Valley for Wildlife is a delegated sub-committee of the Macdonald Valley Association, with a purpose focused on wildlife welfare and wellbeing.

The project develops and implements actions to help our community experience, learn about, and care for wildlife. We will achieve this through:

• Targeted actions and activities addressing specific wildlife programs
• Facilitating education and training opportunities on wildlife issues
• Linking organisations, agencies, and knowledge sources with our community
• Activating the community in wildlife guardianship activities, including citizen science, monitoring, surveying, treatment, and care
• Grant projects supporting wildlife welfare and wellbeing

Launched in June 2022

Valley for Wildlife was launched in 2022 with at a packed St Albans School of Arts.

The morning covered a range of topics where locals can make a real difference for our wildlife.

The capacity crowd heard an overview of the importance of wombats to the health of the local ecosystem and the challenges they face with land clearing, road accidents, and mange. Attendees were also treated to the much talked about wombat poo chocolate truffles from Carla Treloar.

WIRES expert carers explained what to do when you come across a dead native animal on the road, including how and why to check for a joey that may still be alive in its mother’s pouch. We heard firsthand from one of the carers about Min, a local wallaroo joey found last winter in her deceased mother’s pouch on Settlers Road. Min is now a healthy young wallaroo on her way to living in the wild. The session highlighted the importance of expert care in raising orphaned joeys so they can thrive.

Attendees also learned about possums and how to live in harmony with them, including tips on dealing with possums in your roof and how to build nesting boxes.

Captured on camera, the session showcased fantastic footage and photos from trail cameras in the valley. Tips were shared on affordable cameras (many under $100) and setup advice. There was even discussion of a potential photo competition if enough people in the valley are interested.

Katherine Clare from the Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Group spoke about their role and ways local landowners can get involved. Participants were asked what Valley for Wildlife should focus on next, subject to available funding. Suggestions included:

• Organising a WIRES rescuers course in the valley (now completed, with several new local rescuers and carers)
• Providing information on controlling foxes and feral cats
• Hosting a wombat mange workshop – the Wombat Protection Society now has an excellent online course as does WIRES for interested locals wishing to help their mange affected wombats. Additionally, Valley for Wildlife wombat expert, Toby Davidson is only too happy to help.
• Guidance on what plants to grow in your garden to support local wildlife
• Possum and microbat box building workshops – completed – the Mens Shed at Wiseman’s Ferry has made a number of possum boxes for us.
• Sharing information about our valley’s koalas
• A project where local artist Luke Kelly worked with students to bring wildlife road safety designs to life on donated satellite dishes

Wild at Art – a community collaboration with The Ferry Artists.

Valley for Wildlife has completed a number of projects with the local community to highlight our wildlife.

Wildlife Signs – Visitors and locals driving in the valley will now see many repurposed satellite dishes with great images on them to highlight the importance of looking out for native animals on our roads. The dishes were painted by local people with the help of experienced artists from the Ferry Artists. Led by art director, Luke Kelly, the designs were based on drawings from our local students from Macdonald Valley and Wisemans Public Schools. Look out for them when you drive around the valley – you will see them from Lower Macdonald to Upper and Higher Macdonald.

The Painted Poles – Valley for Wildlife, once again in collaboration with The Ferry Artists, have created a wildlife art trail around the St Albans village. Starting outside the St Albans Fireside you will find a sign explaining the project and directing you where to find the art trail. Locals worked alongside the artists to bring to life monitor lizards, bower birds, echidnas, other local birdlike and flora. We thank Endeavour Energy for their support with this project.

The following photos are credited to Tobi Davidson – boornewild.com