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THE DAVID THOMAS CHALLENGE

The David Thomas Challenge, created by the Thomas Foundation in 2007, has generated a total investment of $28.1 million in conservation activities.

The Nature Conservancy (Australia), administrator of the Challenge, says the Challenge’s outcomes are “outstanding, and globally significant”.

“The additional lands now protected in Australia represent more than 12% of the lands protected by TNC worldwide over its 60 year history,” TNC (Australia) says.

Encouraged by the Thomas Foundation’s commitment to match donations, private Australian donors invested a further $12.6m million. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) sourced a further $1.2m from USA donors.

In addition, the Federal Government allocated $6.2m to buy land for the National Reserve System.

The conservation investments were made through TNC Australia’s partner organisations – Bush Heritage Australia, the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Greening Australia and the Trust for Nature. More recently two new partners joined the Challenge – Birds Australia and Ecotrust Australia.

TNC (Australia) administers the Challenge. It lists achievements of the Challenge program as being:

  • Support for the creation of new protected areas, through both land acquisitions and the declaration of Indigenous Protected Areas, and the conservation management of private protected areas covering some 5.3m hectares, including
    • acquisition of six properties totalling 914,316 hectares, with some of Australia’s most under-represented and threatened habitats
    • management of an additional six properties totally 1,074,468 hectares
    • conservation management of 3.36m hectares of Indigenous country through four projects with Indigenous communities and groups, including support for the declaration of two Indigenous Protected Areas totalling more than 2m hectares
  • Support for six landscape-scale projects across Australia
  • Support for four science and research projects that will underpin strategies to achieve conservation outcomes across priority regions
  • Support for one conservation policy/mechanism project that will achieve broad conservation outcomes nationally

The Challenge ends in 2012.

TNC notes: “We’re delighted that the vision of the David Thomas Challenge is being successfully achieved. Through the Thomas Foundation’s investment, the Challenge has leveraged more than $12.6m in investments through partners which, combined with additional matches through The Nature Conservancy, have resulted in a total private investment of $22m in conservation work across Australia so far.

“The grand total is $28.2m when the additional leverage of increased public investment is included.

“The Thomas Foundation’s investment has enabled a range of important conservation projects that directly support TNC’s Australian goals.

“The results are outstanding and globally significant.”

New private philanthropy

One of the primary aims of The David Thomas Challenge is to encourage new and increased levels of private philanthropic support of conservation projects.

Of 154 donors, 63 were new supporters of private conservation. The average value of donations was almost $79,000. Of past donors, all increased their support, with half of them committing to multi-year pledges. More than a third of all donors – old and new – committed to multi-year pledges.

Following is a summary of projects for 2010/11.

PROJECTS SUPPORTED

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TNC Photo - Mark Godfrey

 

Area (Hectares)

Summary of Outcomes

Property Acquisition & Management

1,492,955

  • Acquisition of 1 Property – Monjebup North

  • Management of 6 properties totalling 1,491,848 ha

  • Monjebup North

1,107

  • Acquisition of Monjebup Reserve by BHA

  • Security of connection between BHA’s Monjebup Reserve to the south and the Corackerup Nature Reserve to the north.

  • Protection for five of the six conservation targets identified in the Gondwana Link Functional Landscape Plan

  • Kalamurina Station Management

667,000

  • Support for the management of Kalamurina Station in Central Australia including feral animal control.

  • Support for biological surveys on Kalamurina through the acquisition of small assets and infrastructure including biological survey equipment.

  • Mornington Station Management

320,668

  • Support for the management of Mornington Station.

  • Wongalara Station Management

192,200

  • Support for the management of Wongalara Station in the Northern Australia priority region.

  • Remote Conservation & Management Development - Cravens Peak

65,680

  • Upgrading of on-site accommodation permitting additional staff, scientists, skilled workers and volunteers to reside on the reserve for extended periods of time to increase the capacity to carry out on-ground conservation works, to manage and minimise threats to the conservation values of the reserves.

  • Ned’s Corner Station Management

29,600

  • Supply and installation of a power inverter and battery bank to the existing generator as the first stage of a transition to solar power station has enabled:

    • 24 hour continuous power on the property,

    • Greater engagement of scientists, conservation groups and other stakeholders through hosting meetings, workshops and presentations on site

    • Greater capacity to engage volunteers on the property to work on biodiversity projects

  • Purchase of a Daedong tractor including attachments, machinery shed, associated fittings and permits had enabled:

    • Has enabled Rabbit control works to achieve “rabbit-free" status over 80% of the property

    • Road rationalisation and grading to reduce vehicle impacts and improve travel efficiency,

    • Fence installation and repair to promote native vegetation regeneration and protect culturally sensitive areas,

    • Weed removal including Athel Pine elimination

  • Renovation of the Shearers Quarters at Neds Corner including re-blocking foundations and fitout has facilitated significant participation in Neds Corner by volunteer and scientific organisations.

  • Bon Bon Station Management

216,700

  • Employment of a full time Reserve Manager has greatly increased Bush Heritage’s capacity to undertake necessary conservation programs, including:

    • Controlling livestock grazing (sheep and cattle) by way of regular boundary fence inspection and repairs.

    • Managing erosion and catchment dysfunction.

    • Managing tracks and roads and associated disruptions to water flow.

    • Managing visitation, particularly the impact of very high volumes of traffic along the Stuart Highway in relation to weeds, soil erosion and increased risk of wildfire.

    • Managing wildfire and wildfire suppression – due to the fire history on Bon Bon, efforts are focused on fire prevention, including improved access, fire breaks and fast-fill water points.

    • Managing invasive predators (foxes and cats).

    • Managing invasive/pest herbivores (rabbits and macropods).

    • Managing invasive plants.

  • Major improvements to infrastructure including:

    • Repairs and maintenance to the main homestead such as weather-proofing (dust, water, sun, pests).

    • Repairs and maintenance to other buildings and sheds associated with the homestead complex

    • Renovations to the kitchen and bathroom in the Overseer’s Cottage to improve staff, volunteer, researcher, and other visitor safety, comfort and amenity.

    • Renovations to the old post office and general store (c1905) to combat damage from termites.

    • Repairs and maintenance to water points such as the main homestead supply and others across the property to enable fast fill capacity in the event of a wildfire.

Indigenous Protected Areas

3,325,000

  • Declaration of 1 IPA – Wunambal Gaambera

  • Management of 2 IPA’s – Wunambal Gaambera & Warddeken

  • Progress towards protection of indigenous lands for 2 other regions – Gulf and Cape York

  • Warddeken IPA

1,400,000

  • Implementation of the IPA management plan focussing on weed and feral control, particularly gamba grass and wild buffalo

  • Implementation of monitoring and biological surveys, with two surveys conducted by the Warddeken Rangers in conjunction with an ecologist from the Northern Territory Government, which have included the regular deployment of motion sensor cameras

  • Training for the Warddeken Rangers in standard survey techniques

  • Gulf Indigenous Partnerships

600,000

  • Development of a partnership between BHA and the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation to jointly manage properties of conservation significance for which the Gangalidda and Garawa people have responsibility.

  • Desktop assessments and reports on the conservation values have been developed for nine properties in Gangalidda and Garawa country.

  • The next stage of the project will involve a team of ecologists working with the Gangalidda and Garawa Rangers to undertake the first on-ground surveys in 2011.

  • Cape York Caring for Country (Balkanu)

400,000

  • Finalisation of the Cape York Caring for Country strategy

  • Capacity building of Indigenous Rangers and Traditional Owners in conservation planning and management

  • Wunambal Gaambera Healthy Country Project

925,000 ha (terrestrial)

1,600,000 ha (marine)

  • Development of the Wunambal Gaambera Healthy Country Plan using TNC’s Conservation Area Planning (CAP) methodology through a series of five workshops.

  • Finalisation and approval of the Healthy Country Plan

  • Declaration of an Indigenous Protected Area

  • Capacity building activities:

    • Ecological survey of Bougainville Peninsula with BHA and Kimberley Land Council ecologists.

    • Traditional knowledge recording for developing Uunguu field guides.

    • Trialling cyber tracker and monitoring of marine turtles, dugongs and seagrass with NAILSMA

    • Fire management actions including a ranger fire training trip to Arnhem Land.

Science & Research

 

 

  • Northern Australia Fire Project

 

  • Development of a detailed mapping baseline for critical habitats on the Arnhem Plateau, especially regionally endemic sandstone rainforest communities which will form the basis for assessment of the effects of regional fire regimes and the effectiveness of fire management into the future. Specifically including:

  • Mapping of the extent Allosyncarpia rainforest to 1:25,000.

  • Identification of fire susceptible Allosyncarpia patches utilising elevation models, geological maps and vegetation mapping

  • Consultation with Traditional Owners and land managers to prioritise sites.

  • Assessment of the trend through current and historical aerial photos.

Landscape Scale Projects

 

  • Support for 3 major Landscape-scale projects across Australia

  • Pastoral Partnerships Project

346,000

  • Aquatic sampling for fish and macro-invertebrates was undertaken at four sites (Mulligan KK Crossing, Cootadoo, Lake Namabooka and Lake Amaroo) which resulted in records of eleven species of fish including two species not previously recorded from the Mulligan catchment and a third range extension was recorded at Pulchera Waterhole (Ethabuka Reserve).

  • Small vertebrate surveys (pit-fall traps and/or Elliot traps) were conducted at three sites resulting in records of Stripe-faced Dunnart along with four frog species.

  • Gondwana Link Landscape Manager

 

  • Support for the Gondwana Link Landscape Manager to undertake management of BHA properties in Gondwana Link including:

  • Improved fire prevention and management in partnership with surrounding landholders and agencies

  • Boundary fence assessment and replacement

  • Addressing access and erosion issues

  • Development of ecological restoration planning brief for 435 ha cleared portion of Monjebup North

  • Secured funding for preparation of an integrated cross-tenure feral control plan for the Fitz-Stirling region.

  • Bunya Biolink

 

  • Completion of the Conservation Action Plan for the Bunya Biolink

  • Completion of spatial analysis to assist in targeting high priority areas to achieve project objectives.

  • Development of the Bunya Biolink Start up and Implementation Project Plan and case for support to develop fundraising for project implementation.

  • Gondwana Link Coordination Program

 

  • Governance - Former Gondwana Link Coordinating Unit incorporated into Gondwana Link Limited (GLL) in August 2009 with registration of name, establishment of Board, and governance protocols and procedures developed and Deductible Gift Recipient status received

  • Supported Conservation Action Planning (CAP) development and integration (including the review of CAPs as necessary, and collating/reporting on progress against CAPs)

  • Developing and maintaining standards and principles for conservation activities

  • Supported the partner groups in attracting additional funds. Successes included Cape to Cape group securing funding from Lotterywest for ecological corridors, attracting a corporate sponsor for Ranges Link, with plantings and bushland fencing now under way

  • Acquiring, managing and sharing knowledge – collation and management of data sharing with Gondwana Link groups including GIS data sets and image library.

  • Ecological Monitoring and Planning Support including establishment and monitoring of Yate sites, fauna surveys and analysis of bird habitat requirements across the Fitz- Stirling operational area