Buddies in the backyard

Would you like to do more to help our little buddies in the backyard?  
​Here's some ideas which may make your backyard a haven for our native wildlife.
Our ReVegetation, ReEducation, ReNewal Project as part of the National Landcare Grant is 'flourishing' with the recent collaboration with Whitsunday Organic Community Gardens. WOCG will plant 40 bush tucker trees at the gardens on Galbraith Drive. These food trees will be accessible to our carers for food for wildlife.
Fauna Rescue Whitsundays would like to thank The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s National Landcare Programme – Environment Small Grants which has funded our ReVegetation, ReEducation and ReNewal Project.

Creating wildlife-friendly habitat in your backyard
Our native animals all need native plants. The survival of our wildlife depends upon vegetation to provide food, shelter and a place for them to live and grow.

A native garden with trees, shrubs, ground cover, worms, spiders, insects, lizards, birds and mammals replicates a small forest. Virtually maintenance free, it can provide shade and wind and noise barriers. A whole suburb of native plant gardens can be just as important for nature conservation as a national park.
Corridors of natural vegetation along a water course, fence line or roadside is vital for the movement of wildlife.

Plant locals

Plants that grow naturally in our area are suited to local conditions. They will provide the correct food and shelter for our native birds and are less likely to become weeds in adjacent bushland areas. If you can’t get Whitsunday native plants, general natives are next best.​

Provide shelter

Plant five or more shrubs close together to form dense, protective thickets, great habitat for small birds. Grow rambling, light climbers in amongst medium to tall shrubs and trees to give extra shelter and possible nesting sites. Smaller wild things like bugs, butterflies, wrens, micro-bats and lizards need small places to hide and nest in, like shrubs, logs and rock piles.​

Plant a supermarket

Instead of feeding wildlife food they are not accustomed to - plant their own supermarket! Many of our native animals and insects eat nectar from native flowers and seed from native grasses. Mulch your garden to encourage insects. Choose plants like eucalyptus and lemon scented gums that provide food for possums as well as providing food for flying-foxes in the form of nectar and pollen. ​

Create diversity

Different plants will flower and fruit at different times of the year. Ensure there is always food sources available in your garden by looking at the flowering and fruiting times of potential plants. With limited space, it is better to plant several plants of the same type, than only one of several types of different plants.

Just add water

Provide a birdbath in a place that is safe from cats and other predators. This should be cleaned regularly and be shallow, or have twigs inside so that the birds can easily climb out.
A pond can provide habitat for frogs and water for smaller animals.  Ensure that there is an easy exit point should a small animal fall in. Add some rocks to enable small animals to climb out.
If you have a swimming pool, ensure there is a save exit should an animal fall in.

Hang on to hollows and rocks

Retain tree hollows and large rocks and/or introduce new ones. Hollows and are very important to many native animals providing shelter and nesting sites. These include gliders, possums, bats, cockatoos, lorikeets, owls, kingfishers, pythons, monitors and tree frogs. 
​Rocks provide habitat for lizards and snakes.

Naturally better

Restrict the use of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Wildlife are poisoned by chemicals. There are many non-toxic alternatives to chemicals, you can google alternatives to find a solution to your particular issue.

Leave leaf litter

Leave leaf litter in your garden to attract insects and lizards and leave safe dead trees and hollowed limbs of live trees in your garden as nesting sites for birds.

Lose the lawn

Reduce your lawn area: Replace unused lawn areas with garden beds or native grasses which produce attractive seed heads that provide food.

Provide a safe haven

Be a responsible pet owner and keep your dogs and cats supervised. DON'T let them chase and stress native animals.
​Pet and feral cats together are killing over two billion reptiles, birds and mammals per year in Australia.
Myopathy in wallabies, pademelons and kangaroos happens when the animal is under extreme stress, such as being attacked or chased by a dog. From within 24 hours up to a few weeks after the incident, the animal will show stiffness and hindquarter paralysis, progressing to complete paralysis.  She will be distressed and anxious and salivate excessively. She will die 2-14 days after .

Install a nesting box

There are many mammals and birds that require hollows for habitat. Installing a range of nesting boxes with different dimensions ensures a variety of critters have comfortable homes.
FRW do have some available due to a Landcare grant.  Please contact us via the hotline to discuss.
​You can google to find your own online sites which offer instructions on how to construct or purchase a particular nesting box.

Teach your children kindness

It’s easy to think that kids are naturally kind to animals without having to be taught, but that’s not necessarily true. Some kids don’t have an instinct for being gentle. Teaching compassion for creatures can help kids develop empathy for all living things, including their fellow human beings. Encouraging respect for animal habitats is an important part of teaching kids about protecting the environment.
FRW have developed some children's activity booklets specifically aimed at encouraging kids to respect animals.
THE BENEFITS OF MAKING YOUR PROPERTY WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY
  • Vegetation around dams and along creeks can help prevent evaporation, erosion and siltation.
  • Vegetation along fence lines provides protection for stock and crops.
  • Native plants also attract bandicoots, echidnas and birds, such as magpies, friar birds, ibis and willie wagtails which reduce insect pests and the need for chemical control.
  • Many native animals pollinate plants and distribute native plant seeds
  • Native species help to maintain soil condition and increase soil fertility
  • The sound and sight of native species can reduce stress, improving our own health
KOALA-FRIENDLY TREES TO PLANT ON YOUR PROPERTY

E. calendulias    River Red Gum
E. creba    Narrow-leafed Red Ironbark (It is one of the preferred fodder species of the Koala)
E. drepanophylla    Qld Grey Ironbark**
E. exserta    Qld Peppermint (It is one of the preferred fodder species of the Koala)
E. grandis    Flooded Gum
E. henryi    Large-leafed Spotted Gum
E. intermedia    Pink Bloodwood**
E. maculata    Spotted Gum
E. major    Grey Gum
E. melliodora    Yellow Box
E. microcorys    Tallowwood
E.moluccana    Grey Box
E. nicholii    Narrow-leafed Peppermint
E. ochrophloia    Yapunyah
E. papuana    Ghost Gum**
E. pellita    Large-fruited Red Mahogony
E. pilularis    Blackbutt
E. platyphylla    Poplar Gum**
E. polycarpa    Long-fruited Bloodwood**
E.populnea    Poplar Box **(Koalas love the flowers & buds ) Grows around Nebo area.
E. propinqua    Small-fruited Grey Gum
E. punctate    Grey Gum
E. raveretiana    Black Ironbox**
E. resinfera    Red Stringybark
E. robusta    Small mahogany (It is one of the preferred fodder species of the Koala)
E. seeana    Narrow-leafed Grey Gum
E. tereticornis     Qld Blue Gum or Forest Red Gum **(It is the most preferred of the fodder species for the Koala)
E. terrellaris    Moreton Bay Ash **
E. umbellata    Qld Peppermint **
Lophostemon confertus Brush Box**

NB:  Mackay/Whitsunday/Isaac Natives **

FRW REVEGETATION AND NESTING BOX PROGRAM

Fauna Rescue Whitsundays would like to thank The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s National Landcare Programme – Environment Small Grants which has funded our
ReVegetation, ReEducation and ReNewal Project.

Through their grant our volunteers and community have been able to plant new trees and install nesting boxes.
See where they are on the maps below:

Green tree icon is 1–10 trees  /  Green balloon with star is 20–40 trees  /  Blue balloon with star is nest boxes
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