Bior: Reconstructing Habitat for Biodiversity
If you’re into sustainability or systems thinking, you need to know about Bior – a science-based habitat restoration initiative operating in Adelaide’s Mount Lofty Ranges. Founded as a community-owned organisation, with a bold vision to systematically reconstruct a staggering 150,000 hectares of native habitat through what they call “habitat restoration at-scale.”
What makes Bior a system of the future is their sophisticated strategic approach: 100-year planning horizon, 20% annual growth targets, evidence-based restoration and reinforcing learning loops that collectively address the alarming reality that only 10% of remnant native vegetation remains in the Mount Lofty Ranges region – not enough to sustain many of the declining species that live there. Their strategic plan “From Cleared Lands to Woodlands” demonstrates how ambitious environmental goals can be achieved through systematic community engagement and scientific rigour. That document is also one of the best examples of how to turn your strategy into a compelling narrative for the community that, as the founder David Paton says, “everyone can put themselves in”.
Bior offers corporate partnership opportunities and team building experiences that provide genuine nature-positive impact. With their 2025 Winter Planting Festival on track for another year of 20% growth, planting 58,000 native seedlings (>150 different species) across 29 hectares, all by 850 volunteers, they’re proving that environmental reconstruction can operate with the same strategic discipline as any successful enterprise.
Website: bior.org.au.
Matt Walsh Consulting assisted in the creation of “From Cleared Lands to Woodlands” and continues to contribute 1% of profits to Bior for habitat restoration.
© 2025 Matt Walsh. All rights reserved.