This month, The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife (FNPW) is launching an urgent national appeal to raise up to $400,000 AUD to continue critical regeneration efforts post bushfires, which left 12 million hectares burnt and over a billion native animals affected. The Appeal will focus on raising funds to continue the long-term recovery process, in particular:
- Planting up to one million trees over the next five years in Bushfire Recovery Nurseries around Australia to propagate native plants for erosion prevention and restore animal habitats for species including the Black Glossy Cockatoo and Koala.
- Purchasing available land to extend the edges of Australia’s national parks, which will provide additional areas for threatened animals to recover.
A priority focus will be placed on the rainforests in the Gondwana Rainforest World Heritage area in NSW and QLD, with reports that over 50% of this area was burnt and thousands of native animals affected. Lamington National Park has 2,250 species of plants and animals alone – 24 of which are on the national threatened species list and require urgent attention in the regeneration and protection of its habitats.
Related Post: Feeling Despair Over the Australian Fires? Here’s How You Can Help…
With much of the recovery work currently being done by volunteer community groups, additional funding will also need to support their growth and rebuild regeneration infrastructure impacted by the bushfires, specifically in QLD, SA, VIC and NSW. FNPW is working closely with local and state government bodies to support community groups, engage local landholders to plant species lost in fires and identify priority public lands for large scale tree planting and ecosystem restoration projects.
The Australian Government enlisted the Foundation’s Wildlife Heroes program as part of its wildlife and habitat recovery bushfire response.
“The strengths of the Foundation is its focus on supporting community volunteers on the ground and its ability to work across state jurisdictions which were key aspects to our decision,” said Hon Sussan Ley MP, Minister for the Environment. “We all have roles to play in supporting the environment and bushfire recovery and this appeal is one way in which people can play a part.”
Over the past 50 years, FNPW has been instrumental in raising over $60 million in funding for the conservation of Australia’s environment. As the charity partner of Australia’s National Parks, FNPW has supported the acquisition of 637,727 hectares of land for National Parks across Australia and recently, launched a Caring for Carers program to support the mental health of wildlife carers around the country post-bushfires.
“This appeal is by far one of the most important in recent years. With so much lost in the bushfires, it’s important that we come together as a nation and do what we can to support the healing process. Every little bit helps,” said Ian Darbyshire, Chief Executive Officer for the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.
Donation Guide
- $10 Donation plants and maintains one tree
- $1,000 plants and maintains 100 trees
- $10,000 plants and maintains 100,000 trees
- $200,000 plants a bushfire recovery nursery in priority bushfire-affected area
All donations are 100% tax deductible. For further information and to donate, visit www.fnpw.org.au.
This media release was submitted by Sudale Communications. Cover image of a wallaby wandering through a burnt area of Iluka, New South Wales during Australia’s unprecedented bushfires. Photo by Anna LoFi.
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