History

In 1982 the United Nations Association of Australia and the Nursery Industry Association of Australia formed Greening Australia. Greening Australia is a solutions-driven organization that is committed to doing something practical about Australia's environmental problems in addition to planting trees.

Focus of Activities

The focus of this organization that was formed in the International Year of the Tree (1982) is anything trees; all aspects of tree care and reforestation.

Greening Australia is committed to Gondwana Link, an enormous project designed to protect and restore land across and adjoining the nation's only global renowned biodiversity hotspot. Greening Australia is teamed with Bush Heritage Australia and The Nature Conservancy informing an arc of bushland stretching for 1000 kilometres.

Greening Australia is imperative in the Hawkesbury-Nepean River Recovery: rehabilitating 2500km of river, creek and stream banks by 2015 to ensure the future of the catchment's water quality, biodiversity and recreational values.

Greening Australia has 26 years of experience in managing Australia's native vegetation to offset carbon through biodiversity. They call this program Breathe Easy.

Notable Achievements

Greening Australia has been a major contributor to many large scale revegetation and restoration projects in Australia. Since forming Greening Australia has been committed to helping in many programs including: the National Tree Program, the One Billion Trees Program, Bushcare Support, National Corridors of Green, Florabank and Green Corps. On World Environment Day 1998, Greening Australia's work was recognized on World Environment Day 1998with admission to the United Nations Environment Programmed Global 500 Roll of Honour. The Saltshaker Project that was funded by the Natural Heritage Trust is an initiative of Greening Australia that brought together 70 landowners to tackle dryland salinity, reduced water quality, and biodiversity in South Wales.

Celebrity Supporters

Nineteen super-heroes make up the Greening Australia leadership team, but not a movie star in sight. No doubt that are many around the world who are patrons of this forward thinking organization but they are keeping that information to themselves. Like so many others, it's the grass-roots involvement that makes this eco-work so powerful.

Governance & Financial

Greening Australia, a non-profit entity, received $39,629,989 in 2006/2007. The breakdown is as follows: 18% federal government, 11% state government, 3% local governments, 32% corporate and business, 5% membership, 21% NRM/CMA organizations and 10% other income.

Regions / countries which benefit

The benefits immediately are to Australia, but the examples set by this group expand globally. Additionally, there benefits to youth worldwide from participation in volunteer programs. People 17 - 20 years of age are invited to be a part of the Green Movement through Green Corps. Each year one-thousand and seven hundred 17 - 20 year olds participate in six month projects of protecting and restoring the environment. This program is managed through Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR).

How to donate

Readers are invited to become a "Green Australian" online. Making a donation to Greening Australia to protect and conserve the unique landscapes is simple; there is a very easily completed form right on the website.  http://www.greeningaustralia.org