It’s been a busy few months at Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary!
From John Creighton’s ongoing work rescuing and treating wombats, to finalising the last few reports for our Wildlife Hub DA application and our campaign to protect vital wildlife habitat, we’re excited to share the progress & work our team and community are making together.
Here’s a look at the people, projects and community initiatives helping us build a stronger future for our native wildlife.
Wildlife Hub at Quest for Life — A Major Milestone
The latest update for the Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary Wildlife Hub at Quest for Life is the last few reports are being finalised for the Development Application (DA) to be lodged.
This marks a significant step towards creating a permanent home for wildlife rescue training, community engagement and conservation in the Southern Highlands. We look forward to celebrating this milestone with an official groundbreaking event in the early 2027, bringing together our supporters, volunteers and community partners.
Once complete, the Wildlife Hub will provide a dedicated space for school excursions, citizen science, conservation learning and community events. It will also be a place where the community can see, learn about and be part of real-world conservation in action. Whether it’s a student planting native species, a volunteer learning wombat & wildlife rescue techniques or a local attending a talk on koala genetics or mange in wombats, this is where understanding turns into action.
SHWS Education Programs
We are pleased to announce that Amy Heague has joined the team in capacity of Educational Program Coordinator. Amy brings nearly 20 years experience in community building, outdoor adventure and outdoor education programming & facilitation. Throughout the year, she and a team of expert volunteer educators, teachers and a registered art therapist have been working to develop a suite of programs that will equip people of all ages with the knowledge and confidence to take meaningful action.
The programs will include curriculum-linked school activities, outdoor ecology workshops and citizen science projects. Our goal is not simply to inform, but to inspire a community that understands how to care for our native wildlife and environment—and why that care matters.
Through the Wildlife Hub and our broader education programs, John’s knowledge and experience will help connect practical wildlife care with education, research and community action.
We have already begun working with local schools and community groups, including Bundanoon Public School and Wollondilly Anglican College, to build awareness of the challenges facing our native wildlife and the importance of protecting their habitat.
Wildlife Rescue & Wombat Care
Building on and supporting John’s wombat work is key to our mission at SHWS and to date we have secured a new vehicle & kitted out a trailer for use in his wombat endeavours through a combination of grants, donations and support from Suzuki Australia.
The important work undertaken by John Creighton and the team is made possible through funding from Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary, supported by the generosity of our valued donors.
John’s Wombat Report
Between May and July 2026, John continued his extensive wildlife rescue and community work across the Southern Highlands, with a particular focus on wombat mange.
Forty-two wombats were fully treated for mange during the period. Treatment can involve three to five doses of medication, numerous visits over several weeks and regular monitoring of the wombat’s territory. Encouragingly, all cases were reported by members of the public, demonstrating that community awareness of mange is growing.
John also responded to eight out-of-area callouts, referring cases to local wildlife groups and provided treatment advice through 10 phone consultations with wildlife carers interstate. Planning is underway for targeted mange treatment programs in selected local areas, supported by volunteer Mange Coordinator Sharon Vojtech, who is developing a plan to recruit and train a team of 20 or more local mange treaters.
Road trauma remains another significant threat. During the period, 32 wombats killed by road strikes were reported and checked between Moss Vale and Marulan. Roadside checks also resulted in the rescue of four ‘pinky’ joeys; three survived and remain in care, while one premature joey was sadly too small to survive. Two adult wombats were also transferred into veterinary care with assistance from local wildlife carers.
John also responded to 17 mediation and mitigation callouts, helping property owners safely manage situations where wombats were digging under houses, decks, paved areas, paddocks and around dams. This work is vital in preventing conflict and finding practical solutions that allow people and wombats to coexist.
Connecting with Our Community
Community education and capacity building are another important part of John’s work. During the period, he met with community leaders, university professors, schools and Scout groups to discuss wombat awareness and wildlife conservation. Two Work Study students from Moss Vale High School completed week-long placements, while environmental science students and professors continued regular visits to Bundanoon. Specialist wildlife care workshops were also held for WIRES volunteers.
John’s outreach extends beyond the Southern Highlands, with wombat and wildlife matters addressed in Goulburn, Berry, Taralga, Campbelltown and Bungonia. New partnerships are also developing, including with Bunnings Warehouse at Gregory Hills for student education and nesting-box projects. Veterinarian Madeline Taylor has provided advice on the proposed Spring Hill clinic, while planning continues for future student and veterinary visits, including 20 students from Saint Mary’s College of California and a group of 12 Victorian veterinarians.
Wombat Cookie Day
Wombat Cookie Day at Bundanoon Public School has become a much-loved annual event, providing a fun way for children and families to learn about wombats, mange, wildlife rescue and how they can help protect local wildlife. This year two of our awesome Education Team volunteers Aleesha & Stefan Elbourne joined John & Peter to help facilitate activities with the students.
Events like this demonstrate the power of bringing education, community involvement and conservation together—and show that meaningful conservation can begin with something as simple as a conversation.
Southern Highlands–Wollondilly National Park E-Petition
The campaign to reach 20,000 signatures by 7 September for the proposed Southern Highlands–Wollondilly National Park is an important opportunity to recognise the environmental significance of Crown lands that already form part of a broader, connected landscape. Initiated by Judy Hannan MP, Member for Wollondilly, the parliamentary petition is calling on the NSW Government to protect and connect significant Crown lands stretching from the Bargo River Gorge, through Mount Alexandra and south towards Morton National Park. These lands provide important habitat, waterways and wildlife corridors and are part of a landscape that supports some of NSW’s significant koala populations to our north and many other native species.
This is an opportunity to formally recognise the conservation value of this landscape and ensure these public lands are managed with a long-term conservation purpose. Wildlife does not recognise boundaries between Crown land, reserves and national parks—animals need connected habitat to move, feed and breed. Protecting these lands now would help prevent further fragmentation and habitat loss, while safeguarding natural their value for future generations.
This is an opportunity to recognise what is already here, protect it while we still can, and give this important landscape the conservation status it deserves.
If you haven’t already, please sign the petition HERE , every signature helps demonstrate the community’s commitment to protecting our landscape.
Please share it with family and friends, and encourage your school, workplace or community group to get involved.
Land Acquisition
Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary continues to evaluate and explore suitable sites for future research, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation and land repair initiatives. This includes, but is not limited to, the Spring Hill site, as we assess opportunities across the Southern Highlands to establish and expand our conservation programs and create meaningful, long-term benefits for wildlife and the environment.
Koala Gala Update
The Koala Gala was a great success and a wonderful celebration of our commitment to protecting koalas. The net proceeds from the event have been allocated to supporting our upcoming koala research programs. These programs will help build the scientific knowledge needed to better protect koalas, understand their changing populations and develop practical strategies for their long-term survival.
Our Message to the Community
Protecting wildlife takes more than rescuing individual animals. It means educating our community, building knowledge and capacity, protecting habitat and creating connected landscapes where native species can thrive.
Every rescue, every student inspired, every volunteer, every donation and every petition signature help build a stronger future for wildlife. Together, we can create a future where people and wildlife thrive side by side, ensuring the Southern Highlands remains a place where nature flourishes for generations to come.
