ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION

From his own experiences of working on farms, coupled with his personal business involvement in water supply, George Alexander developed a lifelong concern for the state of the environment. The Environment and Conservation objectives of the Foundation very much reflect George’s own desire to repair much of the damage done to our natural environment since 1788.

Involvement is the key to the Foundation’s Environment and Conservation objectives, and funding in the past twelve months very much reflects this theme. Projects from the Museum of Tropical Queensland and the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne have focused on providing school-age children with an opportunity to be inspired by and learn about the environment. The National Trust of South Australia received funding to improve access and interpretation at one of their more spectacular sites in the Riverland, while the Nature Conservation Council of NSW will spend the next twelve months trying to engage private business and corporate workers in on-ground species recovery projects.

Projects that develop partnerships between community, government and private landholders are welcomed, as the Foundation is keen to promote and encourage good environmental practices in all forms.

Funding Objectives

• To develop partnerships with rural and regional communities, private landholders and governments that encourage good environmental practices and the maintenance of biodiversity

• To support programs that enable students to gain practical experience in conservation and land management

• To support hands-on local community environmental projects where there is a strong volunteer component

Exclusions

The George Alexander Foundation will not make grants to support:

• academic research

• recurrent expenditure for which no future provision is in sight

• capital or endowment funds

• retrospective expenditure.

The Earthwatch Student Challenge places 16–18 year old high school students on one-week, student-oriented, scientific field research projects. All participants in the program live and work as volunteer field assistants for leading research scientists and their staff. Apart from the experience of living and working in the field, all students are taught and develop skills that encourage their continued involvement in the field of science and conservation.

The George Alexander Foundation provided scholarships to nineteen students from South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. The students participated in an echidna and goanna research program on Kangaroo Island and an investigation and survey of Australian frogs and their habitats to find clues to the amphibians’ worldwide decline. Scholarship winners demonstrated academic ability, leadership potential and a commitment to their communities.

The Earthwatch Student Challenge aims to provide students with a new perspective on science learning while also exposing students to role models and potential careers within the science and environment sectors.