Our Strategic Plan
Our Vision: To return species from threatened to thriving in the arid zone, through science, collaboration, and innovation
Our Mission: To make a nationally significant long-term scientific contribution to conservation practice that supports the recovery of threatened species and arid ecosystems. We ultimately seek to have threatened species thrive without the need for a fenced reserve
Arid Recovery began in 1997, sparked by a rare moment of opportunity: the arrival of rabbit calicivirus disease led to a widespread decline in rabbits across the region, creating a window to restore ecosystems that had been heavily overgrazed.
At that time, Western Mining Corporation (WMC) ecologists Katherine Moseby and John Read, South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources threatened-species ecologist Peter Copley (the department is now the Department of Environment and Water), and University of Adelaide Professor David Paton began advocating for a landscape-scale, rabbit-free reserve dedicated to ecosystem restoration and research.
WMC (then operator of the Olympic Dam mine, now BHP) agreed to co-fund the project. A committee was formed with representatives from WMC Resources, the SA Department for Environment & Heritage, and the University of Adelaide. Local community members also formed the Friends of Arid Recovery, creating a four-way partnership that remains central to our story.
What began as a vision for a temporary refuge from rabbit impacts quickly grew into something bigger: a long-term “living laboratory” for arid-zone restoration and threatened-species recovery. From the original 14 km² rabbit-free exclosure, Arid Recovery has expanded into a 123 km² fenced reserve free of rabbits, cats and foxes, supporting five reintroduced native species.
Our 2026-2030 Strategic Plan
From threatened to thriving
Science
We’re saving species through science, with evidence-driven and transparent methods
Collaboration
With partners, Traditional Owners, and volunteers
Innovation
Pioneering new approaches to conservation
Our new Strategic Plan builds on Arid Recovery’s proud history while setting an ambitious pathway for the next five years.
By maintaining our reserve, driving scientific innovation and sharing knowledge beyond the fence, we will contribute to a thriving arid zone for species, ecosystems, and people.
Our plan has three strategic pillars – which drive our focus for the next five years:
Maintain the reserve and its populations
Safeguard the ecological and structural integrity of the fenced reserve, ensuring viable populations, and supporting globally significant research.
Scientific experimentation and innovation
Design ambitious and relevant experiments, enable high quality research, and use long-term datasets and emerging technologies to pioneer solutions that can scale across the arid zone and nationally.
Impact and knowledge transfer beyond the fence
Co-design and demonstrate landscape-scale solutions with Traditional Owners, land managers, and partners; influence others and share results openly to inspire replication.
Download the Arid Recovery Strategic Plan