We made it! Reflecting on the team effort over two years that underpinned the creation of the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve

We’ve been on quite the journey over the past couple of years, but thanks to more than 200 donors getting behind the project over that time, we were able to first secure (via Stage 1 in 2025) – and now double the size (via Stage 2) of the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve.

We hope everyone reading this update is also sharing in the sense of gratitude and satisfaction we’re feeling right now!

How did we reach this moment?

When we launched the Stage 2 fundraiser back in January, we were faced with the intimidating task of undertaking our largest public fundraiser yet. The temporary conservation finance loan we had in place set a clear target of $800,000 to aim for, and a transparent way of tracking our progress at the same time, by paying down the loan as donations arrived and then sharing the balance publicly each month.

Over the first four months, the fundraiser was given a huge push along as a result of public donations being matched, thanks to a major contribution of $200,000, which was very generously made available from part of the proceeds of the sale of a block of land donated by wonderful NGT supporters, Adrian Heard and Meredith Reardon. You can learn a little more about Meredith and Adrian in this story, which explains how the remainder of their donation also allowed us to establish a Named Fund in the NGT Foundation, helping to underpin the ongoing future management of NGT’s Reserves, like Wirey Swamp.

The monthly update in May, still left us with the daunting prospect of needing to raise almost half of the total funds required to eliminate the land purchase cost in the final month. However, it was at this point – with the first of the matching funding fully exhausted – we were delighted to be able announce that our plantation forestry neighbours at Wirey Swamp, New Forests and Timberlands Pacific, had come on board with the project and pledged to match all remaining donations before the end of June, right up to the target amount. Needless to say, this gave the fundraiser a big boost at just the right time.

Thanks to so many supporters chipping in over the final month, we had a very busy time throughout June, eventually reaching the target that would enable release of the full $200,000 matching grant from New Forests and Timberlands Pacific in the afternoon of Tuesday the 30th June.

This the sight we were aiming for: our final screen shot of the loan with a $0 balance – taken just before the account was closed!

The story I have outlined above simply wouldn’t have happened without the wonderful support of our many partners and donors, getting behind the practical on-ground work of NGT in so many different but inter-related ways.

I also wish to recognise that the Stage 2 outcome this year was also only made possible because of the momentum that we generated last year for Stage 1, where public donations were underpinned by a similarly generous matching funding commitment from Australian Bluegum Plantations and OneFortyOne Plantations.

What comes next?

Both stages of the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve are now formally protected under NGT’s constitution as a Permanent Reserve, that will be restored, conserved and protected in perpetuity.

Reaching this point now puts the project in a fantastic position, as we fully shift our focus to planning and then implementing restoration activities at the expanded reserve over the next four years, with the support of The Ian Potter Foundation. These important tasks are being led by Senior Wetland Ecologist, Ayesha Burdett, with the input and involvement of several other members of the NGT team.

We’ll keep you informed about the progress of this work through our monthly newsletter, and will also let you know when we next have an opportunity for you to visit or volunteer at the site.

For now, keep your fingers crossed that we receive sufficient rain this winter to get the wetlands in good shape heading into the spring – and hopefully we’ll see lots of swamp everlastings appear in bloom!

I just want to close by saying that the support we’ve felt over recent weeks and months is a huge morale boost to everyone involved with NGT.

With such a wonderful, dedicated community by our side, collectively we are making a genuine difference!

Mark  Bachmann
Managing Director / Founder

The creation and expansion of the Wirey Swamp Restoration Reserve is an initiative of Nature Glenelg Trust.

Stage Two was made possible by NGT’s community of supporters, and our plantation forest industry partners:

Stage One was made possible with the generous assistance of NGT’s strategic supporters, and our plantation forest industry partners:

The first five years of restoration planning, monitoring and works across this new permanent reserve is supported by a grant from The Ian Potter Foundation