The environmental consequences of the bushland being demolished was exponential. Many animals, large and small, were forced from their natural habitat and many died as a result of wandering too close to the highway. The natural landscape was also ruined as the housing development crew tore down trees, small native shrubs and drained the damn which was home to a delicate micro-ecosystem. The benefits of Illaroo’s conservation program are that animals and plants on the verge of extinction have been given a chance to repopulate in the hopes that the native Australian flora and fauna will survive for future generations. The sustainable program not only protects the interests of the environment but serves to educate and involve the NSW community, businesses, research organisations, schools, landholders, government agencies and local conservation groups (NSW …show more content…
It awoke me to the real issues of sustainability such as animal displacement and land clearing and made me realise that the same destruction is most likely occurring all around the globe due to exponential human growth. The Brundtland Report stated that our planet is passing through a period of dramatic growth concluding that the population could stabilize between 8 and 14 billion in the next century (WCED, 1987). Camping at Illaroo gave me a deeper appreciation for the programs created and implemented to help rejuvenate our delicate ecosystem. It gave me the enthusiasm to want to get involved in more sustainable practices and the drive to protect the smaller creatures that couldn’t protect themselves. The hidden aspect of my experiences that has continuously taught me the most about environmental sustainability has been my family. They have been educating me on ways to live sustainably from a very young age and with their wisdom, I am able to practice sustainability as a second