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Download 2020 Impact Report The Great Eastern Ranges 2020 Impact Report Message from our CEO and Chair The unprecedented challenges which 2020 forms of collaboration to overcome the closure of state have brought have been heart-breaking borders and lockdowns in major centres – like much and difficult, but they have also created of the world, replacing meetings in the field with online discussions, symposiums and planning sessions. The new opportunities. The impact of the challenging targets we set for our post-fire response all devastating bushfire crisis on our wildlife remained either on track or were completed. served to amplify awareness and care for nature, while the COVID-19 pandemic has With the support of a grant awarded by The Ian led to people starting to reconnect with Potter Foundation, GER has formed new partnerships their environment and to becoming more with other eNGOs and networks to expand our role aware of their place in it. in supporting wildlife movement and adaptation; incorporate human health outcomes into restoration projects; map and assess the ongoing regeneration This year has also seen the Great Eastern Ranges of fire-affected forests; and integrate regenerative Initiative continue to build and consolidate our place agriculture with landscape connectivity. as one of Australia’s most ambitious yet essential endeavours. We have tackled tremendous adversity this year, but with the energy and enthusiasm of a steadily growing The year kicked off with our immediate response team working with our board and the support of our to the bushfires which at that stage were still raging members, the Great Eastern Ranges Initiative continues through our landscapes, from the iconic forests of East to bring people together to achieve its bold vision. Gippsland to our precious World Heritage reserves in the Border Ranges. Significant swathes of the Great Eastern Ranges were impacted. Meeting this major challenge required a coordinated and complementary effort that responded at scale whilst meeting local Gary Howling Bob Debus needs. To ensure this, GER released a phased bushfire Executive Director & CEO Chair recovery plan in mid-January 2020. The three-stage approach to restoring and reconnecting nature post-fire took advantage of GER’s unique ability to react quickly to the immediate threat, whilst ensuring the long-term restoration, resilience and connectivity of our land, wildlife and communities post-fire. The onset of COVID-19 barely slowed the efforts of our regional partners. The GER network adapted new University of Wollongong students celebrate the planting of 421 native trees in the grounds of the Berry Sport & Recreation Centre. The trees were planted by the students to contribute towards the Berry Bush Links project as a way of offsetting their carbon emissions. What we do The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative brings people and organisations together to protect, link and restore healthy habitats over 3,600km, Cairns from western Victoria to far north Queensland. Support wildlife By reconnecting and protecting vital habitat across the ranges, GER supports wildlife movements across seasons and landscapes, restoring natural migration routes and Queensland creating stepping stones between protected areas to enable wildlife to move, adapt and thrive. Provide Natural Solutions Through protecting, restoring and reconnecting the ranges’ THE GREAT carbon-rich forests and wetlands, GER provides a natural EASTERN RANGES Brisbane solution to the climate and biodiversity crisis. By preserving important carbon stores and improving the health of vital ecosystems, more resilient landscapes are created, carbon emissions reduced and the loss of native animals and plants curbed. New South Wales Build Resilient Landscapes By supporting improved land management practices Sydney and natural processes like pollination, whilst strategically managing threats to ecosystems and rural livelihoods, Canberra Victoria GER creates healthier, more productive landscapes for wildlife, farmers and industry. Melbourne Ensure Healthy Communities Human health and wellbeing are inextricably linked with the health of our environment. By creating and supporting healthier habitat, soils, rivers and ecosystem services and reducing disease spread, GER’s work creates healthier, happier, more connected communities. Support wildlife By reconnecting and protecting vital habitat across the ranges, GER supports wildlife movements across seasons and landscapes, restoring natural migration routes and creating stepping stones between protected areas to enable wildlife to move, adapt and thrive. I2S Bush Connect project through a comprehensive awareness-raising and education campaign. Our Illawarra to Shoalhaven partnership continues to support the delivery of two NSW Government Bush Connect projects in the region – Berry Bush Links and K2W Glideways Thickening the Thin Green Line. Berry Bush Links, GER’s Kanangra-Boyd to Wyangala partner network led by I2S partner, Berry Landcare, is a consortium was one of the first to roll out a series of Glideways of private landholders, community and government projects when the flagship program launched in 2015. organisations which is working to reconnect the region’s Through the NSW Government’s Bush Connect grants, isolated forests to create a vital corridor for wildlife K2W is continuing to restore connectivity for the region’s moving between the coast and escarpment. At the gliding possums which include populations of yellow- same time, ‘Thickening the thin green line’ led by GER bellied glider, greater glider and squirrel glider. On- partner, the National Parks Association of NSW, is ground work in the region includes planting of preferred aimed at enhancing the ‘pinch point’ in connectivity that glider feed species, installation of nest boxes, strategic occurs between the Macquarie Pass and Budderoo threat management, habitat protection and ecologist-led National parks. surveys. Additional funding provided through GER’s partnership with WWF-Australia is building on these Wall to Wollondilly existing Glideways efforts with an emphasis on post-fire recovery. Identified as a priority corridor by GER’s Southern Highlands partner network, the Wingecarribee River forms a major link between the coastal escarpment and National wildlife connectivity plans In response to the the Central Tablelands. To reverse the damage done To help drive action to secure the future of Australia’s to the river catchment through decades of grazing and gliding possums, GER supported a Greater and devastating 2019-2020 clearing, Wall to Wollondilly is working with the local Squirrel Glider symposium run by the Biolinks Alliance, bushfires, GER released a community, farmers and government, to restore critical on 27-28 October 2020. The virtual event brought habitat for animals, such as the Platypus; reduce the together over 150 researchers, academics and phased bushfire recovery impact of weeds; improve water quality; and return the on-ground practitioners from across the country to health of the Wingecarribee River. Greening Australia is share their practical and scientific knowledge for glider plan which reacted quickly leading this NSW Government funded project. conservation. The key takeaways from the symposium will help to inform the development of a national GER to the immediate threat, GER Crossings campaign Glideways connectivity plan, which will highlight priority areas and actions to secure the future of gliding whilst ensuring the long- To reduce the impact of linear infrastructure on tree- possums across eastern Australia. The new plan will be term restoration, resilience dwelling mammals, GER is engaging Australia’s top road the first of a series of national conservation plans that ecologists, researchers and major environmental NGOs GER will be working to develop alongside key experts and connectivity of our land, in the development of a new multi-faceted campaign. for the organisation’s flagship wildlife support programs. The GER Crossings Campaign aims to identify priority locations across the ranges for habitat restoration, wildlife and communities’ Volunteers planting native trees and shrubs on a property near augmented by the establishment of crossing structures Broughton Creek on the NSW South Coast as part of Berry post-fire. as well as engage local communities and landholders Bushlinks. Photo copyright, Bill Pigot, Berry Landcare. Plains to Pacific: Connecting Natural Solutions Western Sydney to the Central Coast Through protecting and restoring The Hawkesbury-Nepean River system from the Cox’s the ranges’ carbon-rich forests catchment near Lithgow to the Central Coast has long been recognised as a critical gap in the Great Eastern and wetlands, GER provides a Ranges partner network. Significant areas through natural solution to the climate and which the iconic river system run are protected as national parks and reserves, however, other critical biodiversity crisis. By preserving areas in Western Sydney and the Central Coast have important carbon stores and been heavily cleared and fragmented due to agriculture, development, business and infrastructure. improving the health of our Working closely with the Community Environment ecosystems, we reduce emissions, Network, GER is helping to lay the foundations for a encourage natural regeneration, Plains to Pacific alliance to restore and reconnect the Hawkesbury-Nepean system. This region is home to and curb the loss of native animals a diverse array of wildlife and plants including many and plants.
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