UOW’s main campus provides habitat for a diverse range of native animals with approximately 162 native fauna species. It forms a part of the east-west wildlife corridor connecting the escarpment with the sea. The Environmental Policy demonstrates UOW’s commitment to environmental protection and sustainable practices.

The Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions (CSES) is a nationally and internationally significant centre for innovative research into the way that threatening processes affect the structure, function and composition of ecosystems. CSES uses a cross-disciplinary focus to create a collaborative research environment targeted at ecosystem management. With a proven track record of translating research into policy development and ecosystem management, CSES provides innovative solutions to major societal challenges that fall under the National Strategic Research Priorities: Living in a Changing Environment and Managing Our Food & Water Resources.

The UOW-led Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage is uncovering our continent’s rich human history, and its ancient climate, landscape and biodiversity. UOW is leading researchers from around the world on a research quest to investigate the history of Australia’s unique biodiversity and Indigenous heritage, while inspiring Australian children to engage with science. The centre has brought together 20 institutions and museums worldwide to unlock the history of Australia, Papua New Guinea and eastern Indonesia from 130,000 years ago until the time of European arrival. The first of its kind in the world, the centre is encouraging young scientists through a unique outreach program at schools and museums and focuses on nurturing the careers of Indigenous and female researchers.

UOW is partnering with University of Melbourne researchers and the City of Melbourne in a case study on urban forests. Urban forests are fundamental to city liveability, resilience, and sustainability.

Dr Katarina Mikac works on conservation of endangered Quolls and has established Team Quoll, a group of citizen scientists, students and researchers from the UOW on a quest to find and conserve the Spotted-tailed Quoll in the South Coast Region of NSW. Citizen scientists keep the research team informed of quoll sightings and specimens in the Illawarra and South Coast via a community Facebook page. The assistance and collected data has been invaluable to understand the biology, genetics and ecology and assist in the conservation management of quolls in our region.

In partnership with Shoalhaven City Council, researchers at UOW are addressing the challenges of sustainable marine tourism. The aim of this research is to develop a methodology which classifies communities according to a range of characteristics which will constrain or enhance sustainability objectives, such as population size, visitation levels and infrastructure availability. The project is assessing the vulnerability of destinations to pressures which will impact the sustainability of these communities, and their associated tourism growth and is being trialled in the Shoalhaven City Council area. The project will assist council to tailor tourism planning, marketing and service provision to meet the needs of different ‘types’ of coastal communities. 

Wildlife crime encompasses varied illegal activities and occurs in every country. Wildlife crime involves the illegal trade in animals, plants and their derivatives and can result in the depletion of natural resources, invasion of pest species and the transmission of diseases. A UOW research team is developing a five-year plan for teaching and research activities centred on wildlife conservation and crime prevention. The plan will include; identification of shared research priorities, identification of infrastructure requirements, collaborative subject development, meeting crucial stakeholders, and identification of external, sustainable funding streams. 

Antarctica is often thought of as pristine, untouched by human disturbance, however, this is no longer the case. Antarctic Footprints is an exhibition examining the human presence in Antarctica over the last century and engages the wider public to gain a new understanding of Antarctica, its industries, its ecosystems and human impact.