Plight of our faunal emblems

A monumental effort is currently underway to save Victoria’s faunal emblems, the Helmeted Honeyeater and the Leadbeater’s Possum, from the brink of extinction. Both species are currently listed as critically endangered due to massive habitat loss caused by increased human activity and industry in their natural environment. The Yarra Ranges’ Yellingbo (Liwik Barrik) Nature Conservation Reserve, located along the edge of the Yarra Valley and southern Dandenong Ranges, is the only known location where the Helmeted Honeyeater and the lowland population of the Leadbeater’s Possum continue to cohabit in the wild.

In 2021, Victoria celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the declaration of the state’s two faunal emblems. Plight of our faunal emblems: the Helmeted Honeyeater and Leadbeater’s Possum presents a selection of creative responses made by artists, conservationists and school students, associated with the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater and Friends of the Leadbeater’s Possum groups, to commemorate the faunal emblems’ anniversary. 

The resulting exhibition seeks to highlight the ongoing need for greater education and awareness about the species, and the dire need for the preservation of native vegetation to ensure their survival. Plight of the faunal emblems captures a collective sense of hope: that if together we can save our faunal emblems from extinction, then there is a chance we can save the environment – in Australia and across the world – from the effects of the climate crisis.

Plight of our faunal emblems is an exhibition by Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater and Friends of the Leadbeater's Possum, supported by Yarra Ranges Regional Museum.

 

Location

Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, 35-37 Castella Street, Lilydale, 3140, View Map