In 2022, a research team led by Professor Mike Letnic, Dr Adrian Fisher and Associate Professor Will Cornwell from the University of New South Wales were awarded an ARC (Australian Research Council) Linkage grant in partnership with Nature Foundation and Bush Heritage Australia to investigate the impact high numbers of kangaroos are having on ecosystems at Witchelina Nature Reserve, Boolcoomatta and Fowler’s Gap.

The 2026 Nature Foundation Volunteer Season kicked off in late March with a three-day working bee at Watchalunga Nature Reserve, tackling an ongoing management challenge: the invasive wetland reed, Phragmites australis (Common Reed). 

Welcome to the autumn edition of Nature Matters, and first for 2026. We are excited to share our latest updates with you.

While summer is our “quieter” period, this edition of Nature Matters highlights key achievements in late 2025 and so far in 2026, with much more on the horizon, as we make further progress towards our goals.

This edition also shares other ways you can get involved with Nature Foundation in 2026, including volunteering, events and membership.

In this supporter profile, we shine the spotlight on one of our amazing members, donors, volunteer, bequester and Artist Residency Program Advisory Group Member, Peter Hastwell.

How long have you been a Nature Foundation supporter, and how did you first get involved?

I was introduced to Nature Foundation some 28 years ago by a hand signed card from Dr Barbara Hardy AO in my letter box. How that came about is a mystery, but her personal tireless advocacy did the trick, and I have been a supporter and member ever since. It has been interesting to see the organisation grow and flourish into what it is now with a much bigger vision, diversity and influence in what it wishes to achieve.

Dr Grace Hodder is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Fenner School of Environment and Society, with a background in field ecology and threatened species research. Her ecological work has ranged from wildlife reintroduction programs to ecosystem monitoring on the River Murray floodplain. 

She is also part of the Difficult Birds Research Group, a collective of passionate researchers who research the most elusive threatened bird species including the Swift Parrot, the Superb Parrot and the Orange-bellied Parrot just to name a few. Based at the Australian National University (ANU), the group studies Australia’s most endangered birds and is dedicated to understanding their ecology and conservation. The research aims to inform effective conservation strategies, helping stakeholders implement practical measures to prevent extinction.