About Us
Gondwana Link…
Gondwana Link is an environmental organisation based in Albany. Since 2002 we have been working with an amazing array of groups, communities, businesses and individuals to improve the protection and management of natural bushland, as well as reconnect the larger areas through restoration plantings.
Our ambition is to establish a 1000 kilometre stretch of healthy, connected wildlife habitat from the wet forests of the south-west to the dry woodlands and mallee of inland Australia.
Part of our work crosses the Great Southern region. Its ecosystems include some of the most biologically diverse and ancient on Earth, along with a lot of cleared farming country.
Image: Chinch Gryniewicz
Why Heartland Journeys?
Gondwana Link has created ‘Heartland Journeys’ to increase understanding of and support for the incredible ecological values of the Great Southern region. We want to see better protection, restoration and care for these values through:
- providing visitors and locals with rich information and stories about the region’s internationally significant natural values;
- increasing the social and economic benefits gained from protection, restoration, care and responsible enjoyment of natural areas and biodiversity;
- supporting Noongar people to share their stories of caring for country, and to benefit from visitor interest in Noongar culture; and
- linking visitors with local landcare and conservation groups and projects, for mutual benefit.
People and Places…
People are an essential part of the Great Southern story and Heartland Journeys conveys some of the human history and cultural significance of key places in the region.
For further information we encourage you to visit Kaartdijin Noongar – Noongar Knowledge, a website produced by the South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council for the purpose of sharing Noongar culture.
Image: Basil Schur
A world of stories…
In Heartland Journeys have audio, video and written stories that share inspiring and poignant stories from Noongar Elders, scientists, farmers, landcarers, and conservationists.
These stories celebrate people’s connections to land and nature, the region’s remarkable landforms and biological diversity, along with the work underway to protect, restore and care for the natural environment and the working landscapes of the Great Southern.
Responsible tourism…
For nature’s sake and continued enjoyment by other visitors and locals, please leave the places you visit as you find them. Practice excellent dieback hygiene to stop the spread.
Contribute to the ongoing care and management of these special places by supporting the fabulous community groups involved in conservation and landcare efforts across the region.
Heartland Journeys is helping create a new kind of tourism – restoration tourism, that gives back to local communities and their ecological and social restoration work.
Image: Craig Keesing
Image: Amanda Keesing
Just the beginning..
Heartland Journeys has only just scratched the surface of the stories and places of the Great Southern. This will be a living site, with new information added all the time.
We welcome your feedback, including corrections, additions and suggestions – please send to heartlandjourneys@gondwanalink.org