Growing Food for Wildlife Project - Flat Rock Gully

Hello Willoughby!! Come along and help us grow food for sick, injured and orphaned native animals in the care of local wildlife rescue groups. These working bees are an awesome opportunity to learn about native gardening, local plant species, local wildlife and to have a laugh and connect with locals and wildlife rehabilitators in your area! A typical workshop and working bee could include an educational talk, weeding, watering, general maintenance of plots, planting new exciting plants, discussions about wildlife and lots of laughs. We even harvest food for the wildlife that are currently undergoing rehabilitation in your local area!.

Come gardening for wildlife with us every fourth Saturday of the month from 10:00am to 1:00pm!!!. It is great fun and a fantastic learning opportunity for everyone involved! No experience is required!

What to bring:

 - Water Bottle

 - Hat

 - Sunscreen

 - Gardening Gloves if you have them

A bit about the project's history:

The project began when several Sydney-based wildlife rehabilitators faced an influx of wildlife needing rescue and care. Sourcing food for these animals while in care is a challenge and many of these volunteers must spend hours each week trimming street trees for foliage and flowers. With ever increasing levels of compassion fatigue, something needed to be done. The opportunity for experienced wildlife rehabilitators to reach out and educate the community had diminished over intense rescue seasons. Thus a project that allows the wildlife rehabilitation community, bush care volunteers, citizen scientists and the general public to connect, develop and share a stronger knowledge base was needed. Growing Food for Wildlife. Putting all of the above together, Shaun Warden, a Sydney based wildlife rehabilitator, citizen scientist, educator and aspiring veterinarian reached out to local councils and land owners to source a space that might be suitable. “We found a way to bring together many different communities to plant flora which can be used to help the wildlife rehabilitation community. All of this while we share knowledge and bring not only foliage and flowers for wildlife, but also a better understanding of fauna and flora for gardeners and land owners. But we needed a location...”.

Reaching out to a local councilor, Shaun was pointed in the direction of Jess Styan, environmental educator at the Annangrove Community Environment Centre. Jess and Shaun have worked closely to engage the public and help raise awareness of local flora and fauna, as well as bringing the wildlife rehabilitation, environmental volunteer community, together across multiple organizations and disciplines. Since this time, the project has continued to grow, with people from all over Sydney coming to attend the working bees. This collaboration of communities has fruited lasting friendships that have produced flowers and foliage for fauna in care. Many wildlife rehabilitators have already reaped the benefits of collecting foliage and flowers at the flagship site and several members of the public have offered to deliver food for the wildlife undergoing rehabilitation.

In 2024, we partnered with Willoughby City Council and Willoughby Bush Care at Flat Rock Gully. Join us and learn from expert rehabilitators, in superb bushland, with other passionate people.