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Biodiversity & Threatened Species CVA Updates

Help CVA Safeguard the Eastern Barred Bandicoot!

This Threatened Species Day, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) is proud to launch our ‘Safeguard a Bandicoot’ Fundraiser.

Since 2011 CVA has partnered with Parks Victoria to manage the Woodlands Historic Park Eastern Barred Bandicoot Sanctuary to protect this endangered native mammal from extinct.

Once widespread across the Western Volcanic Plains, the Eastern Barred Bandicoot was declared extinct in the wild due to habitat loss and predation by introduced species such as foxes and cats.

But through the efforts of CVA, our partners, public volunteers, and other sites and organisations involved in the recovery program, in 2021 their status was reclassified from ‘Extinct in the Wild’ to ‘Endangered’.

This was the first time a reclassification to a more positive status had been achieved in Australia, and one of the few times in the world a species has recovered from being ‘Extinct in the Wild’.

Unfortunately, a lack of environmental funding and a reduction in CVA’s operational budget, is putting the bandicoots under threat if we cannot afford their necessary care. We cannot afford for the Eastern Barred Bandicoot to slip backwards in its species status.

We need to safeguard them from the threat of extinction and keep this amazing comeback story going well into the future.

Hear from Travis Scicchitano, a CVA Project Coordinator who’s been working at the Woodlands Sanctuary for over ten years.

What it takes to protect an endangered species

The sanctuary at Woodlands Historic Park needs constant maintenance and care to provide the best care of the Eastern Barred Bandicoot.

We built a secure fencing around the 235-hectre site to protect them from predators and restored native grasslands, which is essential habitat that provides food and shelter for these little eco engineers.

Bandicoots play a vital role in the ecosystem by digging for insects, aerating soil, and improving plant regeneration. They’re not just survivors. They’re little eco diggers helping to heal the land.

To survive and thrive, the Eastern Barred Bandicoot population at Woodlands needs to maintain around 400 individuals. But these shy, nocturnal marsupials have short lifespans (just 2 to 3 years) so population numbers fluctuate quickly.

Regular monitoring of their health and breeding status is essential. Each season, CVA works with Zoos Victoria and local volunteers to safely trap, assess, and then release the bandicoots. These checks help us estimate population size, track genetic diversity, and monitor health conditions.

But maintaining this sanctuary is not easy.

How YOU can help safeguard a bandicoot

We need ongoing support to:

  • Restore and maintain native grassland habitat
  • Conduct seasonal population monitoring
  • Repair and protect the predator-proof fencing
  • Deliver community & education programs

To keep this nationally significant sanctuary running, we need to raise $150,000 per year. Every donation helps us continue this vital work:

  • $25 helps plant native grasses and shrubs
  • $50 supports bandicoots’ trapping and monitoring
  • $100 helps maintain the predator-proof fencing
  • $250 contributes to funding a volunteer day for habitat restoration

But donations can’t the only way to help safeguard a bandicoot. You can help spread the word! Share our story on social media, tell your friends, your family and community about this campaign to save this iconic Australian native creature.

You can help save an Australian species from extinction. You can help bring the Eastern Barred Bandicoot back, for good.