Platypus lurking in muddy waters. Photo: Sandy Carroll.

In 2010 the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife received a donation of 200.4 hectares of high value conservation land, 5km from the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and 8 km from Abercrombie River National Park. This land was gifted to the public for future protection in our national reserve system.

On December 17 2010, Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales, officially declared this land as part of Wiarborough Nature Reserve, increasing its size by 10%. Since 1996, the property has been under a Voluntary Conservation Agreement.

Werong Creek, a tributary of the Abercrombie River and home to the Platypus, flows for 2.5 km across the property. The Abercrombie River Catchment benefits from the protection of this land by seeing an improvement in water quality and environmental conservation.

By gifting this land to the national reserve system, many threatened species such as the Booroolong frog, Greater Broad-nosed Bat, Powerful Owl, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Brown Treecreeper, Rufous Whistler and Spotted-tailed Quoll can persist on the site for future generations of Australians.

The Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is the only organisation in Australia whose philanthropy is an investment in our public estate, for all to enjoy.