Wombat rescuer Brigitte Stevens nominated for Pride of Australia award CUDDLES: Wombat Awareness Organisation director Brigitte Stevens with her wombat Maggie yesterday. Picture: DYLAN COKER Source: News Limited Brigitte Stevens with Wynnii at her Rockleigh property. WHEN a wombat waddles into her arms, Brigitte Stevens can't help but smile, and this simple gesture - a hug - makes her tireless work and determination worthwhile. Ms Stevens, 38, is the director of the Rockleigh-based Wombat Awareness Organisation (WAO), which runs a rescue service and a rehabilitation program. "We have the largest free-range facility for wombats in Australia, and we also do conservation work for wombats in the wild to prevent them from coming into care," Ms Stevens said. Since its inception in 2006, about 3600 wombats have come through the WAO clinic and Ms Stevens said annually they treat between 1800 and 2400 wombats in the wild. "I've given everything to the wombats; any single dollar or anything I had has all gone to the animals," she said. Sometimes wombats spend too long in the WAO's care to be released back to the wild when healthy and, as a result, over the years Ms Stevens' family of wombats has grown to 36. "A local farmer has given us a property so we've built an 11 acre enclosure so they're completely free range now," she said. Wombats are very sensitive and very naughty, so if they stub their toe they come to you and they crawl on your lap and they cry and carry on and want to be cuddled and fussed about and then, when they're better, they go and you just see a little flash of them in the paddock. The Advertiser has nominated Ms Stevens for a Pride of Australia Medal in the environment category.