Habitat matters

Story by AB Bishop

Explore tips for wildlife-friendly gardens and healthy ecosystems.

In a bind

Habitat destruction and invasive pests are two mega-threats to native wildlife, contributing to the sad fact that Australia leads the world in mammal extinctions. Entanglement in fruit-tree netting, barbed wire and ring-shaped rubbish such as hair ties is another threat, with thousands of flying foxes, birds, possums, koalas, lizards and other animals injured or killed annually.

Happily, there are various ways we can help to reduce these incidents. The conservation group Wildlife Friendly Fencing and Netting offers easy and practical solutions for protecting backyard fruit trees and animals, including the use of white netting with small openings. The white netting is more easily seen by animals at night.

A relatively simple change that is of huge benefit to wildlife is replacing barbed wire with plain wire, while snipping ring-shaped rubbish before binning is quick and easy. Other examples of ring-shaped rubbish include the plastic rings from jars and bottles and face-mask loops.

Reporting entanglements is extremely useful for volunteer wildlife rescue and conservation groups, and the data is used to help create positive change. To report an entanglement or become better informed, visit the Australia-wide citizen science project Entangled Wildlife.

The sweet stuff

Keep the nectar flowing and pollen popping for our small flying friends by continuing to deadhead flowers to encourage repeat blooms. And even if pollinator plants are established and drought tolerant, watering them occasionally will ensure there’s plenty of high-quality nectar – a nutrient-rich mixture of water, glucose, sucrose, fructose, proteins, salts and essential oils. Also remember to sow seed or plant seedlings of more flowering pretties to keep the critters happy in autumn. Ageratum (pictured) can be planted now in suitable climates. Check for weed potential in your area.