Learning Beyond the Classroom: Saint Mary’s College Students Visit SHWS
For a group of students from Saint Mary’s College of California, a recent visit to the Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary turned out to be something rather different from a study tour. Set among the eucalypts and rolling hills of the Southern Highlands, the experience brought together wildlife conservation, environmental stewardship and cultural exchange. Students had […]
This Is the Moment That Matters: Koala Gala Launches a Movement for Conservation
There are moments when a community comes together around something bigger than itself. The Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary’s inaugural Koala Gala was one of those moments. On a memorable evening in Bowral, conservation advocates, scientists, philanthropists, community leaders and wildlife supporters gathered with a shared purpose: protecting Australia’s wildlife and creating a future where koalas […]
National Conservation Council Event
At a recent National Conservation Council gathering, one alarming statistic stood out for us. For every one-degree rise in temperature due to climate change, Australia’s fauna must either move 125 kilometres south or climb 100 metres higher to remain within their climatic comfort zone. In other words, wildlife is permanently displaced from its habitat. For […]
Caring for the Carers: Building a Sustainable Future for Wildlife Rescue
When people think about wildlife conservation, the focus is often on the animals themselves. They see images of koalas clinging to survival, wombats recovering from injury, or the fragile habitats under constant threat. But behind every successful rescue and every hopeful release is another story: one that is just as vital to the future of […]
Giving That Goes Further: Why Local Wildlife Needs Your Support
Across Australia, the need to protect native wildlife has never been more visible. Bushfires, habitat loss and urban expansion continue to place extraordinary pressure on native species. While national headlines capture these major crises, much of the daily work of conservation happens locally and without fanfare. At Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary (SHWS), the work we […]
World Wildlife Day and the Power of Local Action
Every year on 3 March, the world marks World Wildlife Day, a moment to recognise the extraordinary diversity of plants and animals that sustain life on Earth. Globally, the day highlights the urgent need to protect biodiversity. Locally, it asks a more practical question: what can we do, right here in our own communities, to […]
Bushfire Season Is Here: What That Means for Wildlife
Bushfire season doesn’t begin with flames. It builds through heat, dry ground and vegetation under stress long before smoke appears. For wildlife, those early conditions are already dangerous, and by the time fires arrive, many animals are already vulnerable. Across New South Wales, longer and more intense fire seasons are now expected. At the time […]
Sanctuary in Action: What’s Been Achieved and What’s Next at SHWS
When Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary launched, the goal was simple but demanding: protect native wildlife through care, science and community action. Since then, that work has moved from idea to reality. Rescue efforts are active, partnerships are in place, and long-term plans are beginning to take shape. Building the foundations One of the most important […]
From Boardrooms to Bushland: Why Strategy Still Matters in Conservation
December is a planning month for the Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary (SHWS); a time to look beyond the daily realities of rescue and think about the systems that make care and conservation sustainable. While most people picture conservation as hands-on work in the bush, Co-founder Peter Lewis knows it starts much earlier — with structure, […]
Building for the Future: Help Us Create Homes for Learning, Research, and Wildlife Recovery
At the Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary, conservation has always been a community effort. Every rescue, every rehabilitation, every tree planted has been made possible by people who care. Now, we’re taking two major steps toward a stronger future for wildlife across the region — and we’re asking our community to shape it with us. Mission […]