WA Parks Foundation

What WA Parks Foundation does

WA Parks Foundation is an Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission-registered charitable foundation headquartered in Perth that connects the Western Australian public with the state's network of terrestrial and marine parks, which span more than 31 million hectares and include three UNESCO World Heritage areas. Its operational scope is single-jurisdiction (Western Australia), serving general consumers, schools, corporate partners, and volunteers rather than commercial customers.

The foundation's core product is Smartreka, a digital mapping initiative delivered in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) that provides GPS-enabled offline maps for 25+ national parks distributed through the Avenza Maps app on iOS and Android. Beyond Smartreka, the foundation runs the annual Spring into Parks campaign (featuring Wellness Challenge, Ways to be Wild, Nature Connection, and Citizen Science verticals), capital projects such as the Swan Canning Riverpark River Journeys (a 25-node trail network), the John Forrest National Park revitalisation, and the Walyunga Dreaming Aboriginal cultural heritage project.

The foundation operates a non-profit revenue model with four streams: public donations, individual memberships, corporate partnerships (Fortescue, Deloitte, Coogee Chemicals, Hamilton Locke among named supporters), and government funding (notably Lotterywest grants and DBCA collaboration). Marketing and community engagement are delivered through the ourwaparks.org.au website, email newsletter, social media channels across five platforms, the annual Spring into Parks event series, and in-park programming. The foundation has no disclosed headcount, no disclosed revenue, no parent company, and no equity funding history; it is governed by a board chaired by The Hon Kerry Sanderson AC CVO.

Name

WA Parks Foundation

Legal name

WA Parks Foundation

Website

https://ourwaparks.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WA Parks Foundation is a Perth-based registered charity that connects the Western Australian public with the state's 31-million-hectare park network through its Smartreka offline GPS mapping platform (covering 25+ national parks), the annual Spring into Parks events program, and conservation projects, funded by donations, memberships, corporate partnerships, and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK), Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Park conservation foundation
• Digital park mapping
• Nature conservation programs
• Community park engagement
• Wildlife conservation charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Crawley-nedlands

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Public donations to support park projects and conservation initiatives.
2. Membership Program: Annual membership subscriptions providing benefits and supporting foundation operations.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership opportunities for businesses to contribute to park projects with recognition benefits.
4. Government Funding: Support from government entities including Lotterywest and Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WA Parks Foundation is a registered Australian charity that connects people to Western Australia's parks through conservation projects, education programs, and digital tools. Its flagship product is Smartreka, a library of free GPS-enabled offline maps for 25+ national parks distributed via the Avenza Maps app. It also runs the Spring into Parks annual campaign featuring wellness, citizen science, and nature connection activities, and operates projects such as the Swan Canning Riverpark River Journeys trail network and the John Forrest National Park revitalization.

Product overview

WA Parks Foundation operates as a conservation and parks promotion organization connecting people to Western Australia's natural treasures. The organization's core product portfolio centers on Smartreka, a digital mapping initiative providing GPS-enabled offline maps for national parks through partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. The Smartreka maps integrate with the Avenza Maps app and cover multiple parks including Yanchep, Karijini, Kalbarri, and others. Supporting programs include Spring into Parks (annual campaign with wellness, nature connection, and citizen science initiatives), River Journeys (walking trail development), and park revitalization projects. The foundation also offers membership, partnership opportunities, and newsletter subscription services for community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smartreka Digital Park Maps Free GPS-enabled offline digital maps covering 25+ Western Australian national parks, distributed via the Avenza Maps app to enable navigation without mobile reception or roaming charges. Developed in partnership with the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
• Spring into Parks Annual seasonal campaign connecting people with nature through events, activities and wellness programs across Western Australia's parks, featuring the Wellness Challenge, Ways to be Wild, Nature Connection, and Citizen Science categories.
• Swan Canning Riverpark River Journeys Development of a network of walking trails featuring 25 nodes or rest points located at key sites of environmental, historical, and Aboriginal cultural significance along the Swan Canning Riverpark.
• Revitalisation of John Forrest National Park Gateway park improvement project for WA's first national park, located 35 minutes from Perth, featuring undulating hills, granite outcrops, seasonal waterfalls, over 500 varieties of wildflowers, and the Glen Brook elevated walkway.
• Walyunga Dreaming Cultural heritage project at Walyunga National Park with interpretive content on the area's rich Aboriginal mythology, tree-filled valleys, and the cooling waters of the Swan River.
• Park Guide Comprehensive guide to Western Australia's parks organised by region (Perth, Kimberley, Pilbara, Coral Coast, Golden Outback, South West) helping visitors plan park experiences.
• Membership Program Annual membership offering opportunities for individuals to support the foundation's mission of protecting and promoting engagement with WA's natural treasures through various involvement options.
• Partnership Opportunities Corporate partnership program enabling organizations to contribute to environmental conservation and park engagement initiatives in Western Australia.
• Nature Connection Outdoor learning program designed and delivered by Educated by Nature in partnership with the WA Parks Foundation, engaging primary school students and teachers in outdoor learning experiences within their local communities.
• Citizen Science Community science initiative encouraging visitors to participate in tracking and monitoring biodiversity in WA parks, including programs such as CoastSnap for coastal change tracking and Black Cockatoo monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• Smartreka maps available for 25+ national parks
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and AttractionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department managing WA's parks and wildlife. Strategic partner for Smartreka mapping program and overall park management collaboration.
• LotterywestcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWA government lottery organization providing funding support for park projects and community programs.
• DeloitteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional services firm providing support as a corporate supporter of the foundation.
• FortescueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMining company supporting the foundation as a corporate partner.
• Coogee ChemicalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChemicals company supporting the foundation as a corporate supporter.
• The Jock Clough Marine FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarine foundation supporting ocean conservation and WA World Ocean Day events.
• Hamilton LockeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal firm providing support as a corporate supporter.
• LocalistaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal tourism and lifestyle platform supporting park promotion.
• ScoopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline news platform supporting foundation communications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves18 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Trust for Nature (Victoria): Victorian conservation land trust with a near-identical nonprofit/charity model, including donation-driven funding, conservation covenants, and public engagement programs. Mirrors WA Parks Foundation's state-level focus but in Victoria.
• WWF-Australia: Australian arm of a global conservation NGO, operating as a registered charity with donations, corporate partnerships, and government grants as primary revenue. Comparable in mission and funding structure, though at national scale.
• Queensland Trust for Nature: Queensland conservation land trust with a comparable governance and revenue model to WA Parks Foundation, focused on habitat protection and community engagement. Strong structural analog in another Australian state.
• Australian Conservation Foundation: Australia's peak national environmental advocacy nonprofit, also registered as a charity and funded through donations, memberships, and grants. Closest peer in terms of mission (conservation advocacy), audience (general public), and multi-channel community engagement playbook.
• National Trust of Australia (WA): Heritage and nature conservation charity operating in Western Australia with member-driven revenue, government grants, and corporate partnerships. Comparable WA-footprint peer with overlapping natural and cultural heritage programs.
• Bush Heritage Australia: Australia's largest private conservation land trust, operating as a registered charity that acquires and manages land for conservation. Directly comparable nonprofit model, donation/membership revenue mix, and reliance on government and corporate partnerships to fulfil its conservation mission.

Regional players

• National Parks Conservation Association: US-based nonprofit with a near-identical mission of promoting and protecting national parks through member-driven advocacy and corporate partnerships. Closest international peer in mission and operating model, but operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (Australia): Global conservation nonprofit with significant Australian operations and substantially larger donor and corporate base. Broader incumbent in the same conservation space, with similar advocacy and partnership-driven funding model.
• Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority (DBCA): WA Government agency operating major parks and gardens including Kings Park; strategic partner of WA Parks Foundation. A broader incumbent operator with whom the foundation co-exists and collaborates rather than competes.

Others

• Perth Region NRM: Western Australian natural resource management body coordinating community and government environmental programs. Not a competitor but an adjacent enabler that shares the WA conservation-community ecosystem and can provide partnership pathways.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ourwaparks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCM9SLp_nic6Ks25RPypPQHw
• Facebookfacebook.com/OurWAParks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wa-parks-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/ourwaparks

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WA Parks Foundation