Conservationalists Buy 1.7 Million Acres of Australia Desert
In what has been described as “an astounding achievement for conservation”, two respected conservation organizations have partnered to purchase 1.7 million acres of desert in Australia.
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Australia Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) purchased the Kalamurina Ranch, which is near the common boundaries of South Australia, Northern Territory, and Queensland states (near the center of Australia).
The Kalamurina Ranch, which was previously a cattle ranch, will now be known as Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary. Despite being a former cattle ranch, most of the land is relatively undisturbed. This is due to the fact that the ranch was not heavily stocked with cattle.
Prime Position
One of the significant things about this purchase is that, it links two other protected pieces of land - resulting in 19 million acres of contiguous protected land. The Simpson Desert Regional Reserve lies directly to the north, and the Lake Eyre National Park is directly to the south.
But what the two organizations are really excited about, is that three of central Australia’s most important rivers converge on the property. The Macumbah River and Kallakoopah Creek converge with the Warburton River on Kalamurina before flowing into Lake Eyre - the largest lake in Australia.
“One glance at a map and it’s clear how important Kalamurina is,” says AWC Executive Director, Atticus Fleming. “In most parts of the world, a gap this large would look like too big a mountain to climb. But here, with just one acquisition, we were able to fill the gap.”
Endangered Species
This part of Australia has become a critical area for conservationalists. Most of the native animals are either endangered or extinct. This is because they are being eaten by non-native predators. Many of the native animals are small marsupials. Most of these animals have little chance against foxes - which were introduced by English settlers for recreational hunting.
And if non-native species aren’t killing the animals, they’re competing with them for food and water.
Michael Looker, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Australia program says, ”One of the most important things we can to do help nature survive and adapt to the impacts of climate change is to give plants and animals room to move and, especially here in the desert, access to water”.
More Work to be Done
The acquisition of the land is only the beginning. The land will now need to be restored and maintained to ensure a true sanctuary for the desert wildlife.
And, the partnership won’t stop with this acquisition. TNC and AWC plan to purchase more land to the north of the central desert.
“We have a tremendous window of opportunity in central and northern Australia,” says AWC Executive Director Atticus Fleming. “This region is considered one of five last great wild places on Earth. Working together like this will enable us to move quickly, before that window closes”.
Tags: australia, Conservation, desert, nature conservancy
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