Environmental Scientist Buys Property, Turns It into Private Wildlife Sanctuary

When it comes to wildlife conservation, most people who are truly committed to such causes opt for getting actively involved in on-going projects and campaigns aimed at safeguarding various plant and animal species living in areas which high officials declared as being natural sanctuaries, and which therefore benefit from legal protection.

However, there are also those who choose to follow a quite different path, and surprisingly end up achieving quite similar results. James Fitzsimons is one individual belonging to this second category of people, seeing how his efforts to push for wildlife conservation translated into his creating his very own, privately owned natural reserve.

Thus, he purchased about 300 acres of forest-covered land in central Victoria, Australia and allowed several endangered and sometimes even weird-looking animal species to take permanent residence in this area.

The Nature Conservancy explains how, prior to being purchased by James Fitzsimons, this region was supposed to serve various development purposes, so we're guessing it is a good thing that this green-head eventually came to own it.

Just for the record, James Fitzsimons is presently the Director of Conservation at The Nature Conservancy, so it can be argued that his profession also influenced him in taking this decision to engage in privately managed green projects.

Commenting on this topic, James Fitzsimons made a case of how, “I was looking for a place where I could achieve conservation on my own, and have a place to share with my kids. I’ve always wanted a block of land that had native vegetation on some parts but that also had degraded areas to restore.”

Furthermore, “Managing this land myself gives me a different view of conservation. It makes me appreciate the challenges and opportunities of private land conservation from a landowner’s perspective. There’s something very powerful about ownership and protecting a property in perpetuity. And on top of that, it’s just a great escape for me and my family.”