The Wildlife Rescue Poster Project was a creative community initiative developed in collaboration with Wildlife Rescue South Coast, inviting young people across the Shoalhaven to use art as a means of advocating for the protection of native animals.

This one-off competition encouraged children and young people aged 5–18 to design posters that raised awareness about everyday actions we can all take to protect wildlife, such as keeping pets indoors at night, driving carefully on local roads, or calling wildlife rescue services when animals are in distress.

The response was remarkable. Dozens of powerful, thoughtful, and creative posters were submitted, each one reflecting the deep care our young people have for the natural world. The project gave voice to local youth and offered a platform for them to express their concern and ideas through visual storytelling.

Winners were chosen across Primary, High School and Overall categories by a panel of community members and wildlife advocates. The People’s Choice Award, hosted on Facebook, gave the community the chance to participate directly by voting for their favourite design, garnering a fantastic show of local support.

Winning entries were printed on large outdoor signs and displayed throughout the Shoalhaven, delivering important messages about wildlife safety to the broader community.

This project not only celebrated youth creativity but also helped spark crucial conversations at home, in schools, and throughout the community about how we can better care for the animals that share our environment.

Firefly Bay and Basin is deeply grateful to Wildlife Rescue South Coast, local schools, families, and community members for their support of this initiative, and especially to the young artists who stepped up to protect our native animals, one poster at a time.