The Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (YFRW) population, once widespread in South Australia, faced depletion due to hunting and invasive species post-European settlement. However, the Hiltaba Nature Reserve, a 78,000 ha habitat managed by Nature Foundation since 2012, has seen promising signs of YFRW recovery following an intensive control program targeting feral goats, cats, and foxes. In a hopeful turn of events, the wallabies are now successfully breeding and expanding their presence, as evidenced by increased sightings and evidence from trapping work, supporting the comeback of this native species within their historical range.

This winter, Nature Foundation orchestrated the planting of 700 Iron-grass seedlings at the Tiliqua Nature Reserve, home to the endangered pygmy Bluetongue lizards. Planting efforts were meticulously planned to avoid disrupting the habitat of these lizards, with rotational managers establishing grazing exclosures to protect the seedlings from sheep and kangaroos. This project, a collaboration between Nature Foundation, Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board, and Mid Murray Landcare SA, is part of the 'Iron-grass native grassland project', funded by the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Nature Foundation has voiced its approval for the Albanese Government’s new biodiversity certificates scheme, which encourages widespread investment in landscape restoration and management. The scheme's design necessitates a robust system for biodiversity measurement and reporting, presenting an opportunity to complement Nature Foundation's existing efforts to conserve Australian landscapes. The foundation, a leading provider of South Australian-based Significant Environmental Benefit (SEB) credits, currently manages SEB areas across three locations amounting to over 60,000 hectares.

Nature Foundation's leadership, including Chair Jan Ferguson and CEO Alex Nankivell, recently visited the Hiltaba Nature Reserve alongside the Gawler Ranges Aboriginal Corporation (GRAC) and GreenCollar to discuss the Hiltaba Carbon Project. This initiative, a partnership between all three organisations, plans to regenerate 23,000ha of native forest in an area significant for both cultural and biodiversity conservation, tapping into environmental markets such as Carbon and emerging Nature Positive markets. The 25-year collaboration is set to not only foster new ways of working together on cultural management and conservation initiatives but also aims to train young people from the Gawler Ranges through the Kids on Country program.

The 2021 State of the Environment report released by Australia's Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, revealed a poor and deteriorating condition of the country's environment, attributing it to pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, and resource extraction. The government has committed to counter these issues by protecting 30% of the nation's land and sea by 2030, acknowledging the essential role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and local communities. In light of this, Nature Foundation continues its dedicated conservation efforts, having added 20,736 hectares to its portfolio in the last 3 years, and eagerly awaits future announcements in the biodiversity conservation space from the federal government.