Geelong Gardens for Wildlife

It's Spring and our reptile friends are on the move!

To provide habitat for reptiles in your garden, make sure you have;

• native grasses, ground covers and low shrubs for shelter and feeding.
• provide hiding spots between rocks and logs for protection.
• provide a sunny north facing spot on a rock, log or brick path to absorb the sun.
• natural leaf mulch to support insect life for the lizards to feed on.
• a shallow dish for water.
• avoid using snail bait or poison in your garden.

If you reside in the Geelong region, you might be lucky enough to have some of the following lizards visit or live in your garden, local parks and reserves.

The endangered Glossy Grass Skink can be found amongst rushes, grasses, rotting logs and low, dense vegetation in moist areas bordering swamps and watercourses.

Blue tongues are beneficial to your garden, as they feast on plant eating snails, slugs and insects. In the day they forage for snails, insects and plant material, seeking shelter at sundown.

The Marbled Gecko is a super interesting little character as they are mostly nocturnal. The species is well adapted to a variety of habitats, including city dwellings. The marbled gecko loves warm rocks to heat up, their diet is mostly insects.

Eastern striped skink has a wide distribution, living in open habitats, burrowing under logs and seeking shelter under rocks and leaf litter. Their diet consists of mostly arthropods such as spiders, ants, centipedes and slaters.

Pictured; The endangered Glossy Grass Skink, (Pseudemoia rawlinsoni) the Eastern Blue Tongue (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) the Marbled Gecko (Christinus marmoratus) and the Eastern striped skink (Ctenotus robustus)

The beautiful impact of planting with native species!
We encourage everyone to source Indigenous plant species for their habitat gardens.
Wild Places- Geelong Indigenous Nursery

Today, September 7th, is . Marked by the death of the last remaining Tasmanian Tiger, this day is a sombre but necessary day to reflect. Sadly, since 2022, 163 species have been newly listed as threatened.

Today is also a day to celebrate our iconic Aussie wildlife and the incredible conservation work to restore our environment.

Our mascot, the Gang-gang Cockatoo, is listed as a threatened species. Every new wildlife friendly garden in our urban environment, is a step in the right direction to helping our smaller friends.

Who lives in your backyard?
See this link for the list of threatened species in our neighbourhood:

https://wwf.org.au/get-involved/my-backyard/

Image from Adobe Stock.

A great read! See below..

A new study in Perth has revealed the true benefits of wildlife attracting methods in the garden. We have more agency than we realise!

The key methods include;
- introducing water
- Include rocks and tiles for reptiles
- Create specific habitat structures (ie. possum shelter, bee hotel, bat box)
- Plant Indigenous plant species

Small snippet:
‘The project looked at the use of gardens by wildlife including if animals used seven wildlife-friendly structure types; two water sources - bird baths and ponds, and five artificial refuges - bat boxes, bird boxes, frog hotels, possum shelters and reptile shelters.

The availability of habitat in our suburbs can make a big difference to the survival of wildlife in an area, and even help wildlife withstand other threats. For example, more shelter can help native animals to better avoid introduced predators like cats, foxes and dogs, and water sources can be pivotal in heatwaves.’

Read full article here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/mKwuxpkKyousAWPC/?mibextid=K35XfP

(Images taken from article website)

Join the Grassy Plains Network monthly talk and find out all about the iconic Kangaroo Grass!

This popular grass is vital for restoring grasslands. But it’s tricky to grow.

Hear from Dylan Male’s all about Kangaroo Grass and some tips and tricks on how to grow it.

Join this online talk at 6:30 pm on Tuesday 6 August.

Find out more and RSVP through the link in our bio or at >
https://vnpa.org.au/event/kangaroo-grass/

Happy National Tree Day!
Why are tree hollows so important

Q. How long does it take to create a tree hollow?

A. It can take a staggering long time, between 100 - 200 years and longer .. for a tree to create a decent hollow. By ‘decent’ we refer to the depth and size of the opening whereby it becomes useful to a range of animals.

We often think of hollows for breeding birds. But many animals use hollows including bats, possums, reptiles, gliders, ducks, frogs, skinks and owls.

Hollows are used to protect animals from predators and weather, as well as breeding and rearing their young.

These ‘animal hotels’ are critical for supporting our local native habitat, so if you are lucky enough to have mature trees on your property than make sure to;

🌳Retain and protect remnant mature trees especially those with hollows, even if the tree is dead.

🐨Protect habitat around the tree that will provide food source and water.

🐮Ensure that the trees are protected from livestock and other threats. Ie fenced off

🏞️Leave all native trees and plants along watercourses.

🦆Consider installing a ‘bird or habitat’ box if you have a mature tree with no hollow, specialist arborists offer hollow creation if you have a suitable aged tree.


See link in bio for further information about tree hollows for habitat

Enjoy these beautiful tree photos supplied by members of the Geelong Gardens for wildlife!

Repost Tree Day
July 28

Mature trees are the cornerstone of a successful Garden for Wildlife garden.

Happy National Tree Day! 🌳

We are fortunate to have so many beautiful Australian birds. There’s nothing we love more than seeing them enjoy old nesting hollows in native trees.

📷: Judy Sumner

Check out the gorgeous display table for Geelong Gardens for Wildlife @ Geelong Library Sustainability Market today!

Saturday 27 July 10:30am – 2:30pm

Come say hi 👋 to our wonderful volunteer Heather, who will be staffing the Geelong Gardens for Wildlife stall at the sustainability market at the Geelong library this weekend!

Heather can discuss group involvement and to provide advice on how you can improve your property to create a habitat for local native animals!

If you’re as passionate about caring for your community as you are about looking after the planet, come along to our new Sustainability Market.

Located on the ground floor of Geelong Library, you’ll discover an array of homegrown and pre-loved goods, like:
– Vintage clothing and accessories
– Retro kitchenware
– Hand-knitted beanies and scarves
– Homemade jams
– Recycled glass jewellery

The Sustainable Market encourages upcycling and recycling, supports those lacking food security and keeps our environmental footprint small while supporting the work of the Lazurus Community Centre.

Date: Saturday 27 July 10:30am – 2:30pm

Geelong Library Sustainability Market

This weekend!

Saturday 27 July 10:30am – 2:30pm

Come say hi 👋 to our wonderful volunteer Heather, who will be staffing the Geelong Gardens for Wildlife stall at the sustainability market at the Geelong library this weekend!

Heather can discuss group involvement and to provide advice on how you can improve your property to create a habitat for local native animals!

If you’re as passionate about caring for your community as you are about looking after the planet, come along to our new Sustainability Market.

Located on the ground floor of Geelong Library, you’ll discover an array of homegrown and pre-loved goods, like:
– Vintage clothing and accessories
– Retro kitchenware
– Hand-knitted beanies and scarves
– Homemade jams
– Recycled glass jewellery

The Sustainable Market encourages upcycling and recycling, supports those lacking food security and keeps our environmental footprint small while supporting the work of the Lazurus Community Centre.

Date: Saturday 27 July 10:30am – 2:30pm

Repost from
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🌿 SGA’s ‘Climate Resilient Gardening’ forum is one month away! 🌿

Discover how climate change will impact our gardens and gardening practices. Join us to:

🌱 Hear from leading experts
🌱 Explore practical strategies
🌱 Network with like-minded gardeners

📅 Date: August 14
📍 Location: In-person or online

Hosted by the renowned Dr. Greg Moore OAM.

Want to win tickets for you and a friend to attend either in person or via livestream?
Here’s how to enter:

1. Tag a friend who’d love to go with you
2. Show us your support and like this post
3. Help us spread the word by sharing this post

,

Don’t miss this chance to learn and connect with fellow gardening enthusiasts!

The Canberra-based public servant traded her traditional turf front yard for a biodiverse native wetland around six years ago.

She thinks it’s one of the best things she’s ever done.

“It was all a bit dry and uninspiring,” Ms Reid said of her inherited home frontage.

“I’ve [since] turned the backyard over to the chickens and vegetables and bees, and the front yard’s all about biodiversity.”
………….
An inspiring article posted back in May about a gardener who did what many of us dream about!

Lose the traditional resource hungry turf for more plants!

If you’re not using your lawn, why not. Lawn maintenance can be a high input, resource greedy aspect to the traditional garden.

For the full article by Daniel Miles in the ABC posted Sun 19 May head to link in our bio !

Geelong Gardens for Wildlife (G4W) is now recruiting Volunteers to act as Garden Guides.

Garden Guides are at the heart of what we do!

Gardens for Wildlife program commenced in 2016 in Knox Municipality but the Geelong G4W group is just starting, so it’s the perfect time to get involved.

Not only will you meet like minded people, you can have a positive impact on your local community by assisting individuals with strategies to improve biodiversity in their home gardens.

Volunteer Garden Guides promote, encourage and support people to plant indigenous and native plants which in turn supports are beautiful and unique 🐦 birds, insects 🐞 lizards 🦎 🐸 frogs and native mammals.

On going training and support will be provided.
To find out more about the program visit
gardensforwildlifevictoria (link in bio) or to request a copy of the Garden Guide Position Description Email [email protected]

Want to start your journey to create a beautiful wildlife garden? 🐝🦋🐸🦆
We’ll explore the elements that make up a wildlife garden which will help support birds, butterflies, insects, lizards, frogs and bees 🐞🦎 which will make your garden a haven for biodiversity.

Thanks for sharing this awesome story!

Now more than ever, we are looking for solutions to improve our urban environment, there is perhaps an slightly outdated idea that ‘nature’ is somewhere else, in the ‘bush’ or the ‘outback’ when in actual fact we are living in nature, it’s all around us. Sometimes it just needs a little help in our suburbs and cities. If you’re interested in Urban ecology, we’ve provided some links in the Bio to a couple of great resources 1.The University of Melbourne Playbook for Urban diversity 2. International Principles & Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration
diversity #

If you haven’t ever had a chance to visit the Kevin Hoffman Walk gardens in Lara we highly recommend seeking it out.
A fantastic example of an Australian native garden along Hovells Creek. It’s a definite inspiration for Verge Gardening! The community have been planting and maintaining this garden for decades, initial trees were planted in the 1970’s, then the gardens developed by the Hoffman family, community and now the Friends of Kevin Hoffman Walk care for this remarkable garden!

So don’t forget, the Geelong Council Have your Say on our Nature strip draft garden guidelines close on June 9, see link in bio, ask your friends and family to have their say also!

Join us next Wednesday the 5th of June at the fantastic Murrk Ngubitj Yarram Yaluk reserve, which in Wadawurrung means ‘headwaters of continuous flowing river!🌿🦅🐝

Each month, the dedicated Friends of Murrk Ngubitj Yarram Yaluk volunteers undertake bush regeneration works including the removal of w**ds at this special site. It’s a great way to get early access to this new reserve, learn about indigenous and w**dy plants, spot some cool birds or meet new people. And we always finish the session with morning tea and a biscuit!

Details for the June session are:
🌿 Wednesday the 5th of June 2024
🌿 10am - 12pm
🌿 Activities include w**d removal, bird watching, plant identification
🌿 Meet at the north west corner of Murrk Ngubitj Yarram Yaluk, 280-324 Swan Bay Road, Wallington, Wadawurrung Country
🌿 Wear a hat, long pants and a long shirt. Gumboots are advised! BYO water bottle.
🌿 Email [email protected] for questions.

This program is made possible with support from and as well as the Victorian Government via the Nature Fund.

Image: volunteers at the May session removing w**ds from a regenerating area, helping to give the tiny indigenous plants a chance!

**ds

Did anyone else catch this weird and wonderful article in the Guardian last month? It’s all about a new trend called ‘tile whipping’ that has taken off in the Netherlands. The Dutch have taken the issue of biodiversity 🌸🐦🏡to a new level, creating a competition between towns to remove hard paving tiles … hence the name Tile Whipping! They even have a catchy YouTube clip to encourage people to get involved. By removing hard surfaces they are not only encouraging Biodiversity but cooling their Urban Spaces, slowing rainfall by having permeable surfaces… it’s a win all round! Check out the whole article in our Bio tilewhipping

Biodiversity in Place, A collaboration between NSW gov and Hassel, demonstrates that our urban spaces can be havens for wildlife, we just need to give them a helping hand. Verges, rail tracks, roof tops, backyards, parks, rivers banks… so much potential everywhere! Full document link in bio

🐝

Great segment on Gardening Australia by Millie Ross who explains the virtues of Bursaria spinosa… some virtues obvious but others not so! Amazing plant ..

It’s no secret that I love (almost 😉) all , but some absolutely have my 💚heart. Tonight on I bang on about in all it’s humble, yet heroic guises; as a powerhouse, quiet supporter of rare and endangered & secret ability to reflect UV light. Seriously, plants are amazing. If you’re not on the 🚂 yet, tune in tonight and GET ON BOARD!!!!
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Beautiful Rainbow lorikeets enjoying a Stenocarpus sinuatus - firewheel tree in Johnstone Park today. The fire wheel tree has an absolutely stunning flower and despite being a rainforest tree, it’s doing pretty well in Geelong.

Silhouetted Allocasuarina against the stunning aurora australis seen Sat 11.05.2024

If you don’t already have a Allocasuarina, common name ‘Sheoak’ variety in your back yard, then maybe you could squeeze one or three or more in ! 😀

A beautiful medium sized tree, varieties A. luehmannii (Buloke) and A.verticillata (Drooping sheoak) are indigenous to the Geelong district.

Allocasuarina trees are fast growing, great for wind amelioration, erosion control and nitrogen fixing.

Male plants produce attractive yellow flower spikes and female plants produce small red flowers and barrel-shaped seed filled cones, which most importantly feed our larger birds, such as cockatoos.

And if that wasn’t enough the fascinating long needle like leaves make a beautiful whispering sound in the wind. Oh and did I mention it’s also water wise ! 💧