Australia is a land of rich biodiversity. From the Great Barrier Reef to our rainforests, rivers and deserts, conservation is vital to protect native plants, threatened animal species and ecologically important landscapes for generations to come.

Not-for-profit organisations are making significant contributions to conservation through responsible land management, regenerative environmental care, biosecurity, habitat restoration, research, education, advocacy, and building community alliances.

This give list provides a range of not-for-profit organisations working towards sustainable conservation in Australia.

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While the entities listed below are all known to APS, we do not conduct a detailed analysis of their financial position and governance ahead of their inclusion in this list. Each charity’s audited financials are available to view on the ACNC website. This is not an exhaustive list of the many not-for-profit organisations working in this space.

Bush Heritage Australia

ABN 78 053 639 115
https://www.bushheritage.org.au/

Bush Heritage Australia is a national organisation dedicated to conserving biodiversity in Australia.  They do this by buying and managing land of outstanding conservation value, and working in partnership with other landowners, to protect native plants and animals on millions of hectares of the most ecologically important landscapes.  They work a lot with the Traditional Owners of the land and other Aboriginal groups to develop and implement Healthy Country Plans that seek to achieve conservation goals and at the same time create jobs and livelihood on Country to ensure the viability of long-term conservation work.

10 Deserts Project (through Desert Support Services)

ABN 41 154 511 494
https://tendeserts.org/

This Indigenous land management project works across Australia’s outback to keep it healthy for the benefit of the planet. Australia has some of the most diverse wildlife in the world, and although much of the desert appears barren, it is very much alive with creatures found nowhere else on the planet. 10 Deserts Project is the largest Indigenous-led conservation network involving seven Indigenous organisations.  Apart from being incredibly important from a conservation point of view, it also has employment and flow-on social and health benefits for Australia’s outback Indigenous communities.

The Nature Conservancy

ABN 83 243 328 398
https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/

The Nature Conservancy Australia works to protect Australia for future generations.  Its work is across climate change, protection of land and water (including land buy back), food and water security and healthy cities.  The organisation works closely with Indigenous people on protection places, such as the Murray Darling Basin.

The Mulloon Institute

ABN 53 153 605 531
https://themullooninstitute.org/

The Mulloon Institute is a research, education and advocacy organisation located 40 minutes drive east of central Canberra. It regenerates landscapes and actively demonstrates and shares regenerative methods of water, soil and vegetation management that create sustainable, resilient environments serving the needs of the present without compromising those of future generations.  The Institute is located on and has perpetual and unlimited tenure of Mulloon Creek Natural Farms comprising 2,300 hectares, for use as a living sustainable laboratory for the Institute’s work.

Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council

ABN 94 806 492 396
https://www.martuwarra.org/ 

The Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council is an Indigenous-led organisation and alliance of Elders from independent nations of the Fitzroy River Catchment in the Kimberley, Western Australia. Their work focuses on protecting the largest registered cultural heritage site in Western Australia, the Martuwarra River system. In addition to their conservation work, The Martuwarra Fitzroy River Council is actively working to support those affected by the uncharacteristic flood event in the region by accepting donations that will go directly to community members affected by this catastrophic flood event.

Greening Australia

https://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/
ABN 40 002 963 788

Greening Australia works across Australia to bring practical solutions to some of Australia’s biggest environmental challenges. Greening Australia works in 30 locations around the country, planting millions of natives, collecting seeds, conserving thousands of hectares of habitat with the help of Indigenous people on Country, working with landholders to help them manage their land sustainably, avoiding runoff that is destructive for the Great Barrier Reef, introducing green spaces in cities through the schools planting program and educating young people about the importance of habitat and biodiversity.

Australian Conservation Foundation

ABN 22 007 498 482
https://www.acf.org.au/

Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) advocates for action on tackling climate change and preserving Australia’s rich biodiversity. Founded over fifty years ago, ACF has been involved in protecting places such as the Kimberley, Franklin River, Kakadu, Daintree, Antarctica and many others. ACF has also been key in creating Landcare, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the Murray Darling Basin Plan and the world’s largest marine park network. Main advocacy campaigns include nature protection and tackling climate change by transitioning Australia away from extracting and burning polluting fossil fuels (e.g. the Stop Adani campaign). ACF analyses the underlying causes of environmental degradation and advocates for solutions.

Rainforest Conservation Foundation

ABN 49 628 358 323
https://www.rainforest4.org/

Rainforest Conservation Foundation protects and restores rainforests by purchasing land, creating new protected areas, stopping and reversing the impacts of development, and restoring rainforest ecosystems damaged in the past. Once restored, the protected areas will be transferred ino the Daintree National Park.

Tree Project Inc

ABN 90 669 079 400
https://treeproject.org.au/

Land clearing has resulted in isolated pockets of remnant indigenous vegetation dotted across the Victorian landscape. Tree Project fosters the replacement of similar vegetation across public and private land with a goal to re-link these remaining pockets, thus repairing and restoring some of the state’s damaged and lost ecosystems. The Re-Tree Scheme connects landholders and landcare groups with volunteers who propagate low-cost local provenance seedlings from indigenous-based seeds to revegetate degraded landscapes. Tree Project keeps seedling costs low thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of volunteers who propagate the seedlings in their own backyards.

Rainforest Rescue

ABN 61 086 885 154
http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au/

Rainforest Rescue works in partnership with other environmental organisations, local and state government and Aboriginal Corporations to protect and preserve rainforest and its biodiversity. They have four areas of focus: Rescue – buying back high conservation value rainforest land that is at risk of development; Restore – reforestation including planting Daintree community nursery propagated native rainforest trees, invasive species management and natural regeneration; Conserve – managed partnership conservation programs; Learn – undertaking applied research as well as hosting international research internships to investigate best practice management of invasive species and weeds in Rainforest environments.

Cape York Natural Resource Management

ABN 89 146 770 167
http://www.capeyorknrm.com.au/

Cape York NRM aims to help people work together to care for the natural environment and to promote the sustainable use of Cape York’s natural resources. The organisation works with land and sea managers, traditional custodians, growers, graziers and ranger groups on a wide variety of programs that enhance Cape York’s wetlands and soils, and offer protection to the Great Barrier Reef environment.

Total Environment Centre

ABN 54 152 721 302
https://www.tec.org.au/

TEC was originally formed by the ‘save the national park and rainforests’ movement of the 1970s. Today they still care about trees and supporting communities who struggle to conserve precious parks and bushland, but they also work to preserve clean air and stop coastal sand mining. They advocate for: renewable energy by encouraging innovation, a more flexible modern energy market, and incentivising via government investment; improved recycling infrastructure to protect waterways and oceans from plastic pollutants; and more robust legislation around native animals and plants to ensure food and water security for the future.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy

ABN 36 068 572 556
http://www.australianwildlife.org

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) was established to tackle the issue of Australia having the worst mammal extinction rate in the world and a very high proportion of our surviving animals and plants (over 1,700 species) are listed as threatened with extinction.  AWC establishes large sanctuaries and practical land management, including feral animal control and fire management, with success to date in helping preserve over 80% of Australia’s land and air animals. AWC provides donors with the possibility to visit the sanctuaries and see first-hand the wildlife thriving thanks to private support.

Invasive Species Council

ABN 27 101 522 829
https://invasives.org.au/

Invasive Species Council looks to control invasive species which have been a major cause of Australia’s mass mammal extinction rate. This includes animals, as well as invasive weeds, which are hugely detrimental to the survival of Australian plants and animals. The organisation works to eliminate harmful weeds, foxes, feral cats, cane toads, and stopping new species from entering and becoming established in Australia.

The Government’s biosecurity focus to date has been to protect the agricultural industry from invasive species, but little consideration (and few resources) has been given to protecting the biosecurity of Australia’s environmental assets. The environmental biosecurity risks and pathways project develops a national priority list of potential insect and plant invasive species that could harm Australia’s natural environment, and identifies their likely pathways of arrival and their impacts, in order to ensure more rigorous protection measures are put in place to keep invasive species at bay.

Bob Brown Foundation

ABN 51 634 785 002
https://www.bobbrown.org.au/

The Bob Brown Foundation campaigns for the protection of the natural environment. The Foundation promotes the protection and enhancement of, and information provision and education about the wild and scenic beauty of Tasmania, the ecological integrity of Australia, Earth’s wilderness, and the happiness of humanity on Earth.

World Wide Fund For Nature Australia

ABN 57 001 594 074
www.wwf.org.au

WWF’s global mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. Amongst other projects, WWF is focusing on restoring and saving the Koala habitat after the bushfires.  WWF is also establishing a Women Rangers Network to provide training, mentoring, resources and professional development opportunities to Indigenous female rangers.

Last updated 12 April 2024