In October, Victoria-based organisation Carbon Landscapes purchased a parcel of ecologically diverse land at Telopea Downs with an aim to create a safe haven for a range of native animals, including the Mallee emu-wren and the Malleefowl.

The region containing Telopea Downs was one of the few locations in Victoria to feature the Mallee emu-wren, which Zoos Victoria has added to its Fighting Extinction species list.

Carbon Landscapes co-director Chris Pitfield said the company was excited to be at the forefront of a new private enterprise approach to conservation in Australia.

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"With access to more than 60 rural properties across Victoria, Carbon Landscapes is leading the way with a suite of projects as a natural complement to our core business of financing conservation outcomes," he said.

"Our latest acquisition at Telopea Downs, which is perfectly located alongside the Big Desert Wilderness Park, is another milestone for us and will form a major component of our commitment to protect the state's wild spaces."

Mr Pitfield said he believed private businesses such as Carbon Landscapes were ideally placed to help safeguard Australian wildlife.

"While the Mallee emu-wren and the Malleefowl were once widespread throughout Victoria's Mallee regions, their numbers have been gradually decimated by land clearing and recent bushfires," he said.

"We will be working with some of the country's foremost scientific experts over the next 12 months to explore how we remove introduced predator species, manage their habitat and re-establish their populations.

"By making conditions ideal, we're aiming to future proof a range of species across all our properties against the impacts of climate change."

Pitfield said the land at Telopea Downs was selected in part due to its location alongside the Big Desert Wilderness Park, the oldest of Victoria's three wilderness parks.

"When numbers of our various wildlife species begin to build up again, the aim will be to release some of them into protected areas, such as the Park," he said.

For more information, visit https://carbonlandscapes.com.au.

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