ACT Threatened Species Awareness – Presentation Evening

Threatened Species Awareness Day is held in September every year. To mark the occasion the Conservation Council have arranged a free evening of speakers who are actively involved in conserving ACT threatened species for Tuesday 8 September, 6pm to 8:30pm.

Presenters will share their knowledge, experiences, and stories, introducing you to a different threatened species, explaining why it is under threat, and how they—and others—are helping to protect it.

These are stories of hope and action. You don’t need to be an expert to attend, or to make a difference—we can all play a part in helping these species and the many other threatened species that are our neighbours in the ACT.

Come and learn how people are helping to conserve and protect our precious wildlife, and how you can too.

Gregory Andrews, Australia’s first Threatened Species Commissioner and founder of Lyrebird Dreaming, will be Master of Ceremonies for the night.

Species and speakers presenting include:

• Gang-gang Cockatoos with Michael Mulvaney. You’ll learn how the ACT’s faunal emblem is under threat and how the Gang-gang Gang volunteers are helping to protect these beautiful birds.
• Gula (Koalas) with Keith Joillife from the Conservation Council who is leading research into Gula habitat in the ACT. The ACT used to have koalas living here. Under the guidance of Keith, volunteers map trees from Gungahlin to Namadgi to identify suitable habitat so they can hopefully come back home.
• Grey-headed Flying Foxes with Clare Wynter and Stephen Bartos – bat care coordinators for ACT Wildlife. Clare and Stephen spend much of their time working to protect Grey-headed Flying Foxes. When most of us are inside during a heatwave, Clare, Stephen and other dedicated volunteers are out counting and hosing flying foxes to save them.
• Green and Golden Bell Frogs with Anke Maria Hoefer from Frogwatch ACT. Anke Maria, Frogwatch volunteers, and scientists from the University of Canberra are working to save the threatened, locally extinct until now, Green and Golden Bell Frogs. The frogs have recently been reintroduced to the ACT, along with their saunas and spas—for the frogs these are survival tools, not beauty treatments.

Following the presentations, all speakers will come together for a panel discussion and audience Q&A.

Evening Details

Date and Time
Tuesday 8 September 2026
6.00 pm – 8.30 pm

Location
Verity Lane – Juliet Room
50 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra City

Cost
Free!

Food and Drink
Verity Lane has a range of eateries where you can buy food and drinks before the event or during the break. Feel free to bring them upstairs and enjoy them while you listen and learn, or grab something during the break and browse the displays, chat with the speakers and meet other attendees.

Additional Information

There will be information flyers available to review and take with you covering how you can help save our threatened species.

Conservation Council AC
https://conservationcouncil.org.au/

ACT Threatened Species list
https://www.act.gov.au/environment/animals-and-plants/act-threatened-species

Lyrebird Dreaming
https://www.lyrebirddreaming.com/

Bearlymade
Brooke, founder and artist of threatened species pins, will be selling her pins at the event so you can purchase some of her beautiful pins for yourself or as gifts: https://www.bearlymade.com.au/

Want to contribute?

If you’d like to have flyers for your work, or your group’s work, available at the event—or if you’d like to display or sell your ACT threatened species-related product at the event—please contact Kelly.allison@conservationcouncil.org.au for a chat.

Working to save an ACT threatened species and like to present too? Contact Kelly.allison@conservationcouncil.org.au for more information.

Thank you to Icon Water for making this event possible. https://www.iconwater.com.au/