Australia is renowned for its iconic biodiversity, with ecosystems ranging from arid deserts to lush rainforests. The continent is home to diverse flora and fauna, with many unique species found nowhere else on the planet, such as kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, and pygmy possums. Key landscapes include the world’s most ancient rainforest, the Daintree, the Great Barrier Reef, and extensive eucalypt forests, each contributing to Australia's rich ecological tapestry. It is also home to the oldest continuous living civilization on Earth, with Indigenous people maintaining a deep connection to the land for over 65,000 years.
Australia faces significant environmental threats, including deforestation, extended droughts, bushfires, and invasive species (it is estimated that feral cats kill over 1.5 billion native animals each year). Habitat loss due to land clearing for agriculture and urban development endangers native wildlife, and climate change exacerbates coral bleaching, particularly affecting the Great Barrier Reef.
Australia is about 17% forested, representing about 3% of the global forest area.
Australia is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are unique.
More than 80% of Australia’s native forest area is dominated by Eucalypt and Acacia forests.
About 82% of Australia’s mammals and 93% of Australia’s frogs are found nowhere else in the world.
Over the last 200 years, Australia has lost 75% of its rainforests and has the world's worst record of mammal extinctions.
Reforestation in Australia focuses on bushfire recovery, habitat restoration, community engagement, and more.
Learn about three recent reforestation projects that planted trees in Australia!
Reforestation in Australia focuses on bushfire recovery, habitat restoration, community engagement, and more. Learn about three recent reforestation projects that planted trees in Australia!
The aim of this project is to create a wildlife corridor that connects existing patches of native bushland, improving critical koala habitat. By enhancing the area with richer breeding sites and local plants, we’ll also boost canopy cover for protection against harsh weather. Ultimately, the project is working towards a 20 km koala corridor between Somers and Red Hill South.
The objective of this project is to restore retired sugar cane and cattle grazing lands into thriving rainforest in the ancient Daintree region of North Queensland. Restoration efforts focus on close plant spacing techniques to encourage the growth of young seedlings toward the original rainforest structure, promoting the rich biodiversity typical of the Daintree.
Created in the wake of the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires, this project is supporting community nurseries to scale up and grow locally native trees to support five key biodiversity areas that were hardest hit by the fires. The project is now one of the largest community-led restoration projects in Australia, bringing together local volunteers, First Nations groups and landowners.