Annual Report 2017-2018 | Page 23

OUR extraordinary region includes some of the planet’s most diverse and beautiful landscapes. There are vast sweeping savannas, incorporating woodlands and grassy plains, and montane rainforests, some of which fringe World Heritage-listed wetlands that flow directly into the world’s largest coral reef. Flora and fauna must adapt to highly- variable environments – from flooding rains in some years to semi-arid conditions in others. Managed 24 weed species across 120ha. land and sea      threatening to over-run beach scrub Removed 4,500kg of marine debris. Supported by 572 volunteer days. Our wetlands follow suit, alternating between extreme wet and dry cycles. All of these fragile ecological communities face diverse threats, including pest plants and animals, vegetation clearing, overgrazing and climate change. NQ Dry Tropics plays a lead role in protecting, maintaining and restoring biodiversity – with cooperation and community involvement at the heart of these efforts. Our projects support communities to manage country using best practice conservation methods. We work with key community stakeholders to strategically identify natural assets in the landscape, determine the threats they face, and develop targeted, investment-ready, value-for-money projects to conserve them. This work is supported through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY