Envite Environment is honored with the Regional Award at the 10th World Conference on Ecological Restoration in Darwin, Australia
Thursday October 25, 2023 – After suffering impacts from drought, bushfires and floods the Bungawalbin community and Envite Environment have been recognised through receipt of an international award for ecological restoration. The Awards were announced at the 10th World Conference on Ecological Restoration in Darwin, Australia, Read more here.
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) recognised significant achievements in restoration with its 2023 Awards, including advancement in environmental microbiology, inclusive approaches to Indigenous engagement, and innovations in communication that accelerate public awareness and participation in ecological restoration.
Tom Kaye, Awards Committee Chair and member of the SER Board, said: “This year’s recipients helped build important connections to advance restoration through scientific breakthroughs, innovative communication and powerful partnerships to restore unique habitats and protect endangered species. All of these incredible projects offer inspirational examples of the progress that can be made to accelerate research, engagement, and funding. The full membership congratulates all of our winners, and we thank them for their dedication to this vital restoration work.”
As the host country for SER2023, this year’s Regional Awards went to two outstanding Australian organisations, one being the Envite Environment with active restoration projects including extensive post bush-fire restoration, and partnerships for the recovery of koalas in NE New South Wales (NSW) and endangered North Coast Emus.
Dan Cox, Envite Environment Area Manager, said: “We are honoured to receive this award. It was only possible due to support from the Australian and NSW Governments and our partnerships in the Bungawalbin community including Indigenous Bandjalang bush regenerators, Bungawalbin Landcare, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and private landholders.”
Envite Environment has been actively involved in ecological restoration projects in the Bungawalbin area in NSW for over two decades. They have successfully secured resources from various grant programs from the Australian and NSW Government to extend post-bushfire restoration efforts over at least five years.
Envite is also engaged in complementary initiatives in the area, such as partnering with WWF-Australia to aid in the recovery of koalas, a threatened species in NSW. They are currently in the 5th of 6 years implementing a NSW Environmental Trust funded project to assist in the recovery of the endangered North Coast Emu population. Envite collaborates with public and private landholders, First Nations Traditional Owners, and the local Bungawalbin community to ensure the sustainability of ecological restoration into the future.
Watch Envite’s award acceptance video, and learn more about the 2023 SER Award recipients.
Recipients were selected by the Awards Committee and approved by the SER Board of Directors after community nomination, with Bradshaw Medallists selected by Restoration Ecology editors. The Society would like to thank Mars, Inc, for its support of SER2023 as the Conference Awards sponsor.
About the Bungawalbin Bushfire Recovery Project
The bushfires of 2019-2020 burnt through almost the entire Bungwalbin area in Richmond Valley LGA devastating the local community and habitat for threatened species and ecological communities.
The Bungawalbin Community Bushfire Recovery Project is supporting ecological restoration, employment and strengthening community resilience through implementation of bushfire recovery activities across public and private land. The project involves a partnership between the local community, Bungawalbin Landcare, Bandjalang Traditional Owners, Minyumai Indigenous bush regenerators and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Works are supporting recovery of the Bungawalbin community’s natural environment, social well-being and economy through direct on-ground restoration actions including bush regeneration works to assist bushfire recovery including threatened species habitat.
In early 2022 the local community was severely impacted by record floods. This caused trauma to the local community with houses and possessions lost. Many people, including landholders involved in this project, had to be rescued after being trapped by floodwaters.
The employment and ecological restoration activities supported by the project are now assisting community recovery post bushfires and floods. The Bushfire Local Economic Recovery project builds on earlier bushfire recovery projects supported by the Australian Government and Landcare Australia.
This Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund project is jointly funded by the Commonwealth and the New South Wales Government under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
