Australia is a land of diverse and stunning ecosystems, and home to many unique plants and wildlife. Australia also has the highest mammal extinction rate in the world and is experiencing significant declines of many species.

Using science and Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, WWF is rewilding Australia by returning locally-extinct species. Animals like quolls and devils help regulate ecosystems, while bandicoots, potoroos and bettongs are ecosystem engineers - turning over soil, burying leaf litter and supporting seed germination that helps to Regenerate Australia. WWF is committed to reversing the decline of Australia’s wildlife and helping restore biodiversity.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living organism and one of the most bio-diverse places on earth. Since 1985, the Reef has lost 50% of its coral cover due to climate change and poor water from land-based run-off. More than 10 million tonnes of sediment from eroded gullies flow onto the Reef every year, weakening the Reef’s ability to recover. Coastal wetlands are essential, But over 50% of wetlands have already been lost.   

Greening Australia and Traditional Owners are working to restore 2,000 hectares of eroded land and 10,000 hectares of wetlands by 2030. This will prevent 400,000 tonnes of sediment from polluting the Reef each year, improving water quality, the Reef’s resilience to climate change, and the livelihoods and wellbeing of Indigenous Australians.

Since European settlement, over 90 million hectares of land across Australia has been cleared, threatening species and the productivity of farmlands. Climate change will only exacerbate the impact with reduced rainfall, increased temperatures, droughts and more frequent extreme weather events.

Greening Australia aims to restore 330,000 hectares of native trees across Australia by 2030. Drawing on the expert input of Traditional Owners, scientists and local land managers, we will plant 500 million trees and shrubs to store carbon, create quality habitat for native wildlife, and restore degraded farmland. These 500 million trees and shrubs will absorb over 1.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year by 2030, and reduce atmospheric carbon pollution.

This is one of the world’s largest and most ambitious ecological restoration programs.