Restoring degraded ancestral land in Australia

Ecologi is supporting Rejuvenation Trees, an Australian First Nations-led initiative that reconnects the Wudjari people with their ancestral land while restoring critical biodiversity in Southwestern Western Australia, one of only 25 Global Hotspots for Plants and Wildlife designated by Conservation International. The project centres on the Kardutjaanup site, a 4,000-hectare former wheat farm selected by the Tjaltraak people, where 200 hectares will undergo initial reforestation through direct seeding and hand-planting of endemic species. Since European settlement, this biodiverse region has suffered severe degradation from agricultural clearing and chemical-intensive farming, resulting in soil deterioration, groundwater contamination, and the fragmentation of native vegetation that once supported unique species found nowhere else on Earth. The separation of First Nations people from their traditional lands has compounded these impacts, preventing the application of the traditional land management knowledge developed over tens of thousands of years.

The project's transformative approach interweaves ecological restoration with true economic self-determination for First Nations communities. By enabling land ownership and generating sustainable income through forest restoration and regenerative agriculture, Rejuvenation Trees creates pathways for the Tjaltraak people to own homes, build generational wealth, and secure employment through land management activities. All implementation work is carried out by members of the local Wudjari community, with capacity-building as a core program element, including the training of new Tjaltjraak Rangers.