Nature Impact Collective exists because our members know we are stronger working together. Joining forces as philanthropic funders results in a larger pool of funds and a brains trust of values aligned-peers sharing the challenge – and joy – of making good funding decisions. With collaboration in our DNA, it is unsurprising that Nature Impact Collective supported collaborations between environmental organisations in both our first and second funding rounds.
The right organisations working together can raise the bar for nature campaigns and create impact on a broader scale. Smaller organisations have much to gain from collaboration, gaining access to additional skills and networks while sharing the problem-solving load with peers. But collaboration comes at a cost and without funding support it is difficult – or impossible – for them to invest the time and resources needed.
In northern Australia, regional environment organisations have been doing incredible work protecting vast savannas, free-flowing river systems and stunning coastlines from large-scale industrial development and agribusiness, often working together. Earlier this year they decided to form an official partnership and Nature Impact Collective provided funding support for Environs Kimberley, Arid Lands Environment Centre, Environment Centre NT and Cairns and Far North Environment Centre to form the new Northern Australia Conservation Alliance (NACA).
“NACA is uniting regional organisations to pool our power and scale our impact beyond individual projects to address root causes and ensure conservation wins are not just temporary but locked in for the future,” said Kirsty Howey, Executive Director Environment Centre NT on behalf of the Alliance.
“We are beginning with a critical, strategic focus: stopping major water extraction. Water is life in the North, where our rivers and groundwater are being threatened by mining and irrigated agriculture, particularly the cotton industry. We are incredibly grateful for the significant, game-changing support of Nature Impact Collective.”
Moving to the south, the 2024 Tasmanian State of the Environment Report reveals Tasmanian waterways are not the free-flowing healthy waterways one might expect. Lifting capacity in the Tasmanian environmental movement to focus on rivers while providing incentives for collaboration is Nature Impact Collective’s response.
With Nature Impact Collective funding, Environment Tasmania and Landcare Tasmania have started a conversation about how they might work together to protect and rehabilitate the state’s inland waters. The details of what this collaboration will look like will emerge over time, but there is real potential in bringing together Environment Tasmania’s campaigning and political advocacy with Landcare Tasmania’s catchment management expertise and extensive local community networks.
“Tasmania’s iconic rivers are a defining feature of the state and are home to globally rare species including the world’s largest freshwater invertebrate – the Astacopsis gouldi. Worryingly, the condition of Tasmania’s river systems are in decline as a consequence of over-abstraction, pollution and mismanagement,” said James Overington, CEO, Environment Tasmania. “It is fantastic that NIC has supported Environment Tasmania and Landcare Tasmania… together, we can raise awareness, address the decline and secure greater protection for Tasmania’s rivers.”
In one of the nation’s longest running battles for the environment, the fight for the health of the Murray Darling Basin, it was recognised that deeper and stronger collaboration was needed to win.
“The original Murray-Darling Basin Plan was allowed to fail. As a result, only two thirds of the promised water was returned to the environment. Now river-dependent species such as the iconic Murray Cod are on the brink of extinction. This time, we plan to stay the course and reset the river’s story,” said Craig Wilkins, Co-Director Murray Darling Conservation Alliance.
“Our work over the past two years has shown we can shift the political narrative and get river management right. With real water starting to flow again into vital habitats, we can help nature bounce back before it’s too late.”
In 2023 the Alliance played a central role in the passing of the “Restoring Our Rivers” Act. Now they are focused on influencing the government’s first review of the Basin Plan since the Plan was adopted in 2012.
Working more efficiently and effectively to protect and repair nature before it is ‘too late’, underlies the reasoning for all the collaborations we have supported to date. Nature Impact Collective members share this sense of urgency and agree that working together is critical.
Nature Impact Collective is happy to link up philanthropic funders with the leaders of the organisations and collaborations we support. If you are interested, please reach out to our CEO Esther Abram at [email protected]
Image: Northern Australia Conservation Alliance leadership team.
