Ten wildlife carers have been awarded a Wildlife Heroes Conference Scholarship to support their attendance at the 2021 Australian Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference in Darwin. The Conference was originally planned for August 2020 but has been postponed until August 2021 because of COVID-19 travel and gathering restrictions.
The Scholarship covers the cost of conference registration, conference dinner, one conference workshop and $450 towards travel costs.
Sarah Price, WIRES Blue Mountains
Sarah was away from home for five months during the Black Summer bushfires, coordinating bushfire search and rescue.
Peter Newans, Wildlife Rescue South Coast
Peter works tirelessly to care for injured reptiles, among other wildlife. He is an advocate for the conservation and welfare of all animals but is especially dedicated to changing the general negative views people have of snakes.
Scie Hoschke, Wildlife ARC
Scie has always been a passionate and compassionate advocate and carer for both domestic animals and wildlife. Scie has worked hard to learn all she can about the many different species that come into care is also a wonderful mentor for newer carers.
Norma Crawford, Hunter Wildlife Rescue
Norma is a fearless wildlife volunteer, attending rescues around the clock while holding down a full-time job. She is also an award winning environmentalist involved in tree planting and a local marine animal hospital.
Denise Willoughby, LAOKO
Denise has committed her life to helping injured wildlife get back to the wild, all while working and looking after two human children.
Phoebe Baylis, WIRES Blue Mountains
Phoebe was part of the response team during the Black Summer bushfires. On Christmas Day alone she rescued a ringtail possum, a kangaroo and a rosella and assisted a group of 20 wombats with smoke inhalation.
Lachlan McGreal, WIRES Northern Beaches
Lachlan is a passionate wildlife conservationist who specialises in the rescue and care of reptiles and birds.
Tracey Jacobs, WIRES Southern Tablelands
Tracey and her partner Gerry went in and looked for animals that had survived and were starving after the catastrophic Green Wattle Fire in NSW. For these wallabies, wombats and birds Tracey and Gerry were the only hope of survival.
Lauren Manning-Darby, Wildlife Rescue South Coast
Lauren rescues and cares for any species that comes her way but it is microbats that her main passion. Lauren coordinates all microbat rescues for Wildlife Rescue South Coast and also volunteers for Australian Sea Bird Rescue.
Anna Lindstrand, Wildlife Rescue South Coast
Anna cares for mostly marsupial orphans, from the tiny furless stage through to release on her wildlife reserve. She is a teacher and adviser for other wildlife carers, constantly answering questions by telephone, email and in person. She organised donations for the feeding and watering of native animals during the Black Summer bushfires.
This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust.