thousands of people like you, taking action to protect precious marine life and the climate.

    Fossil fuel companies like TGS don’t decide to back away quietly on their own. It takes the attention, action and care of people like you.

    Backed by you, we’re able to build pressure and remove social license from companies like TGS by:

    • Making submissions and writing to ministers

    • Lodging freedom of information requests

    • Interrogating fossil fuel company finances

    • Building public pressure through the media and amplifying the voices of First Nations and local communities, and

    • so much more!