Totes for Wildlife
Buy a tote bag and directly support the conservation of local threatened species. With your help, we’ve got conservation in the bag!
Totes for Wildlife highlights a local threatened species each year and, through the sale of exclusive design tote bags, raises funds for the vital conservation projects we and our partners undertake to protect them.
Over 40,000 Zoos Victoria visitors have already helped create new habitat for Helmeted Honeyeaters and Mountain Pygmy-possums through Totes for Wildlife.
This year, the Plains-wanderer needs your support.
The Plains-wanderer
The grassland dwelling Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) is one of the world’s most unique and unusual birds - they are the only bird in their family Pedionomidae and their closest relative is a South American shorebird!
Preferring short grasslands with cover and space to forage, their colouration allows for camouflage from predators. Unlike many bird species, it’s actually the female that is both larger and more brightly coloured than males.
Now restricted largely to areas in the Northern Plains of Victoria and the Riverina in New South Wales, these birds are Critically Endangered. With loss of their specific grassland habitat continuing to threaten the long-term survival of Plains-wanderers, Zoos Victoria is working with partners to protect the future of this amazing bird.
The sale of every Totes for Wildlife bag helps protect 30 square metres of habitat for the Plains-wanderer.
Working alongside National Recovery Team partners and Trust for Nature, tote bag sales will help fund a conservation covenant on privately-owned land in northern Victoria. These covenants are forever, and ensure that grassland conditions are maintained in a way that is suitable for the land-holder and provides much needed habitat for the Plains-wanderer.
You buy a tote…
We protect habitat…
Together we help a species.
Thank you to everyone who purchased a Plains-wanderer Totes for Wildlife bag!
7,008 bags were purchased between September-March and we are now working with Trust for Nature to help protect crucial habitat for the species. Check back here for updates in the coming months.
Trust for Nature works closely with private landowners, government, organisations, traditional landowners and businesses to help restore, protect and manage biodiversity on private land.
How has Totes for Wildlife helped threatened species so far?
Since 2019, more than 40,000 Totes for Wildlife bags have been purchased. Thanks to you who bought a tote bag and our conservation partners, this has resulted in:
15,000 trees being planted at Yellingbo Nature Conservation Reserve to increase available habitat for Helmeted Honeyeaters. Over 4,500 Mountain plum pines and other alpine food plants have already been planted in Mountain Pygmy-possum habitat here in Victoria, and more will be planted in the 2022 season. Tote bags sales have also funded habitat improvement works in alpine areas of New South Wales to help the Mountain Pygmy-possum recovery after the Black Summer bushfires.
Want to do more? Continue to support the Plains-wanderer by making a tax-deductible donation today.
Zoos Victoria is committed to Fighting Extinction. We work within our zoos and in wild habitats, collaboratively with recovery teams and partner organisations, to ensure the survival of local threatened species.
