History
The Unico Conservation Foundation has a long and proud history of supporting projects that protect the marine environment.
This commitment was inspired by a family trip on an Earthwatch Expedition in 2002 for Geoff and Denise Illing. They were impressed with the work that they saw and it transformed their way of thinking in regards to marine conservation.
It inspired them to think about greater actions and other ways in which they could contribute to building a more oceans.
They also felt that as Australian’s and as a country we are privileged, and it is our duty to help others. We need to support those in less fortunate positions, to set an example and assist their marine conservation efforts to protect the global environment.
Since the initial trip, Geoff and Denise have recruited friends and work colleagues to aid in this cause. The result was the Unico Conservation Foundation, which was set up by the owners of Unico Computer Systems, Geoff Illing and John Rowland.
Geoff introduced John to scuba diving and he has never looked backed. Both are passionate scuba divers and have travelled the world exploring our oceans.
While there are many worthy environmental projects that need support, the oceans are our focus. For many, the oceans are a case of ‘out of sight, and out of mind’ so doing our bit to heighten awareness seems the most effective way to use of our limited resources.
The oceans are also the heart of the planet, our health is dependent on its health. Driving projects and our direction is our board, a group of passionate conservationists who possess a wide range of complementary skills. It features business leaders, IT experts, academics and marine scientists.
While protecting our own blue backyard in Australia is a priority it’s also important to look at the global context and how we can contribute to the health of our oceans in developing countries and empowering communities to create long-term sustainable change.
UCF sees the opportunity to use its resources, both in-kind with its IT expertise, board skills and financially.
Goals
The Unico Conservation Foundation is dedicated to marine conservation initiatives in Australia and developing countries. We have a commitment to projects that:
- Utilise the IT skillsets of the Unico company to support marine conservation initiatives that contribute to creating healthier and more sustainable oceans;
- Empower and resource communities to achieve sustainable marine conservation outcomes;
- Educate communities about the importance of healthy marine environments;
- Encourage self reliance;
- Build skills in communities that will help them create long-term positive change and marine environments; and
- Use our networks to encourage the support of marine conservation efforts.
Board
Meet our board members here.
