Hi, my name's Jas. I live next to a bit of forest in Eden Park, 38km North of Melbourne. This year it's very dry. There is not much food for the roos, wallabies and wombats. I did a GoFundMe at about this time last year and I still put in a lot more than I raised. This is just a temporary measure because I am going to be able to access my retirement money very soon, and that will compensate for feed bills until we get some rain. It hasn't rained substantially for quite a few weeks.

Feed plus the cost of a replacement camera after Ren, the big alpha roo, decided to play soccer with the camera last week.

The ongoing dry spell across Victoria—especially in areas like ours north of Melbourne—has left the native grasses sparse and brown. The Bureau of Meteorology and recent reports show persistent rainfall deficiencies, with southern and eastern parts of the state facing tough conditions, and no substantial relief in sight for the coming months. That means the local mob of Eastern Grey kangaroos (and the odd wallaby and wombat who drop by) are struggling to find enough natural forage.

I've been hand-feeding them to keep them healthy and prevent them from wandering too far onto roads or into trouble. Names you'll recognise if you've followed along before: Blinky (the cheeky one who always photobombs), Spotty (with his distinctive markings), Sandy (the gentle mum), John (the quiet observer), Ren (yes, the same Ren who turned my wildlife camera into a soccer ball—RIP camera), and the rest of the crew who visit daily.

A bag of specialised kangaroo/wallaby pellets (like Wombaroo or similar high-fibre mixes suited for macropods) runs around $90–$100 for 20kg, and with a decent-sized mob coming through regularly, plus extras for the wallabies and wombats, the feed bill adds up fast—easily hundreds per month in these conditions. On top of that, replacing the smashed trail camera (a decent wildlife motion cam) will set me back $300–$500 to keep monitoring their health and visitors without getting too close.

Any donation, big or small, will go straight to buying more feed pellets, lucerne, or hay to supplement what little natural food is left, and toward that replacement camera so I can keep an eye on everyone safely.

This isn't a long-term thing—rain will come eventually, and my retirement funds will kick in soon to cover ongoing costs—but right now, in the middle of this dry stretch, every bit helps keep these beautiful locals strong and safe.

Thank you so much for reading and for any support you can give. Blinky, Spotty, Sandy, John, Ren and the others say thanks too (Ren might even promise to keep his feet to himself next time!).

With gratitude,

Jas

Eden Park, VIC