The Mount Lofty Ranges, home to one of Australia's highest concentrations of threatened woodland bird species, is facing a critical situation. With seventy-eight species in decline and twelve already regionally extinct, the time to act is now.

As a member of the ReBird the Ranges alliance, Nature Foundation is part of a powerful collective. Alliance partners, including the Department for Environment and Water, Hills and Fleurieu Landscape Board, Forestry SA, local councils, Trees for Life, Second Nature Conservancy, Birds SA, The University of Adelaide, SA Water, Bio-R, Greening Australia, Nature Conservation Society of South Australia, Birdlife Australia, and Conservation Volunteers Australia, are all united in our mission to protect the Mount Lofty Ranges' bird species.

At the heart of the ReBird the Ranges Action Plan is the belief that community participation is vital. We are committed to restoring critical bird habitats through revegetation, protecting existing habitats, and managing threats. By researching, monitoring, and adapting plans, we aim to improve bird recovery initiatives and increase community awareness and participation in conservation efforts.

This decline of bird species in the region can be linked to a combination of factors, including habitat loss, changes to fire regimes, and the impacts of native and feral grazing animals on the remaining native vegetation. The effects of climate change are also expected to exacerbate these threats.

ReBird the Ranges encourages the community to actively participate in species recovery through hands-on habitat restoration and supporting conservation projects, including our revegetation efforts at Para Woodlands (which we co-manage with the Department for Environment and Water) and Watchalunga Nature Reserves.

For instance, revegetation efforts at Para Woodlands and Watchalunga Nature Reserves have already seen an increase in bird populations. 

We look forward to sharing more updates regarding the results and impact of ReBird the Ranges.

For more information, visit rebirdtheranges.org

Photo credit: Mount Lofty Ranges Southern Emu-wren (Stipiturus malachurus intermedius) by Deb Hopton