Western Deserts

The deserts of Western Australia are vast and beautiful landscapes that remain as some of the planet's most incredible wilderness. The mulga woodlands stretch from horizon to horizon, interspersed with enormous granite monoliths holding rock art galleries dating back over 10,000 years. Spectacular salt lakes fill about once every 10 years, and ephemeral rivers snake through the red sands. Species yet unsubscribed scurry through the sparse undergrowth, or even live deep underground in ancient aquifers. The western deserts maintain some of the most intact Indigenous cultural sites and languages in Australia, harbour the secrets of European explorers and offer unique, non-destructive economic experiences for the people who visit them. Sadly these wild landscapes and their communities are under significant threat from short-term exploitation, a lack of resources to protect them and severe social disadvantage.

In 2021 Forever Wild launched the Western Deserts Shared Earth Investment initiative, the vehicle to protect large areas of this magnificent place. Working closely with impact investors we blend philanthropic funds with private capital investment for nature. This will enable us to act fast and create the solutions at scale that our planet urgently needs. We are working closely with the communities of the Western Deserts to co-design a world-first in wilderness landscape management in a way that is ecologically and socially equitable, and economically viable.