Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife

Description

Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is an Australian non-government organisation working to protect the country’s wilderness and wildlife.

It raises funds for conservation and environmental education projects, and has funded recovery programs and research for more than 32 threatened species of birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians and plants. It acquires land through purchase, donation and bequest, and has helped establish more than 50 national parks and nature reserves, including Mungo National Park. It also funds cultural heritage conservation at Aboriginal and European historical sites, and runs the Backyard Buddies education program about native species in urban areas.

The Foundation was incorporated in 1970 by Tom Lewis, then New South Wales Minister for Lands, as the fundraising arm of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It began as a New South Wales body before expanding to work Australia-wide in 2000. It operates as an independent, non-political charity, keeping administration costs low and not selling or sharing donor details, and is governed by a voluntary board of directors.