Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary

Australia's wildlife crisis is already here

Wildlife extinction in Australia is no longer a distant threat. It’s happening now, and it’s accelerating.  

• Koalas in New South Wales could be extinct by 2050

• Habitat is disappearing faster than it can recover

• Disease is spreading across fragmented wildlife populations

The longer we wait, the harder it becomes to reverse. Help secure a permanent future for Australia’s wildlife before it’s too 

late.

Who we are

We are Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary. 
Grounded in Science. Powered by Community. Built for Long-Term Impact.

We are not a zoo or a passive animal reserve. SHWS is a working sanctuary, in a carefully chosen location, bringing together research, education, habitat protection, and long-term conservation.

To make a lasting impact, we need to secure the funding that enables us to acquire land, advance research, educate future generations, and do conservation work that immediately improves wildlife survival. 

Why the Southern Highlands?

In the Southern Highlands, in the township of Bundanoon bordering Morton National Park, there is a rare, but very real, opportunity to change the current trajectory towards extinction for native species. 

As climate change accelerates, native species must move location to survive. The landscape in this region has a special combination of features that is favourable to wildlife:

• Cooler climate and higher elevation
• Connected ecological corridors, so animals can move freely without needing to cross roads
• Habitat capable of supporting species into the future

With its cooler climate, elevation, and connected ecosystems, the Southern Highlands has emerged as one of the most strategically important regions in Australia for long-term wildlife recovery and habitat protection.

A conservation model designed to last

Most conservation efforts focus on immediate protection. The Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary is designed for long-term recovery and conservation.

Our work is based on three core areas:

Research: Solve the Cause

We study disease, genetics, habitat, and species movement to improve survival outcomes.

We’re not just rescuing animals, but also gathering vital data about why they’re declining, and how to stop it.

Education: Scale the Impact

We engage younger generations through immersive, real-world learning. Our education efforts are aimed at students from primary to secondary and tertiary level, as well as the broader community. 

Because conservation doesn’t work without people, and people protect what they understand.

Land: Secure the Future

We will acquire and protect critical habitat within the Southern Highlands to restore and reconnect ecosystems.

Land is the key to ensuring our future generations can see wildlife in its natural habit and not on a screen or in a book. 

With these three pillars, we’ve created a conservation model that is scientifically credible, financially sustainable, and built to last. 

Because without science, we don’t solve the problem.

Without people, we don’t sustain it.

And without land, wildlife has nowhere to recover.

Your support goes here

Your support contributes to the first critical phase of the Sanctuary, which includes land acquisition, research expansion, and building our education centre & infrastructure.

This enables:

• Securing and protecting critical habitat

• Expanding wombat disease monitoring and research

• Supporting koala relocation research and survival programs

• Establishing conservation education infrastructure for the community

How your donation will help 

• $25 supports wildlife care & continuting our programs treating mange in the local wombat populations

• $50 helps protect habitat

• $75 helps provide equipment & resources for our field team

• $100 funds research and monitoring

• $250+  helps secure and build the sanctuary

We are not starting from zero. The Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary is already supported by:

• 500+ volunteers and supporters

• 12,000+ engaged followers

• A growing network of researchers, educators, carers, policy makers and advocates

The foundation already exists. Now it’s time to secure its future.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible in Australia

This is the moment that matters 

Right now, this opportunity is highly time-sensitive. Our ability to secure and protect land in this region will not last long.

Without immediate support, the chance to establish a permanent sanctuary in the Southern Highlands could be lost.

This campaign is about changing that.

Because intentions alone won’t stop extinction in its tracks. It’s stopped by acting now, in the moment that matters.

A future worth protecting 

There is still time to change the future.

To make sure future generations can see native species in the wild, not just in photos or videos.

But that future isn’t guaranteed. It’s something we have to build.

Be a part of it

Make a donation.
Share this campaign.

Help build the place that protects Australia’s wildlife while we still can.

Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary
Grounded in Science. Powered by Community. Built for Long-Term Impact.

What these milestones achieve

• $500,000 — Education Centre Activation*
  • Build our Education Centre in the heart of Bundanoon on land provided by our partners "Quest for Life Foundation". This money will also help us activate the sanctuary’s education and community learning programs, helping build the next generation of conservation leaders.

• $1.5 million — Phase One Land Acquisition
  • Secure and protect critical habitat needed to establish the sanctuary’s long-term foundation & research facilities

• $3.5 million — Permanent Sanctuary Vision
  • Complete the full land acquisition required to expand research, education, habitat protection, and long-term wildlife recovery programs.

Every milestone moves us closer to a permanent, science-led conservation model designed to protect Australia’s wildlife for generations to come.

*More about our Education Centre

We have already been generously provided with the location to build our EDUCATION CENTRE - on the grounds of Quest for Life in Bundanoon. This will be our community hub, a place for educational & training programs and community connections. We are almost ready to submit the plans for DA, part of our fundraising campaign is to build the centre and expand and activate our educational programing.