About BioDiversity Legacy
Driven by a passion for conservation and returning land to community ownership, the BioDiversity Legacy team have decades of experience restoring land and bringing teams together to achieve best practice land stewardship and community engagement.
OUR FOUNDATIONS
BioDiversity Legacy is an evolution of the pioneering EcoGipps venture, established by the Phillipson family to restore and protect over 1,000 acres of land in the Avon Wilderness region of Victoria. The Phillipsons also created the Rendere Trust to help environmental organisations and leaders increase their impact.
The deep insights gained from the EcoGipps venture and the family’s experience engaging with covenantors and leaders across the sector, shaped the foundations of BioDiversity Legacy, launched by the Rendere Trust team in 2022.
ConnectING people and landscapes
BioDiversity Legacy is part of a broad movement of individuals and organisations seeking to expand the amount of land protected for our native species. It is a collaborative network made up of environmental specialists and like-minded groups who share knowledge and information on vulnerable species, landscapes and properties.
BioDiversity Legacy is a founding member of Land Covenantors Victoria and works with Trust for Nature, the Australian Land Conservation Alliance and many other environmental organisations.
Purpose and vision
BioDiversity Legacy seeks to expand the community conservation movement and engage with Traditional Owners to achieve landscape-scale restoration and protection.
Our vision is to see Legacy properties returned to community ownership because we believe community conservation can also play a role in:
Improving health and wellbeing by restoring biodiversity and connecting people with nature.
Helping communities secure properties that are important to them.
Giving everyone the ability to participate in private land conservation.
Changing the story around private land – seeing it not just as a financial asset, but cultural and environmental assets for everyone to enjoy.
Encouraging new forms of land use, such as regenerative agriculture, bush tucker, ecotourism, carbon capture and biodiversity enhancements.
Strengthening and building biolinks to enable plants and animals to move more freely between private and public land.
Creating pathways for graduates and young people to get onto Country.
Supporting and strengthening Australian and Victorian Government action plans, such as BioDiversity 2037.
Next generation pathways
Involving the next generation in conservation initiatives is crucial to our mission and movement.
Our Community Land Trust model is specifically designed to reduce barriers imposed by private ownership and enable greater participation in regenerative conservation for young people. The model also recognises and supports the transition of Legacy properties to future generations.
Returning Country to people
BioDiversity Legacy welcomes the guidance of Traditional Owner Councils and Corporations and seeks opportunities to enable the decision-making processes of Traditional Owner organisations.
Wherever possible, we seek to work with Indigenous groups to support the process of reconciliation and return of Country to traditional stewardship.