Australian Wildlife Conservancy UK (AWC UK) is a registered UK charity dedicated to the conservation of Australia’s wildlife. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse nations on the planet with a significant proportion of Australia’s mammals, birds and reptiles occurring nowhere else in the world. Sadly, however, Australia’s wildlife is disappearing: 31 species have gone extinct in the last 200 years – giving Australia the worst rate of mammal extinctions in the world. Urgent action is needed if further wildlife extinctions are to be prevented.
Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) was founded by British-born Martin Copley in the early 1990’s. AWC represents an exciting new model for conservation – one based on practical land management (fire management, feral animal control, weed eradication) and world-class science.
AWC is one of the largest private (non-profit) owners and managers of land for conservation in the world, protecting endangered wildlife across more than 12.9 million hectares (31.8 million acres) in iconic regions such as the Kimberley, Cape York, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre and the Top End. AWC protects a very high proportion of Australia’s biodiversity, including:
74 per cent of native mammal species (215 species)
88 per cent of native bird species (546 species)
54 per cent of reptile species (555 species)
56 per cent of amphibian species (133 species)
In fact, AWC protects more species – and more threatened species – than any other non-government organisation.
AWC’s approach is delivering measurable increases in the wild populations of Australia’s most endangered species. Supporting AWC’s work provides an opportunity to halt the decline of wildlife and restore Australia’s natural capital. Recognising that no other non-government organisation in Australia was providing the same ecological return on investment, AWC UK was formed in 2008 to raise funds to support AWC’s important work.