WINS FOR NATURE IN 2022; THANKS TO YOU

2022 has been a big year for our planet.

With the help of supporters, donors and dedicated partners, we’re proud to share some incredible results in the many projects you’ve helped make possible to Regenerate Australia.

You’ve enabled a significant step forward in regenerating our environment, building resilience into our landscapes and saving our native wildlife.

Here’s a snapshot of what you helped to achieve in 2022.

75,000+ trees planted to help koalas in the Northern Rivers

Despite flooding and unprecedented rain, more than 75,000 native koala habitat and food trees have been planted in the New South Wales Northern Rivers region.

East coast koalas are now listed as Endangered

From habitat destruction to disease, bushfires to floods, koala populations along Australia’s east coast have been faced with challenge after challenge. More than 8,000 WWF-Australia supporters signed the petition and helped uplist this iconic species from Vulnerable to Endangered. While bittersweet, this uplisting means that koalas and their forest homes receive greater legal protections.

116 brush-tailed bettongs came home to Yorke Peninsula

WWF-Australia is working with Marna Banggara partners to rewild native wildlife and restore the spectacular landscape on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. With the help of our supporters, the once locally extinct brush-tailed bettong population has now returned home with the release of 80 to the landscape this year, and these numbers are steadily rising. We’ve even seen a baby boom, with the first Yorke Peninsula born bettongs!

1 in 3 Aussies switched off for Earth Hour

Thanks to every individual, business and organisation that signed up to #ShapeOurFuture this year, as we saw millions of people around the world switch off their lights in support of climate action this Earth Hour.

$500,000 raised for flood-affected wildlife

The devastating floods that hit South East Queensland and northern New South Wales left wildlife without homes, food and, in some circumstances, injured and sick. Our supporters rallied together and raised more than $500,000 for wildlife flood recovery in these regions. With your help, emergency aid was provided to incredible local organisations and wildlife hospitals to care for flood-affected wildlife and build back their habitats.

The Women Rangers Environmental Network (WREN) continues to grow

WREN has more than doubled over the last year, and the number of strong Indigenous women on Country continues to grow. In December 2022, the Queensland Indigenous Womens Ranger Network (QIWRN) won the Prince of Wales Earthshot prize, securing £1 million ($1.8 million AUD) in prize money for the organisation.

This is a massive achievement for QIWRN and all the amazing Indigenous women rangers in Queensland!

You helped create a Net-Free North

Your support helped create a 100,000km2 safe haven for dugongs and marine wildlife in the northern Great Barrier Reef. That’s a net-free oasis the size of Tasmania! This has been a huge win for our mission to create a Net-Free North.

1,000+ cameras deployed to monitor wildlife after the bushfires

More than 1,000 cameras have been deployed around the country to monitor wildlife through Eyes on Recovery, a collaborative project between WWF-Australia and Google.org. Thanks to your help and the support of Google’s philanthropic arm, we’re harnessing new technologies to find out how Australia’s wildlife is recovering in the aftermath of the 2019-20 bushfires.

The Regenerating Australia film brought communities together around Australia

Over 7,000 people attended screenings of Regenerating Australia, an inspiring short film produced by Regen Studios in collaboration with WWF-Australia about what our country could look like if we embrace clean energy, green cities, flourishing habitats, and First Nations voices front and centre.

140 businesses signed up to make Australia a renewable superpower

Strengthening the call to make Australia a Renewable Energy Export Superpower and accelerate the nation’s transition to clean energy, more than 140 businesses have pledged their support to WWF-Australia as Renewables Nation Business Champions.

Culturally significant animals will return to lungtalanana

After years of post-invasion destruction and bushfires, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre (TAC), Pakana Rangers, WWF-Australia’s Rewilding Australia team and researchers from the University of Tasmania, are working together to bring lost species back to lungtalanana, an Aboriginal-owned island off Tasmania’s north coast. Culturally significant animals, including a wombat subspecies unique to Bass Strait islands, will be introduced to the island as part of the rewilding process.

236 nest boxes installed for Endangered greater gliders

Endangered greater gliders across Victoria and New South Wales now have 236 “goldilocks” nest boxes to call home, to help the population bounce back after the devastating 2019-20 bushfires.

72 endangered flora species supported through the Rare Bloom Project

Botanica by Air Wick has partnered with WWF-Australia to create The Rare Bloom Project™. In collaboration with the Australian Seed Bank Partnership, this year together, we’ve helped support 72 native Australian wildflowers from the threat of extinction through a conservation program of seed collection, germination trials and propagation.

Building a network of over 100 small business supporters

This year, WWF-Australia launched its first ever small and medium-sized business program, Partners in Purpose. Working with this exciting audience for the first time has helped us to connect with a range of businesses that have the collective capacity to make a big difference for the planet.

Worked with Woolworths and John West to continually improve the availability of ecologically responsible seafood

Responsible seafood comes from fisheries or aquaculture operations that don’t threaten the survival of fish populations or damage the environment. Working with retailers and suppliers in this space means making sure that aquatic ecosystems thrive alongside well-managed fisheries. Fish are caught or farmed using best-practice methods that reduce impacts on wildlife, including threatened species, and important habitats like coral reefs and mangroves.

You gave us feedback, and we listened

This year, we decided to undertake more deep listening before developing WWF’s three-year agile strategic plan. This means listening to our supporters, partners, community stakeholders, Indigenous communities and scientists and hearing what it will take to Regenerate Australia and our region. Through sharing experiences, we can co-design and deliver programs with real impact to regenerate our planet. Stay tuned for more on this in the new year.

It's been an unforgettable year.

On behalf of all of us at WWF-Australia, thank you for your support in 2022.

We can’t wait to see what we achieve together next year.