30 years of conservation with AWC

The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is celebrating 30 years of conservation this year and accolades have streamed in from around the world, including from HRH The Prince of Wales and Sir David Attenborough.

HRH The Prince of Wales has been Patron of Australian Wildlife Conservancy since 2013 and in a video message of support, he expressed his gratitude for the dedication AWC has shown to preserving Australian wildlife.

“I particularly wanted to send my warmest congratulations and gratitude to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy team for their outstanding work over these past thirty years,” HRH The Prince of Wales said.  

“Their science-based approach and innovative land management practices are making a significant impact in protecting wildlife across Australia.”

HRH The Prince of Wales

Also a long time supporter of AWC, Sir David Attenborough joined in the praise, acknowledging AWC’s science-led model that he described as “essential” to successful conservation.

“That’s why AWC is so very important, and science runs through the whole activities of AWC in a most admirable way, and it is essential that it should if it’s going to succeed,” Sir David said.

“There are a lot of ingredients to success in conservation. Part of it, of course is money. Part of it, of course is having the area where you can do things. Part of it, of course is having science behind you, and part of it, of course is having dedicated people who would give their lives to dealing with these problems.”

Sir David Attenborough

Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s, Chief Executive Officer Tim Allard welcomed the support, saying it reinforces the critical importance of protecting Australia’s wildlife.

“Australia’s unique biodiversity remains under threat. To meet the challenge, it is critical that we scale up our conservation efforts and continue to prioritise the restoration of our landscapes and native animals,” Allard said.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy protects more native species than any other non-government body. It’s recent AWC Impact Report notes that over the last 30 years, Australian Wildlife Conservancy has established itself as a world leader in threatened mammal translocations. The organisation undertakes the most extensive wildlife translocation program in Australia with over 6,000 animals from 20 species translocated across 31 sanctuaries over the last 30 years.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy also conducts Australia’s largest biodiversity monitoring program, alongside a diverse suite of ecological research projects. It is currently conducting, hosting or collaborating on over 140 scientific projects across owned sanctuaries and partnership sites.

“To reverse the current tide of extinctions and prepare for the impacts of a changing climate AWC is developing innovative financing mechanisms that will help fund our ever-growing and increasingly complex conservation initiatives,” Allard said.

“We’re forming innovative partnerships that combine the power of philanthropy with private enterprise, the public sector and Indigenous communities. Continued collaboration and innovation across science, research and land management will help ensure the survival of Australia’s wildlife,” Allard said.

For more information on Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s work, click here.