Bush Heritage is a non-profit conservation organisation dedicated to protecting Australia's unique animals, plants and their habitats
We have a simple, practical formula for protecting the bush – we buy land of outstanding conservation value, then care for it.
Thanks to our generous supporters, Bush Heritage currently owns and manages 33 reserves throughout Australia, covering over 947 000 hectares. Our reserves are managed in a similar way to national parks – the land is legally protected, with the intention of safeguarding it forever.
We also build partnerships with other landowners, to manage important areas of their land for conservation. These partnerships account for a further 2.5 million hectares of land under conservation management.
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| Liffey Valley Reserves in Tasmania – the first Bush Heritage Reserve. Photo: Wayne Lawler/Ecopix |
We started out in 1991, when Bob Brown bought several hundred hectares of old-growth forest in Tasmania to save it from logging. Using prize money from an environmental award as the deposit, he sought donations to gather the remaining funds, and Bush Heritage was born.
Since then, with the support of people like you, Bush Heritage has become a major player in the conservation arena, with a current annual operating budget of about $12 million.
Our long-term vision is to protect more than 7 million hectares of Australia's land, water and wildlife by 2025.
Everything we’ve been able to achieve is thanks to the generous support of our donors and volunteers.
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| Rock wallabies found on Yourka Reserve, Queensland. Photo: Wayne Lawler/Ecopix |
There are currently about 70 staff in the Bush Heritage team, including reserve managers and ecologists. Some staff are based in the field, while others work in the organisation’s headquarters in Melbourne. An independent board of directors oversees the organisation. We also rely on a hard-working team of volunteers.
And the most important members of the Bush Heritage family are our supporters.
We rely on donations from people like you to give the plants and animals of Australia a brighter future.
If you share our concern for the environment, and our optimism that we can do something to help, please consider supporting us by:Bush Heritage offers you a practical and effective way to invest in the conservation of our natural heritage. We keep our administration costs low, so you can be sure that you are making a real difference on the ground.
Please contact us if you would like further information.