Trust for Nature (Victoria)

For more than 50 years, Trust for Nature has worked with Victorians to protect and restore the places where native plants and animals live. Established under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act in 1972, Trust for Nature has a unique mandate to permanently protect nature on private land. This is critical because 62% of Victoria is privately owned, and much of the state’s remaining native vegetation and threatened species habitat is found outside public reserves. Trust for Nature’s mission is simple but ambitious: more and better private land conservation in Victoria.

Impact

Together with more than 1,500 private landholders, Trust for Nature has permanently protected 119,000 hectares of habitat across Victoria through conservation covenants and nature reserves. A conservation covenant is a voluntary, legally binding agreement that permanently protects the natural, cultural and scientific values of private land. Covenants remain in place when land changes hands, providing secure habitat for threatened species such as the Plains-wanderer, Helmeted Honeyeater and Squirrel Glider.

But protecting nature is only part of the story. Through programs including BushBank, Trust for Nature is restoring degraded habitat and reconnecting fragmented landscapes. In 2025, Land for Wildlife transferred to Trust for Nature, bringing together a statewide network of approximately 5,000 properties covering 536,000 hectares. The free, voluntary program supports landholders to protect, restore and enhance habitat without the need for permanent legal protection.

They are also investing in the future of conservation through Habitat Track, a new biodiversity monitoring program that combines citizen science, field surveys, remote sensing and technologies such as acoustic recorders and camera traps. It will help to understand where conservation is working, identify priorities and measure change over time.

And they are strengthening First Peoples’ leadership in caring for Country. The Warreen Beek Rangers Program, now in its 10th year, has supported more than 60 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to gain conservation and land-management skills, while learning from Elders and cultural practitioners on Country.

Why It Matters

Victoria’s biodiversity faces growing pressures from habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. National parks are essential, but they cannot protect nature alone.

The future of Victoria’s wildlife will also be determined by what happens on private land.

Trust for Nature gives landholders the knowledge, tools and support to make a lasting difference – protecting habitat forever, restoring landscapes, monitoring biodiversity and caring for Country.

Together, we can ensure Victoria’s nature thrives for generations to come.

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