In 2022, we secured a $160,000 grant from NSW Government through its Environmental Trust in association with Local Government NSW. We are part of a state-wide initiative to reduce conflict between humans and Flying-foxes in urban areas by restoring habitat and foraging opportunities in natural areas.

By 2030, we plan to plant 30,000 native trees, shrubs, climbers and ground cover plants in Blackbutt Forest and Croom Reserve, where Shellharbour's Grey-headed Flying-foxes like to camp at night. These locations were chosen with the help of the community.

Even though they're nicknamed fruit bats, Flying-foxes actually prefer to eat the pollen and nectar of flowering native plants and trees, rather than fruit.

Flying-foxes tend to eat more fruit when nectar and pollen is scarce, so we want to increase the amount of nectar and pollen available by planting more flowering native shrubs, trees and grasses, like Eucalypts, Melaleuca and Banksias. This will help to address gaps in native food availability by providing extra nectar supplies, especially in Winter and Spring! At the same time, the pollen and seeds that get trapped in Flying-fox fur and carried from plant to plant will help to restore habitat for other native species too.