Australian Wildlife Conservancy facts for kids
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| Formation | 2001 |
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| Founder | Martin Copley |
| Type | Nonprofit organisation |
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The Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a special group in Australia that works to protect animals and their homes. It's a nonprofit group, which means it uses its money to help wildlife, not to make a profit. AWC is the biggest private owner and manager of land for conservation in Australia. They look after over 6.5 million hectares of land across 31 wildlife sanctuaries and partnership sites.
AWC also teams up with government groups, Indigenous communities, and private landowners to manage these areas. Most of their money comes from people who donate, which helps them do their important work. As of 2022, AWC is working on a project to help the Northern Quoll. They are trying new ways to protect these animals, like building special dens for them, studying their genes, and using controlled fires to manage the land.
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Protecting Australia's Wildlife
Why AWC Was Started
The Australian Wildlife Conservancy was created because many Australian mammals were disappearing. Over the last 400 years, Australia has lost more than 30 mammal species. Many of these animals could have been saved if there had been better conservation efforts.
AWC uses a special way to protect wildlife. They use science, like studying animals and plants, to help them manage the land. This includes controlling fires, removing harmful introduced animals, and getting rid of weeds. A lot of their staff, about 80%, work directly in the field. This means most of their money goes straight into conservation programs.
The First Sanctuary: Karakamia
The idea for AWC started in 1991 when its founder, Martin Copley, bought land that is now called Karakamia Sanctuary. He built a special fence to keep out harmful animals like foxes and cats. Then, he brought back threatened mammals to the area.
Karakamia Sanctuary is still open for tours where you can see small mammals. These include the critically endangered woylie (also known as the brush-tailed bettong), tammar wallabies, quenda, and common brushtail possums. In 2001, AWC officially became a public charity.
Growing Their Efforts
In 2007, AWC started a partnership with the company Optus. This helped them expand their work.
A report in 2016 showed that Australia's amazing wildlife was still in danger. Even with laws to protect them, many species were declining. In response, AWC works to protect many different types of habitats across its sanctuaries. Their efforts help protect a large percentage of Australia's birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
New Partnerships for Conservation
In 2019, AWC teamed up with Bullo River Station in the Northern Territory. This is a special partnership between a working cattle farm and a conservation group. They work together to help both wildlife and cattle. This area has rocky gorges, lush riverside plants, and tropical woodlands. They have already found important rare and threatened species there. These include the beautiful Gouldian finch and the scaly-tailed possum.
In 2021, AWC started the Western River Refuge project. This was after big bushfires hit Kangaroo Island in 2020. AWC worked with local groups and landowners to create a safe place. This refuge has a 369-hectare fenced area where harmful animals can't get in. It protects the Kangaroo Island dunnart and other threatened species.
AWC Sanctuaries
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