![]() A PROFILE ![]() WWF-Australia (World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia) is part of WWF International-the world's largest and most experienced non-governmental conservation organisation. WWF has a network of national organisations around the world and over 4.7 million supporters. WWF-Australia, formerly known as the World WildlifeFund-Australia, was launched in 1978. Since then, it has acquired more than 30,000 supporters nationally and has raised over $15 million for Australian conservation. Its strongest assets are a team of professional workers, and a broadly-based supporter group. With their help it has completed over 200 conservation projects. Australia is a land of diversities. Its vast wilderness is home to many unique species. But in the past 200 years this land has been struggling to retain its uniqueness in the face of the pressures of change. A telling comment is Australia's appalling record of mammal extinctions - more than any country or continent in the past 400 years. A major WWF-Australia activity since its inception has been the funding of research into the conservation and management of threatened species and habitats. In addition, the organisation conducts its own scientific research and conservation projects in the field. Its belief is that conservation cannot be achieved without the active participation of the people and the government. Given this, WWF-Australia has tried to build up committed support for its work among influential individuals in the community as well influencing government policy. Towards this end, it has been working in close association with governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), aid agencies, commerce and industry. Over the years, WWF-Australia has emerged as an important advocacy group, influencing decision-making in the interests of conservation. The organisation bases its advocacy work on the principles of ''advocacy with excellence''. Based on the policy developed by WWF Canada, the fundamental rules for this policy are:
WWF-Australia establishes criteria against which the actions of all Australian governments are to be assessed over 12 month periods until the year 2000. Environmental education is also an important area of WWF-Australia's activities. Over the years WWF Australia has been involved in curriculum development, training of teacher trainers, producing resource kits for teachers, and developing public awareness materials. This policy, coupled with WWF-Australia's established expertise and experience in field projects and policy advocacy, has enabled the organisation to become a positive, energetic agent of positive change.
![]() ![]() |