Nature and Waterways
As the ‘bush capital’ Canberra is fortunate to host some of the most amazing wildlife and landscapes in Australia. But the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution means that we have more to lose than ever before.
Over 100 Australian species are now listed as either extinct or extinct in the wild. Across the country, there are more non-native plants than native ones. Rivers, the lifeblood of inland landscapes like Canberra are drying up, and land is being cleared at alarming rates.
The ACT is not immune to this. Approximately 6.2% of Canberra’s mature trees have been removed in the past 5 years; our beloved faunal emblem, the Gang-gang Cockatoo is endangered; and our natural areas are at increasing risk of pest plants and animals.
Join us in working to protect our region’s amazing nature
Keen to get involved? Join the Biodiversity Working Group
Biodiversity Working Group is chaired by Hugh Coppell and meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 5.30pm. Biodiversity Working Group is open to anyone interested in biodiversity including member groups, staff and board members. To become involved please contact Peta.
Latest News
Callum Brae Nature Reserve threatened by crematorium complex – have your voice heard
InvoCare has amended their Development application 202138789 for a crematorium on the border with the Callum Brae Nature Reserve which will see the removal of mature native trees, fragmentation of habitat and the use of fossil gas. The Development application is...
A Win for Bluetts Block-Piney Ridge!
Development footprint pushed back in response to community concern Bluetts Block-Piney Ridge is a special place for many reasons. First, it is home to incredibly diverse woodlands. These woodlands are home to over 100 plant species, including the endemic Black...
Bush Buds: Woodlands Walk
You’ve chosen your Bush bud - now it’s time to learn all about them! Join us for the first Bush Buds walk - the theme of this walk is Woodlands, and will give you the opportunity to learn more about the habitat of the following Bush Buds: Gang-gang Cockatoo Pink...
The Plight of the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon
What's going on with Canberra's Dragons? In 2019, taxonomists realised southeast Australia’s Grassland Earless Dragons are not all the same. They found there is actually four different Dragon species. One of the...
A Biodiversity Network for the ACT
The Biodiversity Network Paper: a tenure-blind framework for cohesive nature conservation across the ACT. The ACT, like the rest of Australia, is battling an extinction crisis. Approximately 6.2% of Canberra’s mature trees have been removed in the past 5 years; our...
Federal Government’s Environmental Law Reform still Leaves Young People with a Nature Emergency
This week, on the backdrop of scientists’ timely declaration that the fate of the entire living world, including us, hangs in the balance of biodiversity conservation – we held our breath. Hoping that when the Minister of the Environment announced her “Nature positive plan” for law reform, we could finally have a world to look forward to, where we can imagine the future. The news that we had hoped for never arrived. Instead of taking a stand for Australia’s nature, and protecting our nation’s future, the Minister presented a disappointing plan that is entirely ill-equipped to tackle the nature emergency.