The sun rises behind tall grasses that spread across a vast plain. — Sunrise in the Grasslands The sun rises behind tall grasses at Patho Plains, Australia. © Jarrod Boord/Streamline Media

Protecting Grasslands and Fighting Extinction

Covenants with private landowners are providing long-term protection for critically endangered ecosystems.

The Nature Conservancy Australia has been working in partnership with the Trust for Nature (TfN) in establishing covenants with private landholders to permanently protect land with high conservation value and important ecosystems.

Protecting the Plains-wanderer (5:23) The lowland grasslands of south-eastern Australia are among the nation’s most threatened and poorly conserved ecosystems. They provide critical habitat for a multitude of bird species including the critically - endangered Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus).

Protecting grasslands and fighting extinction for one of the rarest bird species on the planet

The lowland grasslands of south-eastern Australia are among the nation’s most threatened and poorly conserved ecosystems. They provide critical habitat for a multitude of bird species including the plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus).

The critically endangered plains-wanderer is a ground-nesting grassland bird that has suffered massive habitat loss as its native grasslands have been converted into urban and cropping areas. It has also suffered devastating predation from introduced carnivores such as foxes, dogs, and cats, reducing its numbers to an estimated 500 left in the wild.

An aerial photograph features a grassland landscape. — **Patho Plains** An aerial view features grasslands at sunrise. © Jarrod Boord / Streamline Media

A fluffy brown bird sits in grass. — **Plains-wanderer** A close up features the critically endangered plains-wanderer sitting in the grasslands at Patho Plains. © Jarrod Boord / Streamline Media

Patho Plains An aerial view features grasslands at sunrise. © Jarrod Boord / Streamline Media

Plains-wanderer A close up features the critically endangered plains-wanderer sitting in the grasslands at Patho Plains. © Jarrod Boord / Streamline Media

Working with TfN and other partners, there has been success in establishing protection via covenants (similar to conservation easements in the United States) at Patho Plains, about 100km north-west of Shepparton, Victoria.

The challenge was to find a solution that worked for both agriculture and nature conservation, one that truly respected the farmer’s needs, while also protecting the ecosystem for nature to thrive. The agreements are allowing some of the nation’s most important and threatened grassland ecosystems at Patho Plains to be conserved and protected which includes critical habitat for the Plains-wanderer.

Australia has more than 5,000 privately protected areas and has the largest area of land under this arrangement in the world. Together with Indigenous Protected Areas, national parks and nature reserves, they play an important role in the protection of Australian landscapes and biodiversity.

Visit our Australia site to learn more about the unique solutions driving conservation success.