At Taronga, we believe in the power of community and the strength of people acting towards a common goal.
That’s why we’ve created Women for Wildlife, a special network of like-minded women to leverage the power of collective giving that taps into what women naturally do well – and that’s their power in compassion and connection.
Our goal is to create a circle of women who feel connected to Taronga’s conservation work and the impact these projects have, to our passionate staff, scientists and researchers working behind the scenes, and to each other.
Working together, Women for Wildlife members will vote on cutting-edge conservation projects they feel passionate about and want to support by pooling their resources towards accomplishing the project goal.
Founded in October of 2020 with just 12 members, our circle is set to grow year on year until we’ve created a powerful and unique coterie of passionate women who want to make active changes for threatened wildlife, both now and far into the future.
We look forward to welcoming and having a great impact for conservation with you.
How to join
Join with a minimum annual tax-deductible donation of $5,000 and you will have access to:
- 2 x Women for Wildlife events per year at Taronga
- Access to Taronga’s scientists and conservationists leading the supported projects
- Networking opportunities
- Invitations to additional Taronga events
- Regular email updates on the project funded
- Opportunities to bring along your friends/network to get involved
Projects for future funding consideration
Reef Recovery Program
The inaugural round of funding by Women for Wildlife was directed to Taronga’s ongoing Reef Recovery program led by Dr Justine O’Brien and Dr Rebecca Hobbs, for vital research into coral resilience on the Great Barrier Reef.
Taronga is a global leader in cryopreservation technology and operates two secure CryoDiversity Banks - one at each of its zoos. In fact, Taronga holds the largest bank of frozen coral sperm cells anywhere in the world, with trillions of cells from 29 species of coral, representing the northern, central and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef.
By supporting this work, Women for Wildlife members have contributed $60,000 to this project. This amazing result is helping Taronga to fill crucial knowledge gaps including what makes a coral more resilient to climate change and optimal timings and conditions to transplant coral spawned from thawed sperm back into the reef – ultimately ensuring we have genetically diverse coral cells for use in the repair and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef.
Read more about how you can contribute to this project.
Marine Megafauna Conservation in the Northern Territory
Using collaborative science to create culturally informed monitoring of northern Australian marine megafauna, including sea turtles and dolphins. This exciting new project aims to create and foster two-way knowledge systems to increase knowledge on species ecology, build capacity of Indigenous Rangers, encourage better management of the Northern Territory’s marine and coastal environments.
Amphibian Mass Mortality Investigation
In June of 2021, Taronga’s Australian Registry of Wildlife Health began to receive reports from across the whole east coast of Australia of an amphibian mass mortality event. But question is why? A multi-agency investigation has been launched, with Taronga pathologists leading the way.
Securing Genetic Diversity of Threatened Frog Species
Not only do they play an important role in the ecosystem as both predators and prey, but frogs are key species for monitoring environmental damage. Unfortunately, there are five species of Australian frogs who are facing the risk of extinction. In combination with our breed-for-release programs, Taronga want to establish a strategic biobanking program to secure as much genetic diversity as possible for the Boorolong Frog; Yellow-spotted Bell Frog; Northern and Southern Coroborree Frogs; Spotted Tree Frog.
