The Wilderness Society

Description

The Wilderness Society is an Australian, community-based environmental advocacy organisation working to protect, promote and restore wilderness and natural processes.

It began in 1976, when 16 people met in Tasmania to campaign against damming the Franklin River, a campaign that succeeded in 1983 and defined the group. It is structured as a public company limited by guarantee, with separately incorporated campaign centres and member organisations in each state capital plus Launceston. Its campaigns have covered old-growth forest logging, endangered species habitat, the Great Australian Bight, native forest logging in Victoria and stronger national nature laws.

It campaigns for stronger environmental protections and takes on corporations, lobbyists and governments that threaten wilderness and natural landscapes. It is funded mainly by memberships, donations, bequests and merchandise sales from regular Australians, and it is a registered income tax exempt charity. It works with other groups such as Climate Action Network Australia and the Great Australian Bight Alliance, and publishes the Wilderness Journal.

It operates across Australia and is not affiliated with any political party.