Mosswood Wildlife which began in 1982 and is privately owned, officially authorised, a not-for-profit organisation and a registered charity. All workers associated with Mosswood are volunteers. They have recently acquired a large portable building which is set up as a quality veterinary centre where James spends a lot of time.
Tracey said that those at Mosswood rescue and rehabilitate wild animals, with a view to returning them to their native habitat. They respond to emergencies such as fires and floods which injure and isolate animals. They answer hundreds of phone calls. They are involved in advocacy on behalf of native animals and make presentations to various conferences. Volunteers are trained in correct handling of animals, especially koalas. Radio tracking allows rehabilitated animals to be checked to see how they have survived after being returned to the wild.
Through a PowerPoint presentation, Tracey showed some of the animals dealt with – koalas are the main ones, but also included are several types of penguins, owls, wedge tail eagles, wallabies, seals, echidnas, even a tawny frogmouth. There are many images to view at https://mosswoodwildlife.org.au
Tracey outlined some of the disasters in which they had been involved, including Framlingham floods, Budj Bim fires, Mt Richmond fires, and especially the Cape Bridgewater Harvesting Disaster, which resulted in 102 koalas being placed with Mosswood.
Tracey emphasised the voluntary nature of their work, and stressed that they receive no Government funding of any kind.