In early January our Science and Knowledge Program Manager, Dr Paul van Ruth, visited Bullock Bridge Nature Reserve in South Australia’s southeast to inspect the reserve and its biodiversity monitoring sites. He was greeted by a koala upon entering the reserve, encountered several kangaroos during his travels, and observed five Mallee Fowl and one Mallee Fowl mound.

Professor Philip Weinstein, whose impactful tenure has left an indelible mark on the Nature Foundation, has decided to step down from the Board after six years as Deputy Chair.

Phil was elected to the Nature Foundation Board in 2018. As Deputy Chair, Phil shifted the organisation's science strategy from process-focused to outcomes-focused, prioritising quantifiable biodiversity gains. This is a crucial pillar of our work as we strive to maximise our impact with our available resources.

Welcome to the first edition of Nature Matters for 2025. We are excited to share our latest updates and achievements with you.

As you will read in this issue, we had a busy end to the year, with surveys and monitoring occurring across the reserves. We have started 2025 with a bang, marked by the premiere of the impactful Kids on Country documentary. We are thrilled to announce that this stunning film has been acquired by NITV!

A key component of our conservation work is managing threatening processes. While people often consider the threats of invasive species, when we are working to restore the balance of an ecosystem, we are sometimes managing the threats of overabundant native species.

This is the case at Watchalunga Nature Reserve, located in South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, where managing Phragmites australis (Common Reed) is an important aspect of our conservation management plan.

Nature Foundation was recently awarded a grant by Wettenhall Environmental Trust for a project to be carried out at Witchelina Nature Reserve investigating heatwave refugia for native birds.

Many bird species suffer tremendously during mega-heatwaves in the arid zone. Such heatwaves are predicted to become much more severe in future, increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change. During such events, birds will aim to find somewhere to shelter with shade and preferably water.