AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND

The WWF Australian Wildlife & Nature Recovery Fund raised $45 million to address the devastation of the 2019–2020 bushfire season, which burned approximately 47 million acres and impacted nearly 3 billion animals. The fund's strategy is divided into three phases: an initial emergency response providing medical supplies and shelter to over 40 frontline organizations; a second phase focused on landscape restoration and species protection; and a third phase aimed at building long-term resilience through regenerative economy shifts and climate adaptation.

• The 2019–2020 bushfire season caused massive environmental and human loss, burning approximately 47 million acres—including 31 million acres of forest and bushland—resulting in 34 deaths and the destruction of nearly 2,700 homes. WWF estimates that nearly 3 billion animals were either killed or displaced, threatening several species with extinction.
• WWF raised $45 million for the Australian Wildlife & Nature Recovery Fund, allocating $15 million in the first phase to 64 bushfire response projects. These projects spanned several themes, including wildlife responders ($3 million), landscape restoration and protection ($8 million), and species recovery and adaptation ($7 million).
• In the first response phase, the fund supported over 40 wildlife rescue and care organizations with medical supplies, food, shelter, and transportation. A specific impact included providing veterinary equipment to Friends of the Koala in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, allowing the facility to become a licensed specialist Koala Hospital and reduce the stress of transporting critically ill animals to distant hospitals.
• The second phase of recovery focuses on protecting and restoring wildlife and landscapes through several initiatives: the 'Towards 2 Billion Trees 10 Point Plan' to grow two billion trees by 2030; the 'Koalas Forever' program to reforest 10 million hectares of native forest; the 'Protecting the Unburnt' partnership to secure six priority landscapes; and the 'WWF Right Fire for Country' partnership to integrate Indigenous traditional knowledge into fire management.
• The third phase aims to future-proof Australian society by fostering a regenerative economy, securing natural resources, and improving climate preparedness and adaptation through partnerships with government, business, and communities.

APA

WWF International (2020). AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1598/Australia_Bushfire_Fund_Nov_2020.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1598/Australia_Bushfire_Fund_Nov_2020.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE & NATURE RECOVERY FUND |date=November 2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1598/Australia_Bushfire_Fund_Nov_2020.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternational2020australian, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE \& NATURE RECOVERY FUND}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1598/Australia_Bushfire_Fund_Nov_2020.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }