This 5,000-hectare private property is located in the heart of Tasmania, Australia.
Its diverse landscape, including ancient dolerite rocks from the Jurassic period, is home to forest kangaroos and endangered species such as Tasmanian devils.
However, sheep have been grazing the property for the last century, which has had a significant impact on the local ecosystem.
Now, the new owner of the property, Lisa Miller, has decided to restore it.
Lisa Miller, director of Wedgetail:
“The landscape is made up of areas that are in relatively good condition, and areas that have been severely degraded.”
The private company that Miller leads invests in global projects that protect vital ecosystems.
It’s a complex and expensive task. And it’s made possible by a successful partnership.
Lisa Miller is married to billionaire Cameron Adams, co-founder of the popular online graphic design platform Canva.
Lisa Miller, Director, Wedgetail:
“We’ve been able to take some of that capital and put it back into our mission, which I mentioned earlier. We want to bring back biodiversity and restore nature.”
The plan is to make the area profitable through ecotourism and carbon credits. These are offset programs that reward landowners for improving biodiversity.
Drones will be used to map the area. Researchers from the University of Tasmania are involved.
Rufus Black, Vice-Chancellor, University of Tasmania:
“This is a chance to say how you can change the whole landscape, whole populations of animals. It’s a fantastic opportunity. And as a university, we’re really excited about the opportunity to work on that scale.”
In addition to the drone project, the university is also experimenting with relocating eastern quolls to the area to restore the endangered species.
