Wild Deserts Winter Tours

After a very successful launch of our Wild Deserts Experience Winter Tours where over 50 visitors enjoyed the opportunity to meet our scientists in person and learn about our work first hand, we have planned to run further tours during the peak visitor season in mid-2024.

Tours are free and bookings are not required, just meet us at the Talpera Lookout, Sturt National Park and keep checking here for 2024 tour date announcements.

Newsletters

Read our latest e-newsletter

Big rain dodges Wild Deserts during January - Ecological Monitoring, December track counts - International Conservation Translocations Conference - Woma Python Research - Cat control intensifies - Congratulations Brianna - Farewell to Ellie

 

Past newsletters

Newsletter #11 - November 2023
NSW Environment Minister visit - Annual Bird and Reintroduced Mammal Monitoring - Spring wildflowers - National Science Week Rewilding Panel - Rotary Club of Frankston volunteers - Field Station upgrade - Free tours a hit

Newsletter #10 - August 2023
Lake Pinaroo dries - Greater stick-nest rat translocation to Sturt NP - Annual ecological monitoring 2023 - Mutawintji Board of Management visit - New Info shelter at Fort Grey Camground - Student research update

Newsletter #9 - February 2023
Golden Bandicoot establishing well - Large reptile activity - Visitors at Talpero Lookout - Banksia Foundation NSW Conservation Award - Bandicoots not only rapid breeders - New detector dog in training

Newsletter #8 - November 2022
Golden Bandicoot post release monitoring - A feral cat sneaks in - New Wild Deserts staff - Visitors and Volunteers - Pilot public tours of Wild Deserts

Newsletter #7 - August 2022
Golden Bandicoots thriving at Wild Deserts - 2022 annual ecological survey - NSW Environment Minister visits Wild Deserts - Student research update - Peggy

Newsletter #6 - June 2022
Golden Bandicoots return to NSW - New Visitors Area in Sturt National Park complete as part of Wild Deserts Project - More rain for Wild Deserts - Research Update 

Newsletter #5 - February 2022
Early success for newly-released Shark Bay Bandicoots - Lake Pinaroo ecological surveys - Cat control and research - Wild Deserts to feature on ABC's Australian Story - Golden Bandicoots coming to Wild Deserts in 2022

Newsletter #4 - October 2021
Spring rains during COVID lockdown at Wild Deserts - Inaugural monitoring of all reintroduced mammals - More Shark Bay bandicoots arrive - Annual bird surveys - Student research at Wild Deserts - Threatened Species Bakeoff

Newsletter #3 - August 2021
Shark Bay Bandicoots released - Bilby and Mulgara updates - Waterbirds Breeding after rain - Cat-control research projects - Welcome Tom Hunt our new field ecologist - Visitor area construction continues

Newsletter #2 - May 2021
Rain and more rain – great for the desert - Annual surveys - Netting sculptures arrive

Newsletter #1 - March 2021
Our changing environment - Bilbies and Mulgaras return to Sturt National Park - Breeding smarter threatened species –‘Wild Training Zone’ - Thanks

Major news events at Wild Deserts

2023

Bandicoot survival: Smithsonian Magazine - The Unlikely Survival Story of Australia's Bandicoots

Rewilding the Desert: The Guardian  - Beyond the fence: what does it mean to rewild the Australian desert? 

2022

Interpretation area opens:  UNSW Newsroom - Interpretation area for wildlife conservation opens in Sturt National Park 

Golden bandicoot release:  UNSW Newsroom - A shining success as golden bandicoots return to the desert 

Wild Deserts Australian Story:  UNSW Newsroom - The most remote family in NSW are on a mission. It could change the desert...

Mammals now thriving: UNSW Newsroom - Reintroduced mammals now thriving in Sturt National Park

2021

Shark Bay bandicoot release: UNSW Newsroom - Bandicoots return to Sturt National Park after more than a century / watch on YouTube

2020

Bilby release: ABC News - Bilbies released into Sturt National Park, 100 years after being declared extinct in NSW

Mulgara release: Australian Geographic - 19 crest-tailed mulgaras have been released in NSW for the first time

2019

Rewilding project: SMH - Radical plan to halt mammal extinctions in NSW

2018

Artefact relocation: ABC News - Ancient artefacts last link to country for Wangkumara and Maljangapa Indigenous nations

Pitfall trapping and start of fence clearing: ABC News - Missing mulgaras and bashful bilbies: Sturt National Park prepares for their return

Bilby Sanctuary established at Taronga Zoo: Australian Geographic: The bilby is making a comeback in outback NSW

2017

Mulgara Discovery: ABC News: Native crest-tailed mulgara returns to NSW outback after 100-year absence 

Project Launch: UNSW Newsroom: Bilbies and bettongs to return to NSW

Ways to connect

Related

The team

Meet our Wild Deserts team of experts.

The mammals

From the Crest-tailed Mulgara to the Stick-nest Rat, these mammals have a story to tell. Come and meet them.

About the project

The Wild Deserts project aims to bring back seven locally extinct mammals in north-west NSW. Learn more.