Bush Heritage Australia, NSW

$100,000 to the Kosciusko to Coast Project

Lea-Anne Bradley, Coordinator www.bushheritage.org

The goal of the Kosciusko to Coast Project is to work collaboratively to protect high conservation value land between Bungendore and Bredbo, in NSW. The identified areas of high conservation value in this region are under extreme threat from weeds and feral animals, over-grazing, intensification of land use, frequent high-intensity fires and fragmentation by expanding rural sub-divisions. By engaging conservation organisations, community volunteers, local farmers, researchers and specialist naturalists, Bush Heritage hopes to improve the ecological outcomes for the region and restore and enhance key ecosystems.

Bush Heritage’s newly acquired Scottsdale Reserve is a 1300 hectare property on the Murrumbidgee River, in the south-west corner of the project area. The property contains three of the five important ecosystems focused upon in this project and is home to over 32 individual plant, animal, bird and reptile species with rare or threatened status. The George Alexander Foundation has provided $100,000 in funding to assist Bush Heritage and its partners in utilising the Scottsdale property as an important first conservation step in engaging local landowners and demonstrating legitimate conservation management of the property.

This project is very much in line with the Foundation’s aims to support partnerships between private landholders, government and community organisations in developing projects that prevent damage to the environment and encourage the maintenance of biodiversity.

NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service (WIRES), NSW

$5,000 to the Development of training materials and specialised training teams in wildlife care

Carol MacDougall, Chief Executive Officer www.wires.org.au

Comprising 2000 volunteers and 29 branches, WIRES aims to rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured or orphaned native wildlife for release back into the environment. Funding from The George Alexander Foundation is helping the organisation to extend training materials and develop specialised training teams in wildlife care. WIRES specialised training teams will assist in the creation of manuals, courses and information for WIRES carers and other wildlife organisations.

Reef Check Ltd, QLD

$4,718 to a Community Participation and Public Awareness Project – to clean and protect areas of the Great Barrier Reef

Jos Hill, Executive Director wwww.reefcheck.org

Reef Check is the United Nations community coral reef monitoring group that relies primarily on the support of volunteers. This project will allow six community volunteers to be trained and take part in a fishing wire report and clean up around Orpheus and Pelorus Islands.

The project strongly meets the Foundation’s Environment & Conservation objectives of supporting hands-on local community environmental projects with excellent volunteer components.