If Restoration Funds Itself, Restoration Never Stops.
Wattlewood is Sustainable Community Group’s first demonstration of a self-funding ecological restoration initiative, where natural burial helps underwrite long-term stewardship. It is not just a restoration project, it is a replicable model for a living, thriving future.
Our Vision
Wattlewood is the first site in a nationally scalable, self-funding ecological restoration initiative. It demonstrates how environmental restoration can be supported by a financial model designed to endure beyond short-term funding cycles.
The real challenge for funders is not only how to start a restoration project, but also how to keep it going. Many restoration efforts lose momentum when establishment funding ends, leaving long-term stewardship dependent on future grants, donations or government programs.
Wattlewood introduces a different approach. Natural burial operates within the restored landscape as a carefully managed, low-impact land use that generates revenue for ongoing stewardship. In this model, burial is not the environmental outcome, but rather the mechanism that helps fund it.
Our longer-term vision is to take what is learned at Wattlewood and develop a network of restoration landscapes across Australia, each capable of delivering measurable biodiversity outcomes while progressively supporting its own long-term care.
One restored landscape matters. A model capable of restoring many can change the system.
Why This Model Matters
Restoration projects often rely on short-term grants and are at risk when funding cycles end, leaving ecosystems and biodiversity at risk.
Wattlewood creates a long-term stewardship model through an integrated revenue mechanism, helping ensure restoration and care can continue for generations.
Our Model
Identify and secure land with strong ecological restoration potential and long-term community value.
Rehabilitate ecosystems using locally appropriate, science-led restoration methods.
Integrate carefully managed natural burial to generate ongoing revenue for stewardship.
Use revenue to support monitoring, land management, biodiversity recovery and ongoing care.
Use the model, knowledge and systems developed at Wattlewood to support future restoration landscapes.
The Current Project
Located near Goolwa in South Australia, Wattlewood is the first demonstration site for this restoration model.
The project is transforming six hectares of degraded land through locally indigenous revegetation, direct seeding, habitat restoration and long-term environmental management.
Located within the broader Lower Lakes and Coorong landscape, restoration has been designed to improve biodiversity, strengthen habitat connectivity and support threatened species including the endangered Australian Native Daisy, Olearia pannosa.
Wattlewood allows us to test something bigger than the restoration of a single site. Whether environmental restoration and a sustainable funding mechanism can work together to create a landscape capable of being cared for over generations.
Degraded land being restored.
Planned across staged revegetation works.
Planned across approximately 5 hectares.
Habitat creation and protection, including Olearia pannosa.
Ongoing data collection and impact tracking.
Project Progress
Long-term land arrangements are in place for the project site.
Planning and approval processes have progressed, moving the project beyond concept stage.
Specialist environmental, design and operational partners are supporting delivery.
Site-specific restoration and stewardship planning is underway.
Native planting, direct seeding and habitat restoration activity is progressing.
Collaboration
We are working alongside specialist organisations that bring expertise across ecology, restoration, landscape design, community engagement, mapping and land management.
Support & Get Involved
Support a scalable restoration model and help establish measurable environmental impact.
Collaborate on landscape restoration, biodiversity recovery, climate resilience and community outcomes.
Align purpose, expertise, funding and ESG commitments with measurable restoration outcomes.
Explore investment in a model designed to regenerate ecological and community value.
Support practical restoration activity, community participation and long-term stewardship.
Start A Conversation
We welcome conversations with philanthropic funders, government partners, corporate partners, impact investors, environmental organisations and supporters who share our vision. Get in touch to explore how we can work together.
Contact Us
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