Australia is one of the world’s most biologically diverse countries, home to some of the most fascinating species and exceptional natural places in the world.
Conservation International’s presence in Australia is an exciting hub coordinating two-way flow of expertise and finance to help accelerate conservation efforts both in Australia and globally.
In Australia we are working to accelerate the restoration of our precious coastal wetlands, in partnership with the Indigenous custodians of these places. These remarkable ecosystems — comprising seagrass, mangroves, wetlands, supratidal forests and saltmarsh — provide a whole host of benefits, that must be valued and protected for all of us. We are also engaged in marine research in on the Great Barrier Reef and the restoration of degraded farmlands.
Through our global reach, we seek to amplify these solutions to benefit partners in other geographies facing similar issues. Conservation International Australia seeks to form connections with and between donors, corporates, government agencies and peer organisations who are keen to be part of the front-line team in the global fight for nature.
Our programs
Indigenous-led coastal restoration
Coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, saltmarsh, seagrass and kelp help draw down carbon from our atmosphere and lock it away underground — at rates up to 10X those of tropical rainforests. Situated on coasts and in near shore marine areas they are called ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems — and the world is waking up to their importance.
Conservation International Australia want to make seagrass restoration more affordable. We are working towards methodologies for carbon and biodiversity crediting, which will accelerate restoration not only in Australia, but around the world.
Learn more about our work with Indigenous-led coastal restoration
Marine biodiversity
The StAR (or Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery) Project, initiated by Conservation International, is the world’s first rewilding initiative for an endangered shark species. The project was launched to recover populations of the beautiful and gentle leopard shark (also known as zebra shark in Australia). The StAR project is partnering with SEA LIFE Sydney and Sea World Gold Coast amongst other aquariums to breed captive leopard sharks and shipping their eggs to Raja Ampat.
Conservation International is working with other Australian partners including the Leaf to Reef team and Project Manta from University of Sunshine Coast as well as University of Queensland, the Biopixel Foundation and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation on a range of conservation science activities on the Great Barrier Reef.
Forests
The 2019 and 2020 Australian bushfire season in Australia saw more than 18.6 million hectares of land devastated, the effects of which are still evident.
Conservation International has partnered with Greening Australia under Mastercard’s Priceless Planet Coalition to restore the damaged landscapes through the planting of 430,000 biodiverse, native and locally appropriate trees across New South Wales and Victoria.
Asia-Pacific
More than half of the world’s population resides in the Asia-Pacific. This region is home to half of Earth’s remaining rainforests and represents the global center for marine biodiversity. As economies in the Asia-Pacific continue to grow, and the impacts of climate change are becoming more pronounced Australia has an important role to play in supporting the protection and restoration of nature across the region. Conservation International Australia links Australian donors to an incredible array of projects throughout the Asia-Pacific.
About us
Conservation International protects the nature that people around the world rely on for food, fresh water and livelihoods. We do this through science, policy and partnerships, employing 1,000 people in 30 countries. Over the years, CI has helped establish more than 1,200 protected areas across 77 countries, safeguarding more than 601 million hectares of land, marine and coastal areas. Learn more at :http://www.conservation.org/ Follow us on: Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ConservationOrg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/conservation.intl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ConservationOrg
People need nature — and for over 30 years, Conservation International has worked to protect it around the planet. Through cutting-edge science, innovative policy and global reach, we empower people to protect the nature that we rely on for food, fresh water and livelihoods.
Since our inception, we’ve helped to protect more than 6 million square kilometers of land and sea across more than 70 countries. Currently with offices in 29 countries and 2,000 partners worldwide, our reach is truly global.
Our priorities
Nature is life: Every breath you take, every drop you drink, every bite you eat — it all comes from nature. And we have a plan to keep it safe:
We protect forests that absorb and store climate-warming carbon by working with businesses and governments to account for their impacts on forests; enabling private investment in forest protection initiatives; and helping local and Indigenous communities protect forests on their lands.
How we stabilize our climate by protecting and restoring nature »
We seek to double the world’s ocean area under protection while innovating new ways to sustain marine fisheries. We do this by helping countries secure and monitor their waters; enabling the inclusion of coastal habitats in climate policies; and disrupting damaging practices in the seafood sector.
We work with local communities throughout Asia-Pacific to improve livelihoods while easing the strain on natural resources — for example, teaching coastal Fijians how to catch fish from deeper water is protecting fragile coral reefs; fostering more productive rice farming techniques in Cambodia is reducing forest clearance for more rice fields. Supporting people to thrive alongside nature is core to our mission.