9 simple steps we can take to protect our environment and wildlife

As September and Biodiversity Month come to a close, we focus our attention on some of the small actions we can take to help our beautiful natural environment and wildlife flourish.

Your backyard can be a habitat for our precious local wildlife. Check out our video on how to successfully plant native shrubs. Although we have had reasonable rains recently, our environment has been in drought for a few years. Providing water in a shady spot, on the ground in a low shallow dish or small pond could be lifesaving on hot days for our wildlife. Natural tree hollows can take over 100 years to form and are sadly in short supply. Why not consider making a possum drey in your backyard? It will provide vital shelter to possums and other small mammals, as well as birds. Watch our video to see how easy it is to create. Try to avoid using pesticides and rodenticides such as rat or slug poisons in your backyard. These can make reptiles such as blue-tongued lizards extremely unwell. Keep your pets indoors at night and out of bushland to ensure nocturnal animals are able to forage in safety. Consider joining your local Bushcare group. It’s a great way to connect with others in your local area and learn about our beautiful plant communities. Report pest species to Council, especially foxes. They threaten native wildlife across Australia. If you report their location to us via email, we can assist with their control. Establish a worm farm in your garden. This is a great way to dispose of organic waste from your home and create soil and fertiliser for your garden. Here’s our quick video guide. Report your wildlife sightings to us by emailing [email protected]. Feel free to include a photo if you are unsure what bird or animal you have seen and we can advise you of the species. These sightings are recorded on our mapping which helps us to manage our local bushland more effectively.