28th August 2026
Community comes together to plant for wildlife
On Saturday 22 August, Wollondilly Council, WIRES and enthusiastic members of the local community came together at Tahmoor Park for a special community working bee, helping to grow an important Wildlife Foodbank site for the region.
The collaborative planting project is part of the WIRES Wildlife Foodbank initiative, which works closely with a number of councils to establish reliable, long-term sources of fresh native foliage for wildlife carers. The Tahmoor Park site has been undergoing planting and maintenance since 2023, with the latest working bee helping to expand and strengthen this valuable resource.
Together, they tackled site maintenance, including weeding the focus area, before getting stuck into planting approximately 500 native plants. These new plantings included a diverse range of species, from groundcovers such as Lomandra through to native sapling trees.
For wildlife rehabilitators, sourcing suitable quantities and varieties of fresh foliage can be a significant challenge. Across many regions, traditional sources of native browse are becoming increasingly difficult to access due to urbanisation, natural disasters and the depletion of existing vegetation.
WIRES is working with councils to address this challenge by establishing dedicated planting sites that can provide sustainable, locally appropriate food sources for wildlife in care.
While newly planted sites take time to mature and require ongoing management, the long-term benefits are significant. Once established, these Wildlife Foodbank sites can provide local carers with a reliable source of fresh foliage suited to support sick, injured and orphaned native animals during their rehabilitation and, importantly, their journey back to the wild.
The benefits of the project extend beyond providing food for wildlife.
By revegetating an existing site, the planting project is helping to create a more sustainable environmental footprint while contributing to the restoration and enhancement of local habitat. As the plants mature, they will also contribute to carbon sequestration and help build a healthier, more connected ecosystem.
The project is a great example of what can be achieved when councils, wildlife organisations and local communities work together towards a shared goal. Every plant established today represents an investment in a more sustainable and resilient future for both wildlife and the people who care for them.
A huge thank you to everyone who came along to the Tahmoor Park working bee and contributed their time, energy and enthusiasm.
The work at this site is ongoing, and as it develops over the coming years, these plants will become an increasingly valuable resource for local wildlife carers.
Together, we are planting not just for today, but for the wildlife that will need these resources well into the future.