Gondwana Link, Australia
© Ron Geatz/TNC

In a country famous for its biological diversity, Gondwana Link, nestled in the southwest corner of Australia, stands out as a unique “biodiversity hotspot."

Here, the ancient soils evolved over eons into a complex mosaic of soil and plant “islands,” offering an opportunity to observe evolution at work. In as little as 30 miles, one plant species can be seen to slowly change into a similar, yet completely different species.

Gondwana Link takes its name from Gondwanaland, the prehistoric landmass from which most of the Earth’s southern continents broke apart and drifted away.

Plants and Animals of Gondwana Link

Though only covering 2% of the Australian land mass, the Gondwana Link project area contains 25% of the country’s plant species, including rare eucalypts [see a picture], orchids, and the primitively beautiful banksias [see a picture].

In addition to kangaroos, wallabies, and the occasional emu, this remarkable landscape harbors such unusual creatures as the echidna, the turtle frog, and the malleefowl [see a picture], which builds huge nesting mounds over three feet high and three times as wide.

Threats to the Environment of Gondwana Link

Two-thirds of the vegetation in southwestern Australia has been cleared due to post-war government policies to transform this corner of the continent into a major grain exporter. Clearing was the first wave of destruction — now fragmentation, salinity, invasive species and climate change are driving a second wave.

What the Conservancy is Doing to Help Gondwana Link

Gondwana Link is a visionary effort by six grassroots Australian conservation organizations to reconnect and restore a 620 mile swath of native bushland “from Kalgoorlie to the karri” — or, for non-Aussies, from the desert edge of Australia’s Red Centre to the tall-tree forests of the southwestern coast.

The Conservancy provided start-up funding for Gondwana Link with a $1 million grant and continues to provide strategic, business and conservation planning support to one of the largest conservation projects in Australia.

You Can Help Us Protect Australia

With your help, we can protect the last great places in Australia.