For Greenfleet, every month is about restoring biodiversity, however, September is National Biodiversity Month and it’s all about raising awareness of Australia’s unique and wonderful biodiversity. In this article, we look at why protecting Australia’s biodiversity is so important, and how Greenfleet is playing a direct role in enabling it to thrive.
What Is Biodiversity Month?
National Biodiversity Month is an opportunity to promote the uniqueness of Australia’s biodiversity and raise awareness of the importance of protecting it. Australia is one of 17 countries that are considered ‘mega diverse’ by the United Nations. This means there are a high number of plants and animal species found here and many of these aren’t found in any other part of the world.
When Is Biodiversity Month?
Each year, National Biodiversity Month is held throughout the month of September. It kicked off on September 1 with National Wattle Day and included National Threatened Species Day on September 7.
These koalas were photographed at Greentrees, a revegetation project located near Lismore in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. Koalas are now considered Endangered federally in Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT.
The Importance Of Australia’s Biodiversity
Improving and conserving biodiversity is a vital part of preserving Australia’s unique environment. Australia is one of 17 countries classified as ‘mega-diverse’ and our geographical isolation means we provide habitat for many species that couldn’t exist anywhere else in the world.
A resilient ecosystem is able to endure disturbances and remain functional, which makes resilience a valuable quality in a climate-changing future. There are 100 ecological communities in Australia that are considered endangered, threatened, or critically endangered under the Federal Environmental and Biodiversity Protection Act (EBPC) 1999. These communities can be bolstered through legally protecting and restoring species that will help these ecosystems thrive.
Restoring Biodiverse Forests
Greenfleet has been delivering climate action through the restoration of biodiverse forests for 25 years. Since 1997, we have planted over 10 million native trees across 500 forests in Australia and New Zealand.
Greenfleet forests grow to offset the carbon emissions of our supporters, but more importantly help conserve the unique biodiversity of the regions in which we work. We legally protect these forests for up to 100 years to ensure that they have a sustained and long-term impact on the climate and environment.
By planting a wide variety of locally native plant species in each of our revegetation projects, we aim to restore forests that would have existed prior to land clearing. This means, that the native flora is able to regenerate, and the local wildlife can return to the trees to use them as food sources and habitat.
In 2021, Greenfleet planted over 200 different native plant species in our reforestation projects, and more are being planted this year.
Where Are Greenfleet’s Forest Growing?
Greenfleet has revegetation projects underway across and Australia and in New Zealand. The vast majority of our forests are growing in Australia’s eastern states, Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and we continue to extend our impact through our upcoming projects.
With over 10,000 hectares now revegetated with native forest, we look forward to growing this impact and protecting our climate by restoring our forests.
This forest is called Wurneet Laang Laang and is growing in Victoria’s South Gippsland. These images are taken just five years apart and show how Greenfleet’s revegetation work can transform landscapes.
You can see where Greenfleet’s forests are growing here.
How To Get Involved
You can play a direct part in restoring a biodiverse forest like Wurneet Laang Laang. Greenfleet is fully funded by our supporters that offset their emissions and donate to restore wildlife habitat.
You can support Greenfleet to reduce your own carbon footprint and directly support the restoration of biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand.
