Your Year to Volunteer: Celebrating Esperance’s Environmental Heroes

There is a quiet but powerful force driving conservation in the Esperance region: our volunteers.

This National Volunteer Week (18-24 May), the nationwide theme is "Your Year to Volunteer"—a call to make 2026 a year of meaningful involvement and to recognise how giving our time and talents creates connection, purpose, and stronger communities. Here at Esperance Wildlife Sanctuary, we see that positive change every single day. From monitoring bird populations to restoring native habitats and supporting wildlife rehabilitation, the hard work of local environmental advocates is the backbone of our thriving ecosystems.

To celebrate this incredible contribution, and to thank those who already give so much of their time to the wild, we are hosting a special gathering to honor our local green heroes.

A Feast and a Thank You

Thanks to the generous support of VolunteeringWA and LotteryWest, we are thrilled to be treating our volunteers and local conservationists to a healthy, delicious lunch right here at the sanctuary. It’s an opportunity to step back from the tools, share stories from the bush, and connect with like-minded locals.

We are excited to welcome guests from across the regional conservation network, including members of the Esperance Bird Observers Group, LEAF (Local Environmental Action Forum), and other passionate community members who dedicate their time to protecting our environment.

Tokens of Our Appreciation

While the true reward of environmental volunteering is seeing our native habitats flourish, we want every attendee to leave feeling formally recognised for their dedication. During the event, volunteers will receive:

• A Certificate of Thanks: A formal acknowledgment of the hours and hard work dedicated to local conservation.

• A Native Seedling: To take home and plant. As these seedlings grow, they will serve as a living, breathing reminder of the roots our volunteers are putting down in our community, creating a lasting legacy for local biodiversity.

Exploring the Sanctuary

Following the lunch and presentations, we will take our guests on a guided tour of the Esperance Wildlife Sanctuary. For many of our partner organisations and wider community volunteers, this will be a fantastic opportunity to see our ongoing projects up close. From our habitat restoration zones to our wildlife hospital facilities and our latest monitoring efforts, it is a chance to see firsthand how all of our individual actions interlock to create safer havens for native fauna.

To every single person who has picked up a shovel, recorded a field sighting, been a Citizen Scientist or donated their weekend to the bush: thank you. Your work matters, and our region's natural beauty is brighter because of you.

Whether you are a seasoned conservationist or looking to step into the field for the first time, we invite you to make this #YourYearToVolunteer. We can't wait to celebrate with you all!

(#NVW2026 #VolunteerYear)