Navigating Permits: A Review of Coastal Wetland Restoration Approvals in Victoria Is red tape holding back Australia’s blue carbon future? Coastal wetlands are powerful carbon sinks that offer major climate and biodiversity benefits, making their restoration a key tool for meeting Australia’s environmental targets. Despite growing public and private interest in restoration, especially in blue carbon-rich regions like Victoria, implementation remains limited due to complex legal, policy, and permitting barriers. Current approval processes are time consuming and were originally designed to prevent environmental change, not enable ecosystem recovery. While some Australian states have begun streamlining restoration approvals, Victoria’s regulatory landscape remains poorly understood. Phebe Fidge (Rowland), Paul Carnell, Melissa Wartman's recent study aims to fill that gap. In, “Navigating Permits: A Review of Coastal Wetland Restoration Approvals in Victoria”, published earlier this year in Ecological Management & Restoration, the authors reviewed Victorian laws and policies on coastal wetland restoration to identify and understand regulatory barriers to restoration. Their findings include: 🚧 Key Barriers to Coastal Wetland Restoration in Victoria - Regulatory complexity: 22 permits across federal, state, and local levels - Fragmented governance and inconsistent approval pathways - Lack of transparency on costs and processing timelines - Legislation designed for development control, not ecosystem restoration - Limited scalability due to short-term funding and approval burden ✅ Proposed Solutions - Streamlined, risk-based permit pathways - General permits for restoration in priority regions - Planning exemptions for low-impact restoration activities - National Code of Practice for coastal wetland restoration - Long-term funding mechanisms and private sector incentives To read the full #openaccess paper, use this link: https://lnkd.in/gEyHm2jt. Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation Helen Macpherson Smith Trust

We are proud to announce that Sara Ward has been named director of the Atlantic Conservation Coalition, a multi-state partnership among North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. The coalition is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions by protecting and restoring the region’s forests, peatlands, and coastal habitats. In 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded a $421 million grant to support these efforts, funding conservation and restoration projects across all four states. DNCR is managing the grant over the next five years to ensure projects are implemented effectively and deliver lasting benefits for communities and ecosystems. Ward brings deep expertise in conservation policy and climate resiliency to her new role. She previously served as the national Nature-Based Resiliency Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an associate advisor to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Nature-Based Solutions Working Group, and as a climate advisor to the Department of the Interior during the Biden administration. With more than 20 years of experience as an ecologist and environmental contaminants specialist in North Carolina, she has led innovative partnerships to protect habitats and strengthen communities. Ward holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a Master of Environmental Management in environmental toxicology, chemistry, and risk assessment from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. With her leadership, the Atlantic Conservation Coalition will continue advancing projects that conserve natural lands, restore wetlands and streams, and build resilience across the region.

Hot off the press: Issue 82 of our Conservation Bulletin is here! 🌿   At times, the scale of environmental challenges can feel daunting. But what continues to inspire us at Trust for Nature is the unwavering commitment of people across Victoria who are stepping up to protect the places they love. In this issue of the Conservation Bulletin, we journey from the sea to the summit—exploring the South East Coastal Ranges, where landholders are restoring grassy woodlands and littoral rainforests, two of Australia’s most threatened ecosystems. We visit the Wimmera, where wetlands burst into life after rain, and meet the people working to protect these fragile jewels. In the Mallee, we uncover the story of the Malleefowl and the dedicated efforts to give this remarkable bird a fighting chance. You’ll also read about the extraordinary legacy of Bridie Butterfield, whose passion for nature lives on through a new fund supporting our reserves, and meet landholders who are making bold commitments to conservation—protecting habitat forever through conservation covenants. Whether you’re restoring habitat, supporting our work through a gift, or simply sharing these stories, you are part of a growing movement to care for Country and ensure nature thrives. Happy reading: https://lnkd.in/grCFtUac

It’s All About Permanence, Not Temporary Actions Planting trees or restoring mangroves is only the beginning. The carbon they store must remain locked away for decades to truly count toward climate goals. Fires, illegal logging, and shifting land-use priorities can all erase hard-won gains overnight. In community-based projects, permanence depends on people. When local groups have clear land rights, benefit-sharing arrangements, and sustainable livelihoods, they are far more likely to maintain their conservation commitments. When we combine financial support, mentoring, and hands-on training through the BirdLife Small Grants Programme, partners in Guinea and Sierra Leone are better equipped to translate short-term restoration into long-term resilience. In Guinea, Guinée Écologie, ONG DPT, Carbone Guinée, CODAPA, Club des Amis de Guéckédou, OPEG, GT2050, and ONG ACOREC are strengthening community forest governance, developing local conservation charters, and training eco-guards to secure restored areas over time. In Sierra Leone, GREENLIFE West Africa, World Parrot Trust (WPT), Conservation Society of Sierra Leone (CSSL), and Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA) are reinforcing permanence through mangrove restoration, forest monitoring, and livelihood activities that sustain conservation benefits. These efforts are not isolated actions—they are reflected in each organization’s logframe targets and key performance indicators, ensuring that permanence is measured, tracked, and continuously strengthened as part of the Small Grants Programme’s overall monitoring framework. As Small Grants Manager, my role is to provide technical assistance, capacity building, and continuous monitoring, helping grantees align their work with donor KPIs while achieving tangible results for both communities and wildlife. Through this close accompaniment, we ensure that conservation gains are not only visible on paper but felt in the lives of people and in the health of the ecosystems they protect.

🌍 Launching a new IUCN "Guidebook for Assessing and Improving Social Equity in Marine Conservation" this week at #IUCNCongress, coordinated by Nathan Bennett and Mark Andrachuk Equity and inclusion are central to effective and lasting conservation outcomes.  This guidebook provides a foundation for understanding, measuring, and advancing fairness in how we govern and manage marine resources. This guide can be highly useful for the IPBES Assessments and IPCC Reports ICES - International Council for the Exploration of the Sea CRETUS, Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies.

🐙 Calling all marine conservation researchers and practitioners who want to assess and improve equity! 🐟 We know that organizations and groups have different needs, timelines, and resources for equity evaluations....so, we've just launched a "choose your own adventure" guidebook that outlines three options: 1. Rapid Equity Assessment: Quick insights through surveys with a small group of managers. 2. Stakeholders and Rightsholders Assessment: Broader surveys to understand diverse perspectives and needs. 3. Co-produced and Customized Equity Assessment: Collaborative development of indicators and methods for inclusivity and ongoing dialogue. Download the guidebook here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gNijtZUQ

The restoration of Albany’s King River Warracoolyup is underway, with 97 hectares of streambank vegetation being rehabilitated under the Albanese Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program. Led by the Oyster Harbour Catchment Group Inc, the project will protect threatened species, enhance water quality, and restore riparian ecosystems. Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt said the works will “enhance river health, improve biodiversity, and support long-term sustainability in the region.” #UrbanRivers #Restoration #Biodiversity #Waterways #Sustainability https://lnkd.in/gnfDKfWr

🔗 Land Trust Stewardship Program – Protecting Nature, Building Legacy At Roots and Wings, stewardship is more than a duty—it’s a lifelong commitment to the lands entrusted to our care. Our Land Trust Stewardship Program is the foundation of our conservation mission, ensuring that every easement and protected property remains ecologically healthy, legally compliant, and resilient for generations to come. Through a combination of annual monitoring, GIS-based documentation, landowner collaboration, and adaptive habitat management, we protect the ecological and legal integrity of each conserved landscape. From invasive species removal and habitat restoration to sustainable trail management and biodiversity monitoring, our stewardship team works year-round to maintain thriving ecosystems. But true stewardship goes beyond science—it’s about people and place. We partner with landowners, volunteers, and community members to build enduring relationships rooted in education, transparency, and trust. Together, we safeguard rare habitats, agricultural heritage, and vital watersheds that sustain life across our region. Because conservation doesn’t end when the easement is signed—it begins with stewardship. 🌎 #RootsAndWings #ConservationStewardship #LandTrust #EnvironmentalLeadership #EcosystemRestoration #HabitatProtection #SustainableLandManagement https://lnkd.in/dnU4ChSg

🔗 Land Trust Stewardship Program – Protecting Nature, Building Legacy At Roots and Wings, stewardship is more than a duty—it’s a lifelong commitment to the lands entrusted to our care. Our Land Trust Stewardship Program is the foundation of our conservation mission, ensuring that every easement and protected property remains ecologically healthy, legally compliant, and resilient for generations to come. Through a combination of annual monitoring, GIS-based documentation, landowner collaboration, and adaptive habitat management, we protect the ecological and legal integrity of each conserved landscape. From invasive species removal and habitat restoration to sustainable trail management and biodiversity monitoring, our stewardship team works year-round to maintain thriving ecosystems. But true stewardship goes beyond science—it’s about people and place. We partner with landowners, volunteers, and community members to build enduring relationships rooted in education, transparency, and trust. Together, we safeguard rare habitats, agricultural heritage, and vital watersheds that sustain life across our region. Because conservation doesn’t end when the easement is signed—it begins with stewardship. 🌎 #RootsAndWings #ConservationStewardship #LandTrust #EnvironmentalLeadership #EcosystemRestoration #HabitatProtection #SustainableLandManagement https://lnkd.in/dKPtFuew

Through the community-based Forest Restoration grant, the EFN alumni network includes many dynamic organizations, such as GERP, a conservation organization in Madagascar dedicated to the protection of lemurs, which received its grant in 2017. We recently caught up with Professor Jonah Ratsimbazafy, President of GERP, and recipient of EFN's professional development grant in both 2004 and 2010, to learn more about how the organization is protecting the forests that are home to Madagascar’s celebrated primates. Q: Why is the work that GERP is doing important?    A: The work that GERP is doing important because we are saving the most endangered, iconic, and unique species of Madagascar and their habitats in collaboration with the local authorities and communities. GERP does research and education by using new technology, but also by empowering local communities.   Q: What is a project that highlights the impact of GERP's work?   A: One of the bold successes that GERP has made is the result of our Zero Pressure project (no fire, no slash and burn, no hunting) during the last seven years in Maromizaha Protected Area in eastern Madagascar. Currently, the Maromizaha reserve represents a model success story of fruitful collaboration in natural resources management between non-governmental organizations, local management associations and communities, conservation donors, and government agencies. Q: How does GERP involve local communities in their work?   A: Local communities are GERP's key partners to our success. Local communities are involved in all activities that GERP conducts (research, forest patrol, guides, cooking, etc.). Likewise, they feel the ownership and pride of what they have in the forests. We have a platform in which the different groups (elders, women, youth, schoolteachers) are represented. That group is the co-manager of the protected area with GERP. GERP works with the local communities in a spirit of collaboration but not dependance and therefore, the platform plays an important role in reinforcing environmental laws.       To learn more about GERP, visit https://lnkd.in/egKCHHvK and to learn more about EFN, check out https://lnkd.in/e-63UXrY   #EducationforNature #wwfEFN