Give Australia's wildlife somewhere to go.

In Morton National Park, koala numbers have fallen from the millions to a handful of survivors, on track to become extinct by 2050. Wombat colonies nearby are losing the fight against mange. The corridors wildlife once used to escape disaster and find new habitat are now cut off by roads and development. 

Our founder, John Creighton, has spent more than a decade treating sick and orphaned wildlife in Bundanoon. During the Black Summer bushfires, he worked through the night pulling survivors from the wreckage of the only home they'd known. That experience is why Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary exists. It’s a permanent home for native wildlife research, rehabilitation and recovery, in a location where animals actually have a chance.

We don't need more good intentions. We need land, and we need it while it's still possible to secure.

Every dollar raised goes towards one goal: buying that land before the opportunity closes. This is the moment that matters.

Why this works

Bundanoon sits on the edge of Morton National Park, in one of the few parts of Australia with the right conditions for wildlife to survive a changing climate. This region has a cooler, higher-elevation landscape connected by corridors that animals can move through without crossing a road. Researchers already rank it among the most strategically important regions left for long-term habitat protection.

Three things make the Southern Highlands Wildlife Sanctuary work:

Research. Understanding why these animals are dying, not just treating the result. Our work already covers wombat mange, koala disease and genetics, and species movement. Every dollar we raise expands our current efforts.

Education. People protect what they understand. We're building programs that run from primary school through to tertiary level, plus the wider community.

Land. The central piece of our long-term vision. No land means no place for treated animals to go, nowhere for research to happen, and no way to reconnect the ecosystems that are already fragmenting.

Where your money goes

$500,000 builds our Education Centre in the heart of Bundanoon, on land already donated by Quest for Life Foundation, and activates our community learning programs.

$1.5 million secures Phase One land acquisition, the critical habitat that becomes the Sanctuary's permanent research base.

$3.5 million completes the land acquisition we need to expand research, education and recovery work for good.

We're not building this from nothing. SHWS already has over 500 volunteers, 12,000+ supporters, and a growing network of researchers, carers and advocates behind it. What's missing is the land to put that support to work on, and that window won't stay open long.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible.

How your donation helps

$25 treats mange in local wombats and keeps our wildlife care programs running 

$50 helps protect critical habitat 

$100 funds research and ongoing monitoring 

$250 helps secure and build the sanctuary 

$500 helps secure the long-term future of the sanctuary 

$2,500+ plays a direct role in establishing the next phase of SHWS

This is the moment that matters

Land like this doesn't come up twice. Once it's gone to another buyer, the chance to build a permanent sanctuary here for local wildlife is gone with it.

Donate. Share this campaign. Help us secure the ground Australia's wildlife needs before it's too late.

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.