25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY – 2026

25 YEARS WILD!
Celebrating 25 years of wildlife conservation with a year-long anniversary program
We are celebrating our 25th anniversary year in 2026, marking a quarter-century of protecting Australia’s native wildlife, inspiring visitors, and championing conservation. To honour this milestone, we will deliver a year-long anniversary program featuring new state-of-the-art habitats, community events, and experiences that bring people closer to wildlife and the conservation actions that protect them.

Community Day Saturday 21 March | Wildlife, music, conservation and family fun

From 10am–3pm, the sanctuary will be buzzing with conservation workshops, live music, roving performers and colourful face painting for kids. Wildlife talks, keeper presentations and encounters will also run throughout the day as usual.

At 11:30am, visitors are invited to gather for a special ceremony featuring a Welcome to Country, brief reflections on the sanctuary’s 25-year journey, and a birthday cake cutting led by Owner/Director Michael Johnson.

Local favourites will add to the festivities with Treand Winery pouring regional wines and Tar Barrel Brewery serving craft beer.

Visitors can also dive into nature-themed crafts, interactive conservation workshops and stalls run by local environmental organisations. These activities highlight simple actions families can take at home to support wildlife.

While the 25th anniversary Community Day is the year’s first major celebration, we are also rolling out an exciting series of conservation-focused developments across 2026.

  • Two women dressed as sulphur-crested cockatoos stand in front of some trees. The women are wearing white tassled dresses, white tights and long white boots, with headgear with a prominent yellow crest and sunglasses.
  • Two people dressed as bandicoots stand close together in front of long grass. Their costumes are brown and furry, with headgear with large ears. They are also wearing black goggles, and have protruding fake teeth and noses.
  • A young child is having face paint applied by a woman. The image shows a close up of the girl's face as a brush applies face paint to her nose. The girl has a face paint design of butterfly wings around her eyes.
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Two women dressed as sulphur-crested cockatoos stand in front of some trees. The women are wearing white tassled dresses, white tights and long white boots, with headgear with a prominent yellow crest and sunglasses.
A young child is having face paint applied by a woman. The image shows a close up of the girl's face as a brush applies face paint to her nose. The girl has a face paint design of butterfly wings around her eyes.
Two people dressed as bandicoots stand close together in front of long grass. Their costumes are brown and furry, with headgear with large ears. They are also wearing black goggles, and have protruding fake teeth and noses.
A close up showing an acoustic guitar being played.
Two sets of hands are working on a possum drey, attaching a variety of leaves and greenery to it. One of the people is wearing a red Moonlit Sanctuary t shirt
A close up of a bee hotel showing 5 logs. Two have holes that have been drilled in them and three are hollow, and are filled with sticks.

Other Celebrations

Freshwater conservation takes centre stage. In February, the sanctuary opened its new Aquatic Fauna Conservation Facility, dedicated to threatened freshwater species. Its first residents, Eastern Dwarf Galaxias, have already settled in which is a significant step forward for freshwater protection in Victoria.

Backyard Bird Aviary. The Backyard Bird Aviary is an immersive experience showcasing local and endangered bird species that will open in May. This exhibit will highlight practical ways households can support biodiversity, from pollinator-friendly planting to building nest boxes, bee hotels and microbat shelters. It will also champion Zoos and Aquariums Australasia’s Safe Cat, Safe Wildlife campaign, promoting responsible pet ownership.

New homes for threatened species. Later in the year, we will unveil state-of-the-art habitats for Spot-tailed Quolls and Tasmanian Devils, built with a strong focus on welfare, enrichment and conservation outcomes.

Honouring Country. The upgraded Bush Food Garden will also be revealed later this year, celebrating the Bunurong people and showcasing the connection between native plants, culture and wildlife.

A gala to close out the year. The anniversary program will culminate in November with the Friends and Founders Gala Night, a cocktail-style evening bringing together conservationists, long-time supporters and friends of the sanctuary.

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