Aussie Ark calls on local businesses to pledge $1597

Conservation organisation, Aussie Ark is calling on local businesses to pledge $1597 - $1 for every threatened mammal, reptile, amphibian and bird in Australia.

In Australia, 1597 species have joined the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)  Threatened Species’ list.

The call for $1597 marks Aussie Ark’s first major campaign for the New Year, in direct response to the publication of the 2023 IUCN Threatened Species list. 

Pledges will help protect wild spaces, breed up insurance populations, monitor and feed endangered wildlife, reforest logged landscapes, build habitats, and manage threats including noxious weeds, fire, and feral predators. 

The organisation hopes to raise $40,000 to go towards the continuation of Aussie Ark’s critical insurance population programs. 

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a membership Union composed of over 1400 member organisations that are both government and civil society organisations. With some 15,000 experts informing its work, the IUCN is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to preserve it.

The 1597 species includes signature species currently being bred and rewilded in Aussie Ark’s program, such as the famous Tasmanian Devil, Eastern Quoll, Parma wallaby, Brush-tailed Rock wallabies, Long-nosed potoroo and Manning River turtle and many other focal species in the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The “1597 Threatened Species Campaign” invites local businesses to join Aussie Arks’ “conservation crusade” and make a measurable difference to the welfare and future of threatened Australian fauna.   

The agreement is simple: Each participating business commits $1,597 towards the protection of Australian wildlife. In return, the business is acknowledged in Aussie Ark’s quarterly newsletter, and receives two tickets to attend a species’ release of choice at the Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Aussie Ark Deputy Managing Director Liz Gabriel says Aussie Ark has “never shied away from a challenge” and in the 12 years of the organisation’s history it has proven a strong track-record turning donation dollars into measurable results for Australian wildlife. 

“Over the past few years - through horrific months of fire then flood - the whole of Australia has watched on in horror as our wildlife has been decimated,” Gabriel said. “Aussie Ark has always been, and will always remain, committed to creating change. But we need help.”

“Now is the time for our community to join us in fighting for the voiceless,” Gabriel continued. “We are asking local businesses in NSW to pledge $1,597 for the protection of our unique wildlife.” 

The “1597 Threatened Species Campaign” will run until the end of May.

Head to www.aussieark.org.au/ to support Aussie Ark and their conservation efforts for Australia’s threatened species.