Queensland ranks among the world’s most diverse natural environments, home to around 70 per cent of Australia's mammals, 80 per cent of its birds, 50 per cent of its reptiles and more than 8,000 types of vegetation.

The Queensland Museum and BHP Billiton today announced a A$1.4 million partnership over five years to raise awareness of Queensland’s biodiversity, and what can be done to better understand, preserve and protect it.

The partnership will deliver a number of important projects, leading which will be a new permanent biodiversity gallery called Wild State at the Queensland Museum, which will be open to the public by the end of 2016.

“We are thrilled to be working with BHP Billiton, particularly on the Wild State gallery where we can showcase the incredible diversity of Queensland’s natural wonders with specimens from our State Collection,” said Queensland Museum Network CEO and Director Professor Suzanne Miller.

“The Gallery will help us to present the story of our rich natural heritage in a really visual, immersive way and to share our unique biodiversity with the world,” she said.

“BHP Billiton and the Queensland Museum share common values and are organisations both focused on the opportunities and challenges our rich and diverse natural environment faces,” said Mike Henry, President BHP Billiton Coal.

“Environmental responsibility and sustainability is at the core of BHP Billiton’s values and we are really excited to be able to partner with an organisation of the calibre of the Queensland Museum to help in understanding our past and protecting our future,” he said.

To teach children across Queensland about their wild state, a suite of biodiversity-themed learning resources will also be developed for schools, accompanied by a new annual environmental science award to recognise students who are actively involved in understanding, preserving and protecting Queensland’s natural environment.