Leading the fight in Melbourne for wildlife preservation

For a collection of four zoos in Melbourne, fighting native wildlife extinction is a top-priority, long-term commitment. Zoos Victoria runs more breeding and recovery programs than any other institution in Australia, with the goal to be the world’s leading zoo-based conservation organization. Their Wildlife Conservation Master Plan highlights 27 priority native endangered species that they are actively working to save from extinction (see the full list at the end of this story).

While the animals are Zoos Victoria’s focus, it’s the people that put in the hard work to support the mission and make a difference. Together with Zoos Victoria, Indigital and Microsoft partnered with 10 local Melbourne schools to include students in the conservation efforts by bringing the Fighting Extinction School program lessons and engagements to the classroom. With help from the Indigital team, lessons blend modern digital skills with traditional Aboriginal knowledge to bridge the gap between technology and community culture so students can learn about the threats facing these endangered animals and ways that the students can help.

“Programs like this teach [students] responsibility to culture and Country, ensuring knowledge is passed to future generations,” said Robert Ogden, local policy and culture teacher and Bunurong man.

Fighting Extinction Schools complete projects and share their achievements with Zoos Victoria to be featured in a showcase and included in the broader campaign outreach. To support schools involved, Zoos Victoria offers a variety of resources, including a Build a Project page for ideas, excursions and program ideas with teaching guides, animal teaching resources, teacher professional development, teacher mentoring program, and school case studies.

“[The resources] helped me ensure what I shared was culturally safe and accurate,” said a teacher at Sunshine Heights Primary School, a Fighting Extinction School.

The program also encourages students to get out of their comfort zone, experience new ways to interact with the natural world, and get hands-on with the environment.

“One student, when I first introduced it, said, ‘I’m not doing it.’ But then I showed her how to do trees for koalas, and she loves it now. She’s building trees and grass and learning about the environment in such a lovely way,” said Sue Carey, a teacher and science Specialist at the Manor Lakes P-12 College. “It’s nice for [the students] to have an alternative way to show their learning. For kids with disabilities, it’s a wonderful change from writing, which is hard for them.”

For many of the animals on the list, the efforts of every organization involved may be their only hope at survival. Engaging students in the local efforts expands the reach that Zoos Victoria has in their fight to create an abundant future for native wildlife.

27 native endangered species

Alpine she-oak skink

Baw baw frog

Brush-tailed rock-wallaby

Eastern barred bandicoot

Giant burrowing frog

Golden-rayed blue butterfly

Grassland earless dragon

Guthega skink

Helmeted honeyeater

Key’s matchstick grasshopper

Large brown tree frog

Leadbeater’s possum

Lord Howe Island stick insect

Mallee emu-wren

Mountain pygmy-possum

Northern corroboree frog

Orange-bellied parrot

Plains-wanderer

Pookila

Regent honeyeater

Smoky mouse

Southern bent-wing bat

Southern corroboree frog

Spotted tree frog

Southern barred frog

Swift parrot

Tasmanian devil