Protecting habitats through conservation covenants
Trust for Nature has an integral role to play in the conservation of Victoria’s plants and animals. Our statutory powers allow us to work with private landowners to protect habitats and wildlife on private land in perpetuity.
A conservation covenant is a permanent, legally-binding agreement placed on a property’s title to ensure native vegetation on the property is protected forever. This agreement is voluntary and negotiated between Trust for Nature and each individual landowner.
Our covenanting program was established under the Victorian Conservation Trust Act 1972.



We purchase, restore, protect and resell properties with high ecological value.
Trust for Nature uses a ‘Revolving Fund’ to purchase private properties across Victoria that hold unique conservation value. The land is then restored and sold to new owners with the ongoing protection of a conservation covenant.
All proceeds from property sales are recycled directly back into the Revolving Fund, which allows Trust for Nature to purchase and protect even more properties.
The impacts of climate change
Hotter, drier seasons with associated reductions in rainfall, and extreme weather events are increasing the daily pressures on our ecosystems and native species.
These changes can affect animal and plant populations in many ways. Reduced rainfall shortens growing seasons and decreases the availability of food, habitat and water. Higher temperatures impose extreme physiological stresses on animals and plants, which can lead to reduced breeding success or increased mortality rates.
Collectively, all of these changes are expected to magnify the impacts of habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, invasive species, and extreme floods, fires and droughts.
As a result, Trust for Nature has joined forces with other agencies and research bodies to address these ongoing challenges. We are increasingly focussed on helping protect land for restoration, for connectivity as habitat refuge, and building long-term capacity for ecosystems and the species in those landscapes to survive in the future.
Our protected areas already store over 12 million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of taking four million cars off Victorian roads each year, and thanks to ongoing support, these carbon stores are increasing.

Make a contribution
With your support we can continue to ensure Victoria’s biodiversity is protected for the future.

Get involved
So much of what we do couldn’t be achieved without the dedication and goodwill of all our supporters

Landowner support
There are a suite of services we can offer to assist you protect and improve habitat on your property.