Saving Urban Wildlife

The following is a link to a news article published at The Conversation, December 30^th 2016 – Go Native: why we need wildlife allotments to bring species back to the ‘burbs. (There are plenty of excellent external links throughout the article and at the end – good holiday reading!)

Urban wildlife habitat is becoming an increasingly important worldwide issue. Whilst some may argue Baw Baw Shire has ample areas of native vegetation, others could just as readily mount a case for how urbanization and land clearing in this district are consuming large tracts of valuable habitat.

The Eastern Spinebill is a frequent visitor to many urban native gardens.

When I first settled in Drouin just three years ago, I was pleased to see an AustralasianPipit in a paddock well within the town boundary.

Could this be Drouin's last Australasian Pipit?

Here’s a picture of that location today …

Not ideal Pipit habitat anymore!

The Conversation article above explains how research shows that often quite small patches of native bush and grassland are sometimes all that is required to help some of our wildlife to live happily beside us.

Drouin’s trees and small patches of remnant vegetation are precious and most definitely worth saving.

PS: Cranbourne Botanic Gardens are surrounded by urbanization, cleared agricultural land, a horse racing track and the very busy South Gippsland Highway. (Cranbourne’s population is around 20,000. It is situated in the middle of the City of Casey whose population is approximately 300,000).

I got this picture at the picnic ground five days ago …

The endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot in the middle of urban Cranbourne

Seasonal best wishes to all supporters of The Friends of Drouin’s Trees.