Climate Change Threatening Australia: Pledge to Protect Our Environment

The Arnhem Plateau, north and east of Kakadu National Park, is a region that supports an international biodiversity of 166 plant species and 20 vertebrate species found nowhere else, with numerous refuges protecting them from fires and climate shifts. Inhabited for tens of thousands of years by Traditional Custodians, it holds thousands of rock art galleries and archaeological sites.

Since 2007, Bush Heritage has partnered with Warddeken Land Management to support the management of the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area, developing governance mechanisms, a legal framework, and an endowment fund for conservation efforts.

Nestled in the NSW Illawarra Escarpment, ‘Nameless’ Sylvan Reserve holds a rich history. It was once prized for the Red Cedar that turns copper red in growth. This reserve teems with other wildlife like Freshwater Crayfish and Swamp Wallabies.

However, invasive shrubs threaten its renewal, choking its natural regeneration. Through weed removal efforts, we preserve the rainforest’s vitality, ensuring its enchanting beauty thrives for generations to come.

The South Esk Pine trees are a nationally endangered species that rely on fire to release seeds. However, excessive heat or too frequent fires jeopardise their survival.

Past disturbances have left the reserve prone to gorse – a type of weed – infestation. Unchecked, gorse hinders native plant regeneration and increases wildfire risk.

We’ve put a stop to damaging practices like collecting firewood, tree felling and operating gravel pits. along with monitoring and exploring diverse revegetation techniques.

Restricting access to the reserve helps to prevent gorse invasion too, safeguarding the native South Esk Pines from fire.

What’s next on our quest?

Land clearing in Australia devastates ecosystems, exacerbates climate issues, and threatens agriculture.

Bush Heritage’s acquisition of Eurardy Reserve in 2005 bolstered Western Australian conservation, protecting part of the Southwest Botanical Province, a global biodiversity hotspot. This province, just 0.23% of Earth’s land, hosts 12.6% of its rare and threatened flora.

Eurardy’s protection is important amid land degradation, supporting species like the Malleefowl and Small-petalled Beyeria, rediscovered there in 2005.

What’s the next leg of our journey?

Currumbin Valley Reserve, once a part of Queensland’s lush rainforests, faces the challenge of invasive weeds due to logging and human intervention.

With approximately 71 weed species present, there’s a risk of dominating the regenerating and open forest areas. However, careful removal on steep slopes mitigates erosion, allowing the recovering rainforest to flourish.

Despite this disturbance, the reserve remains a haven for rare flora and fauna, including the Sweet Myrtle, Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, Long-nosed Bandicoots, Green Catbirds, Scrub Turkeys, and various honeyeater species.

Since European settlement, Victoria lost 83% of its woodland ecosystems to land clearance, with temperate woodlands the most threatened.

Eucalypt dieback due to hotter, drier conditions spurred an experimental revegetation project at Nardoo Hills. Climate modelling aids in predicting future conditions and supports the growth of seeds from regions resilient to hotter environments.

Fun fact! Nardoo Hills Reserves host 110+ bird species, including the Swift Parrot, migrating from Tasmania to feed on flowering eucalypts.

Evelyn Downs, our largest reserve, is similar in size to the Australian Capital Territory and borders the Mount Willoughby Indigenous Protected Area and Tallaringa Conservation Park, forming a 1.9 million hectare landscape.

The main challenge is drought and dehydration due to the natural water system and grazing pressure. The long-term goal is to restore the area to enhance refuges for native species, providing them support through increasing heatwaves and extended droughts from predicted climate change.