Become a member because Aussie animals need homes too!
The Habitat Restoration Fund (HRF) was created in 2006, by a group of people who wanted to take a more hands on approach to preserving their local environment.
The fund was established on Boonwurrung and Bunurong land. We pay our respects to elders past and present and extend our respect to indigenous people who are present today.
HRF is unique to other environmental protection groups because:
- Our focus is the on-ground implementation of projects.
- We organise the long term maintenance and legal protection of projects up-front to ensure long lasting positive impacts.
- We work on private as well as public land.
- We employ professional environmental contractors to work alongside volunteers.
- We provide opportunities for disadvantaged people to get involved in meaningful activities.
- We are non-political.
View our projects across Australia
With your help, we can provide homes for Aussie animals
Our Aims
The Habitat Restoration Fund was created to enhance our natural ecosystems on both private and public land.
We aim to:
- Reconnect fragmented ecosystems by revegetating corridors
- Educate school children and the general community about the importance of preserving habitats for wildlife.
- Repair habitats for endangered flora and fauna through weed control, revegetation and more.
- Repair wetlands, creeks and river ecosystems
- Form an active, cooperative and supportive relationship between community groups, Governments and environmental stakeholders
- Involve the general community in meaningful โhands-onโ projects.
Wildlife on the Brink
Australia has one of the worst extinction rates in the world.
More than 1000 species of flora and fauna have been driven to extinction since European settlement. Some species being proclaimed extinct as early as the 1850โs. We currently have hundreds of species at immediate risk on extinction. Land-clearing, feral animals, weeds and pollution continue to destroy their habitat.ย
Having once inhabited large areas of Australia, these animals are now only found in a handful of isolated locations. Once the habitat is gone, dependent species of wildlife go with it.
Just 0.1% of the original native grassland habitat is life in Australia. 70% of wetlands are already gone, and most of what is left is severely degraded by weeds and agricultural practices. This has decimated water-dependent birds, fish and frogs across the country.
Upcoming Events
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They look like an alien life force. ๐
So these aren’t an invasive plant? Someone told me when I was out west that they were invasive. Which I thought was a shame because they’re so pretty.
Absolutely stunning
State flower of SA
Donate or Become a Member
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Barn Owl T-Shirt – Black
$39.50 Select options -
Barn Owl T-Shirt – White
$39.50 Select options -
5 Pack Raptor Gift Cards with Envelopes
$29.95 View product -
2 Pack Powerful Owl Gift Cards with Envelopes
$11.95 View product -
A Journey Along Balcombe Creek, Winty Calder
$16.00 View product -
Peninsula Perspective – Book by Winty Calder
$16.00 View product -
Become a Member + Make a donation
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Annual Membership Only
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(Tax deductible)
Board Members
Greg Fitzgerald
After Greg realised how much stress the natural systems are under, he joined the HRF wanting to make a difference. With years of enjoyment from the bush, he believes the great thing about HRF is that they get the work done and use all available resources for the betterment of the natural habitats.
Barbara Long
Barb has a passion for projects that combine communityย involvement and the environmental rehabilitation of ecosystems. She brings compliance and governance skills to the HRF and an understanding of the importance ofย effective communication with key stakeholders; industry, government and community.
Sarah Hudson
A board member of the HRF since 2008 Sarah was drawn to the philosophy behind the organisation in providing wildlife corridors for our native fauna. She is passionate about the environment and sustainability and hopes that the HRF can truly make a difference in the world.
Joan Pittendrigh
Jo has been in love with the bush for as long as she can remember. With great concern she has witnessed the bush areas around Melbourne face increasing pressure.ย She joined HRF because we need organisations to help save and repair theย ever diminishing areas we have left of our indigenous habitat.
Michael Naphtali
Michael became interested in habitat restoration when he worked on his property in Red Hill. He now wants to see the Mornington Peninsula free of pines, pittosporums and all other woody weeds.
Daniel Brindley
As an Environmental Advisor and UNAA award recipient, Daniel has always been in close contact with the natural environment, having grown up on the family property in the middle of Greens Bush National Park and mentored by prominent environmentalists.
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#TinyTuesday
Check out this itty bitty Early Nancy (Wurmbea dioica)! Never seen one so small!
What spring flowers have you seen recently?โบ๏ธ
#EarlyNancy #springflowers #australianflora #wildflowers #littlethings #vicflora #australiannatives #indigenousplants #wildlifegarden #natureconnection #biodiversity #habitatrestoration #aussiebush #macroflower #loveeastgippsland #lovethepen #australianwildflowers #wildoz #HRF
So how can you contribute to the conservation of our Powerful Owls? Along with implementing some of the actions weโve outlined below you can join our fight against secondary poisoning in birds of prey by purchasing one of our tees or greeting card packs, all the proceeds of which directly support our efforts to conserve raptors and restore the habitat of our precious natives.
๐๐ผ๐๐ผ MERCH LINK IN BIO ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ:
- Donโt use poisons, especially SGARs! Instead, opt for alternative rodent control methods that are less likely to impact our native species such as: manual, electric or even live traps so that any natives caught can be safely released.
- Maintain good property hygiene to make your home less attractive to rodents. Simple measures like storing animal feed in rodent proof containers, removing debris piles and other forms of shelter, removing uneaten pet food overnight, keeping animal enclosures clean and tidy and sealing up any entry points into buildings all go a long way in helping control rodents around the property.
- Slow down at dawn and dusk. Be aware of your surroundings and any animals on the roadside when driving, particularly in low light conditions or at night when many of our natives are most active.
- Make your windows โbird safeโ, particularly large windows that are facing garden or vegetated areas. A range of anti-reflective coverings are available that create a visual barrier for birds without obstructing views for us humans. Refrain from using bright lights near windows at night or close blinds and curtains to again create a visual barrier.
- Retain large old trees on your property as they are an essential habitat resource for numerous species.
We have many more detailed posts on SGARs and alternative rodent control methods to come so stay tuned!
As always we want to show our gratitude to @donnamitchellart for her amazing works of art inspired by the photography of Steven Castan @estebanthenatureman who provided us with these breathtaking images.๐๐ผ
Now that weโve given you a snapshot of the ecology of Powerful Owls itโs time to learn about the threats they face.๐ฆ
๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐:
- Poisoning by Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs): SGARs persist in the bodies of deceased and dying rodents long after the bait was initially ingested. So when a Powerful Owl consumes a poisoned rodent they are also ingesting lethal rodenticides. This usually results in the death of the Powl, in cases where owls do survive the initial ingestion, SGARs still build up in the body tissues of the owl over time. For each subsequent poisoned animal an owl consumes, more of the toxin is accumulated until eventually a lethal dose is obtained and the Powl itself is killed.
- Vehicle Collisions: A key threat to all wildlife, Powls are not immune to the impacts of roads and being struck by vehicles.
- Bird Strike: Did you know that Powerful Owls commonly collide with windows? Whilst this doesnโt always result in the immediate death of the owl, itโs common for the bird to end up concussed and on the ground where it is extremely vulnerable to predators.
- Habitat Loss, Fragmentation & Degradation: As Australiaโs largest owl you can only imagine how large tree hollows need to be in order to fit the female and her two chicks. In fact, Powls require a tree hollow AT LEAST 1m deep. Given that hollows of this size only form in very large old trees, many of which have been cleared, suitable nesting hollows are a scarce commodity in many areas.
๐๐ผ๐๐ผ MERCH LINK IN BIO ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ
As always we want to show our gratitude to @donnamitchellart for her amazing works of art inspired by the photography of Steven Castan @estebanthenatureman who provided us with these breathtaking images.๐๐ผ
#SilentKiller #PowerfulOwl #owlconservation #saveourowls #birdlifeaustralia #powls #raptors #birdsofprey #australianbirds #aussiewildlife #wildoz #threatenedspecies #lovethepen #australianfauna #SGAR #secondarypoisoning #rodenticide #owlsofinstagram #saveourspecies #urbanwildlife #nonprofit #wildlifeconservation #habitatrestoration #naturepreservation #HRF
Itโs time to start introducing you to some of the species our campaign aims to protect from the silent killer of second generation rodenticide poisoning. We thought what a better place to start than with the striking Powerful Owl that features on four of our beautiful greeting cards!
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐: Powerful Owl, ๐๐ช๐ฏ๐ฐ๐น ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ข
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐: Strigidae โ The โTrue Owlsโ
๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐: Vulnerable
๐๐ถ๐๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Endemic to mainland states of eastern Australia.
๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐: Primarily found near watercourses in forests, woodlands and sheltered gullies. Powerful Owls or โPowlsโ as they are affectionately known also commonly inhabit urban bushland with individuals having been observed roosting in inner city parks and even suburban backyards. However, Powerful Owls are limited by the availability of suitable tree hollows for breeding, but this hasnโt stopped breeding pairs from successfully rearing chicks as little as 20km out from Melbourneโs CBD!
๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐:
- Powerful Owls are Australiaโs largest owl reaching a whopping 65cm from head to tail with a wingspan of up to 140cm.
- An important top order predator Powls primarily feed on arboreal mammals such as possums and gliders. Itโs not uncommon to see them roosting during the day with last nights dinner, usually a Common Ringtail Possum in urban areas, firmly gripped in their talons.
- These owls have a highly distinctive call, adults use a slow โwhoo-hooโ that can be heard over 1km away! Whilst chicks possess a high pitched โtrillโ.
As always thanks so much to @donnamitchellart for creating these beautiful works of art, and Steven Castan @estebanthenatureman for allowing us to use his breathtaking images!
Donโt forget to share far and wide to support our cause and purchase one of our greeting card packs or tee-shirts available on our website. The proceeds of every purchase feed directly back into our campaign to combat the mammoth issue of rodenticide poisoning in our raptors.
MERCH ๐๐ผLINK IN BIO๐๐ผ
Are you as obsessed with Powerful Owls as we are?! ๐๐ฆ Why not purchase one of our stunning greeting card packs featuring these magnificent raptors!
Starting at just $11.95 and with chrissie just around the corner our greeting cards are the perfect gift for the bird lovers in your life. ๐ชถ
And the best part? All of the proceeds from the sale of our card packs feed directly into our Silent Killer campaign, allowing us to spread awareness and enact change amongst the community to ultimately protect these beautiful birds from the devastating effects of second generation rodenticides. So head to our website now to purchase! โบ๏ธ
๐๐ผ LINK IN BIO๐๐ผ
Shout out to our fabulous collaborators @saveourowls and artist @donnamitchellart inspired by @estebanthenatureman photography๐๐ผ
#SilentKiller #powerfulowl #birdlifeoz #powls #saveourowls #australianfauna #raptors #australianbirds #birdsofprey #owls #jointhefight #notforprofit #natureconnection #owlconservation #threatenedspecies #lovethepen #rodenticide #sayno #HRF
Another one of the gorgeous designs featured on our new greeting cards is this stunning artwork of a Tawny Frogmouth by Donna Mitchell: @donnamitchellart inspired by photography from Steven Castan: @estebanthenatureman ๐
Available for purchase in packs of 2 or 5 by purchasing our greeting cards you will not only be rewarded with these fabulous works of art but will also be directly supporting our efforts to raise awareness and work towards preventing our magnificent raptors from suffering secondary rodenticide poisoning.
If you want to join the fight against the #SilentKiller that is rodenticide poisoning, be sure to head to our website now to make your purchase and donโt forget to share this post far and wide!๐๐ผ
MERCH ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ https://hrfund.org/product-category/merchandise/
#TawnyFrogmouth #jointhefight #saveourowls #raptors #poisoning #powls #birdsofprey #rodentcontrol #rodenticide #threatenedspecies #wildlifeconservation #nonprofit #natureconnection #australianfauna #australianartist #aussiewildlife #birdsofaustralia #lovethepen #supportlocal