rom roadside orphan to rafter-swinging rascal, Pixie’s story is the heart and inspiration behind Gumleaves and Grass.
It started with a call that many wildlife rehabilitators know all too well: too many orphans, and not enough hands.
Pixie had been found roadside, huddled beside her dead mother — traumatised, alone, and still so tiny. Another rehabilitator had taken her in, but with so many little ones needing round-the-clock care, she reached out for help. That’s how Pixie came to us.
Pixie was frightened, and understandably so. I slipped her pouch straight inside my jumper so she could become familiar with my scent and hear my heartbeat. Every time I approached her pouch in that first week, she would cower. She had lost everything familiar, and now she was learning to trust again.
I fed her specialised formula designed for possums of different weight ranges — sometimes every three hours, day and night. Slowly, with warmth, patience, and consistency, the walls began to come down.
As she grew, Pixie became my “back baby.” We strongly believe in free-raising wildlife wherever possible — no cages, no forced confinement — just a safe base from which animals can explore, grow, and return when they choose. This has been my way since I was a toddler, growing up surrounded by Australian wildlife.
Of course, not every rehabilitator has that option. It requires the right environment and space, and I’m grateful that we had both.
Pixie would ride on my shoulder or cling to my leg as we took our sunset walks. After waking from her daytime slumber, she’d climb out of her tree log ready for our stroll down to the river. Along the way she’d snack on fresh gumleaves plucked straight from the trees — with plenty of possum sass.
These little adventures helped build her confidence.
In time, Pixie outgrew her pouch and moved up into the trees. But she never really went far.
Some nights she comes back — to help hang the washing, torment me from the rafters, or simply sit and watch.
That’s the thing about female brushtail possums. They tend to stay close to home.
And Pixie, in her own way, has never really left.
Pixie’s story sits at the heart of Gumleaves and Grass — from our Brushtail Possum collection to the real wildlife videos we share on our YouTube channel. Every design, every story, and every product is inspired by real encounters with Australia’s remarkable native animals.
Australia has one of the highest mammal extinction rates in the world, and far too many species are slipping away in silence. At Gumleaves and Grass, we believe awareness is the first step.
By bringing native animals into everyday life — through stories, clothing, and conversation — we hope to inspire more people to appreciate and protect the wildlife around them.
Because the wild deserves more than our regret.
It deserves our attention, while we still have time.
🌿 Want to meet Pixie on screen?
Watch her earliest moments, her sunset walks, and her cheeky antics on our YouTube channel
🛍️ Or explore the full Brushtail Possum Collection:
https://gumleavesandgrass.com/collections/pixie-the-brushtail-possum-collection
Thanks for being part of Pixie's story. And ours.
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